Posts by :
Day 8: Living with Lionfish
October 15th, 2009
Playa Punta Uva
On our way out to Punta Uva, I counted 10-12 surfers tackling the intimidating Salsa Brava reef break. As much as I love to surf, there isn’t enough money in the world to convince me to tackle these waves at my current intermediate level; they looked downright dangerous.
In my opinion, large waves aren’t that bothersome – I can just hold my breath if I get tangled up in one. What truly scares me are the reefs and rocks that occasionally break bones and boards. Only one or two of the surfers in the water today seemed like pros; everyone else repeatedly wiped out mere seconds after mounting their boards. I would have to work my way up to surfing the Salsa Brava someday in the very distant future.
Orange Coral
Nevertheless, we weren’t here to surf: we were here to dive. First, we sped out to the coral wall at Punta Uva. We found lots of colorful creatures to chase after with my camera (now one of my favorite underwater pastimes). Normally I can only expend so much energy in this manner without using up my air faster than everyone else in the group, but today the other divers were spear fishing – an activity that requires a lot of movement – so they were sucking down oxygen too.
We dove down about 80 feet, and observed rare black coral, enormous groupers, lobsters and anemones. I watched the hunters spear two medium-sized yellow tails, and tried to keep my distance from their enormous spear guns that seemed more than slightly dangerous. The sport was also a little too violent for me – I used to be a vegetarian, and had just recently acclimated to catching fish with a pole and line.
Lionfish are indigenous to the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and are thought to have been accidentally introduced to these waters when Hurricane Andrew demolished a Florida aquarium in 1992. Non-native to the Caribbean Sea, they are considered a critically invasive species. One of the most venomous fish in the sea, lionfish can effortlessly pulverize two and a half acres of reef – and all of the animals subsisting on it – in as little as five weeks. Because time is a crucial factor, the only viable solution to the problem is to hunt and kill them. Crocodive is in the process of becoming a field station to work toward this goal, and save the reef before it is too late.
Genna Upside Down
After observing the lionfish, we all noticed our tanks were nearly empty. Ascending, I could see droplets of water bouncing off the surface – while we were busy diving below, a storm had been brewing up above. It was pouring as we boarded the boat, and it looked like it was only going to get worse. I mentally scolded myself for toting along my notebook and backpack, which were now sopping wet.
Our crew hightailed it back to Puerto Viejo – but we still had Rescue Diver exercises to complete. Since today was my last day, we had no choice but to brave the choppy waters. So long as there wasn’t lighting, we could manage.
This ended up being the best physical exercise I’ve had in months – far better than any session at the gym. The exercises are normally designed for calm waters, but I had the benefit of attempting them in highly realistic conditions. Strong waves slapped us around, and it was challenging for just one person to stay afloat – let alone two.
Rescue Exercises
I practiced a variety of techniques and simulations, my favorite being the “lost man” activity. This involves descending to the ocean floor with a partner who holds a spool of rope. My partner remained still while I took a length of rope and made circles around him, looking for the lost man. When the circle was finished, he released more rope and I repeated the procedure. The point of the activity was to avoid getting lost and separated in murky waters – a wise move considering the poor visibility in this shallow bay.
As we finished up, Roch explained that I would need to practice dragging a limp body short distances on dry land. Interestingly, Crocodive can no longer teach this lesson in public – there had been multiple incidents where spectators had watched a student struggle to pull Roch’s seemingly lifeless body out of the water, and proceeded to call the police – thinking it was a real emergency. We would practice this back at the dive shop, to avoid creating an unnecessary panic. On the way back to Playa Chiquita, I stopped at Puerto Viejo’s bus station to buy the next day’s ticket to San Jose. Since there are few departures each day, it is always good to purchase tickets 24 hours in advance, whenever possible.
Sea Anemone
My sore muscles were screaming for me to go to bed, but I was not quite ready – I still had dinner to look forward to. Louis had been bragging all week how his lunch cafe, Pititas (which is temporarily closed for repairs), serves up the best cheeseburger in the world. After enough teasing, Louis finally agreed to make one especially for me – and I would be the judge.
He was right – the burger was phenomenal. Dripping with mozzarella cheese, carmelized onions, and all the fixin’s, I happily conceded Louis’ point.
Pool at Hotel Kasha
This was a delicious way to end my trip. Tomorrow I would be on my way back to the Pacific, but would always hold fond memories of my visit to Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast.
For more information, see our Puerto Viejo travel guide.
Day 7: Chocolate Decadence & the Punta Uva Gardens
October 14th, 2009
PURE Jungle Spa Reception Area
Today’s dive to Punta Mona, reputedly one of the most beautiful and isolated dive sites in the Southern Caribbean, had been canceled due to another bout of unseasonal rains.
I called PURE Jungle Spa to see if I could reschedule my afternoon Chocolate Decadence Treatment for that morning – and the plan was a success.
Massage Table
The spa was spacious with natural accents and wood decor. Off of the reception area were two treatment rooms and a stone-tiled bathroom with an outdoor shower. One side of the waiting room was decorated with bottles of massage oils, lotions and other products. The other end had chocolate bars, candies and cacao soap made by an indigenous community in the nearby town of Bri Bri.
As instructed, I had arrived 15 minutes early. The receptionist greeted me with a glass of chilled white wine and prepared an aromatic foot soak. A bucket of hot water mixed with scented flower oils was placed upon a curved stone on the floor. I soaked my tired feet and began to unwind.
The masseuse arrived a few minutes later. Sondra Cantu, an American who has been living in Costa Rica for the past five years, is one of those types of people that you immediately feel at ease around. She began to heat up the chocolate paste – made from roasted and ground cacao beans – while I got comfortable on the massage table.
Chocolate Treat
As the chocolate melted, the incredible smell of cacao exploded in the room. The treatment began with an exfoliation, followed by 20 minutes of deep tissue massage. Sondra really cared about relieving the tension in my muscles; she took her time and applied an amazing amount of pressure. I had nearly fallen asleep when she began applying the scrub.
Thankfully, the overwhelming smell of cacao did not provoke my stomach into chocolate cravings. After wiping my skin, she dripped warm oil over my body and rubbed it in. I dreaded the end to this truly decadent treatment which left my skin glowing. After a short scalp massage, it was over. I remained in the room for a few minutes to rest, then showered off next door. Waiting for me on the sink was a beautiful arrangement of fresh flowers, a cold glass of water, and a small piece of homemade Talamanca chocolate. This was the ideal end to the perfect treatment. My skin was smoother than silk, and emanated chocolate for the rest of the day.
Lobster
By now, the sun was shining and I still had the rest of the afternoon to myself. After regrouping at Hotel Kasha, I decided to explore Punta Uva, a 20-minute walk away.
The uncrowded beach lies next to a small estuary where kayaks can be rented. As I walked by a dive center, I noticed people wiggling into wetsuits. The group invited me to join in, and I had just enough time to suit up for the 2:00 p.m. dive.
The Punta Uva gardens are less than five minutes from the shore via speedboat. Even though we were diving over 100 feet into the deep, the water was so warm that wet suits were completely unnecessary. As we descended, the first thing I saw was a large grouper swimming with a pair of yellow fish. Various species of purple and green sponges and corals dominated the underwater landscape.
Throughout the dive, we spotted a number of enormous lobsters, and even a pair dwelling side-by-side in two separate holes. This reminded me of the myth that lobsters mate for life. The false notion began on the popular 90’s television show, Friends, when Phoebe insists that Rachel and Ross are each others’ lobster. This statement is quickly debunked with a simple Google search (sorry, Friends fans).
Small Tropical Fish
Another unique aspect of diving in Puerto Viejo is the existence of black coral. Black coral, which is actually white or vibrant in color, is a precious substance that normally begins to grow at depths of 250 feet or greater. Here in Costa Rica, you can find it at much shallower depths. Purportedly rarer and more valuable than gold, black coral is critically endangered. It only grows about ¼ -- ½ of an inch in diameter every century, so its destruction is devastatingly dangerous to the survival of the species.
After two 40-minute excursions under the sea, it was time to call it a day. Tomorrow I would finish up my Rescue Diver course, and prepare for the long journey back to Liberia.
Get more information on Puerto Viejo, in our detailed travel guide.
Day 6: Navigating a Coral Maze
October 13th, 2009
Dive Boat
The BOOM! of a thunderstorm woke me up 45 minutes before my alarm. Lightning lit up the still dim sky. There was no way we were taking the boat out in this. But, just in case, I got ready and went to breakfast. The storm seemed to worsen as the morning wore on, and after getting the official cancellation phone call from Crocodive, I went back to sleep.
I woke up in a haze a few hours later. The rain had finally let up, although the clouds still looked threatening. I remembered seeing a sign for a bookstore a few kilometers toward Puerto Viejo, and began to walk.
Waves at Salsa Brava
Strolling past the surfers at Playa Cocles, where the storm had apparently spit out a pretty decent break, I was tempted to rent a board. It was a shame that I had nowhere to put my wallet and camera, and no one with me to watch my things. Talented surfers were doing jumps and tricks on decent sized waves. I couldn’t participate, and ten minutes as a spectator was a tease – so I carried on.
All-in-all, it took just under an hour to stroll from Hotel Kasha in Playa Chiquita to the Echo used bookstore. The shop was smaller than I expected, but featured a decent variety of titles. I found one I liked and took it to the register – where the manager offered me a piece of organic chocolate. Ever the chocoholic, I gratefully accepted. It was fantastic, and I impulsively offered to buy the whole bucket (fortunately for my wallet, it was not possible to buy in bulk).
Diver
Walking back, the clouds parted and my cell phone rang – it was Roch from Crocodive. I called a cab to take me to Puerto Viejo’s little park, “El Parquecito.” There, the diving crew were suited up and ready for a shore dive through a maze of coral.
Yesterday, the dive masters had described the site’s tunnels of colorful plants swarming with hundreds of species of fish. Unfortunately, visibility was so poor today that I couldn’t see any of it – only shadows.
Pink and Yellow Fish
On the bright side, the diminished visibility added a thrilling element of suspense to the dive. In the murk, my mind played tricks on me as we maneuvered through narrow coral tunnels. This was definitely an experience for advanced divers who had complete control over their buoyancy – otherwise, the risk of damaging the coral would be too great. Lots of surge and strong currents made for an exciting adventure. Challenging conditions also meant good practice for my ultimate diving goal: Islas del Coco.
Next, we practiced some of my rescue diver techniques. The most fun was trying to get control of a panicked diver, both above and below the surface. Above the water, a dive-instructor-in-training named Tanya pretended to panic. She flailed her arms about and tried to use me as a flotation device, pushing my head underwater in order to propel herself upward. This is what happens to panicked divers – they get out of control. I learned how to sink down and approach her from behind, grab onto her tank, and keep her back to me as I pulled her to the boat. By the time we got there, I was beyond exhausted from lugging two bodies and two sets of heavy equipment through the water.
Black and White Tropical Fish
Before heading back to Playa Chiquita, we stopped at the Pan Pay restaurant by the beach. For about $3.50, I bought the biggest, most delicious sandwich in the world. A cheese omelet with lettuce, tomato and avocado on a two-foot loaf of bread. We all ordered one, and it revitalized us. I went back to my hotel and spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing at the pool.
That night, I ordered the Magic Ginger’s Bombay chicken salad again, followed by a mouthwatering chicken dish. Louis made fun of me for not trying a new salad, but I explained that there couldn’t possibly be a meal that I could favor more. We chatted and drank a couple of glasses of wine at the bar, before I set off for bed.
For more information, see our travel guide on Puerto Viejo.
