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“Ô, Sunlight! The most precious gold to be found on Earth.”
―
Click image to see larger or start manual slideshow.
¡Pura Vida!
See my Punta Leona Trip Gallery
And visit the Hotel Punta Leona Website for more about this nature place!
Knowing from past experiences that the return trip by boat and bus to San Jose is more tiring and less of an adventure, I chose to try flying back this time and not that early 6am flight! 🙂 But rather I took the 12:40 afternoon flight – and here is
The Tortuguero Airport Terminal. 🙂
Sometimes I think I live a charmed life getting to see such beautiful sights! (Even though my suitcase did not make it on our overloaded flight and is suppose to be delivered by taxi sometime this evening.) I love being “Retired in Costa Rica” and I’m still processing the bird and other wildlife photos from this Tortuguero trip – but coming soon!
See my 2019 Tortuguero Turtle Beach Lodge Visit Gallery for more on this exciting rainforest trip!
Or the Turtle Beach Lodge hotel website
Or my photo book on 3 visits to TORTUGUERO, The Amazon of Costa Rica
Yesterday, 23rd, was a full day with tour of the park and the night hike here at hotel wildlife refuge – thus I did not get photos all processed until today, the 24th, the anniversary of me living in Costa Rica four years now.
I think I have said this before in the blog, but I will repeat that Manuel Antonio National Park is the most visited of all 28 or so national parks in Costa Rica and thus generally my least favorite because it is “loved to death” with too many people (think Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the states with the Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge mess). My last time here was in 2015 with Kevin Hunter and the park tour was different in that we saw some different animals and probably had a better guide who grew up in the area. We saw squirrel monkeys then which we did not this time nor the parrot snake I photographed on that visit, but otherwise similar. And this time we went to all three beaches in the park, while only going to the one main beach last time.
And this time there are now more trails and a really nice series of bridges or elevated walkways through the mangrove swamp, handicap accessible with braille signs! Though behind the U.S. in handicap accessibility, Costa Rica is moving fast in that direction!
I go mainly for the wildlife, so that is the main slideshow below, but many people come here for the three different beaches inside the park and pay the $16 admission just to spend the day on one of the beaches, so a shot of each of the three beaches is in the second slideshow. Overall, Manuel Antonio is just too “touristy” for me and I have no desire to return here. The hotel with its own wildlife refuge is nice and I love the views from the hillside, but it too is rather “touristy” and overpriced, so I don’t see myself returning here either. But glad I’ve had all these experiences! The Costa Rica tourists see.
“Adventure is worthwhile.”
-Aesop
See this TRIP GALLERY 2018 December Si Como No.
More photos from Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge visit yesterday:
Did you notice the quote on the entrance sign to this refuge? It is . . .
“The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.”
― Charles Darwin
¡Pura Vida!
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| Pam Stockett, our fearless leader and example on the zipline! FBC Nashville Mission Trip to Costa Rica |
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| And 8 of the 10 in mission team geared up for the zipline! FBC Nashville Mission Trip to Costa Rica |
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| Dinner at Jaco hotel at sundown in the rain! FBC Nashville Mission Trip to Costa Rica |
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| Tambor Tropical Resort A small boutique luxury hotel on beach of the calmer water bay of the Pacific Ocean on southern end of the Nicoya Peninsula (Guanacaste) west of Puntarenas. Catering to birders, nature lovers, adventurers and yoga people. Tambor Bay, Costa rica |
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| Not only is the hotel on the beach, but adjacent to a river with multiple birding/hiking trails. This is my kind of place! I can hardly wait to get there! Birding guides to 2 reserves plus maybe a boat trip to Tortuga Island along with the ever-present river tails above! And beach! Plus most reviews rank the food and other services very high. A great vacation! Tambor Bay, Costa Rica |
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| Bird Christmas Tree (Click for close-ups of some of the birds.) The leafless tree in the corner is sprayed with gold paint and has hanging on it 33 hand-made art birds from every country in Central America made of wood, cloth, pottery, beads, gourds, etc. I like it so much I have kept it up since last Christmas and probably will again all this year. Charlie’s Living Room Atenas, Costa Rica |
I expect to give daily reports of my adventures at Tambor Tropical on this blog, so keep reading for my idea of a Merry Christmas and Feliz Navidad! Birding in Costa Rica! 🙂
My trip gallery for this trip: 2017 Christmas Week Tambor Bay
And the hotel website: Tambor Tropical Resort
Expats in Costa Rica most often feel safer than in the U.S. Article in Live in Costa Rica Blog
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| I walked from those blue hills around the bay to this town beach. Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica |
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| The bend in the bay before getting to the town. Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica |
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| I get to cross this stream coming into the bay and see the one-lane bridge on the road running parallel with beach. Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica |
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| Approaching town there are runners & this abandoned barge. Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica |
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| Near every hotel is this standard sign warning of undertow. Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica |
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| A faster way to get to town? 🙂 Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica |
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| Great Kiskadee One of six species of birds seen along the beach walk. Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica |
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| Semipalmated Plover For birders, yes, similar to Wilson’s Plover except this one has orange legs & orange on base of bill (click to enlarge) Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica |
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| Non-breeding Western Sandpiper Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica |
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| Breeding Western Sandpiper Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica |
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| Whimbrel Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica |
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| Brown Pelican Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica |
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| Great-tailed Grackle male Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica |
I was high-energy yesterday and did more than I should probably, but doing very little today to make up for it! Thus I have a lot of photos still from yesterday to share and may do another post tonight. Every new place is an adventure and full of photo-ops!
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| Sunrise from the Front Porch of My Room Aguila de Osa Lodge, Drake Bay, Costa Rica |
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| Little Stream on Hotel Property Aguila de Osa Lodge, Drake Bay, Costa Rica |
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| Complete with a Swinging Bridge! It connects a trail around the total bay. Aguila de Osa Lodge, Drake Bay, Costa Rica |
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| Pedrillo Falls Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica |
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| Little Falls Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica |
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| Part of the Continuous Beach Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica |
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| Ranger Station like this at both Pedrillo & Cañon Island Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica |
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| Part of the beach is rocky like this Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica |
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| Mangrove Boat Trip Drake Bay, Costa Rica |
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| Mangrove Floating Hyacinths & Dense Forests Drake Bay, Costa Rica |
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| And of course, lots of Mangrove Trees that grow in the brackish water and attract wildlife Drake Bay, Costa Rica |
My TRIPS Photo Gallery on this Drake Bay Trip
About Corcovado National Park (Wikipedia) and About Drake Bay (Wikipedia)
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| Rainforest Meets Pacific Ocean Corcovdo National Park, Costa Rica |
A big gourmet breakfast and off by 6:30 by boat to San Pedrillo Ranger Station by boat in the rain through some pretty big swells along the Pacific coast – about 30 minutes and another wet landing in the surf and knee-deep wading to shore. We hiked three trails including part of the beach above seeing an unbelievable number of tree species and other cool plants, many animals and two new birds for me. We also saw a beautiful waterfall that I will show later. Then another rough boat ride back after our sandwich lunch, but no more rain! But it is cloudy and I do expect rain tonight.
About Corcovado National Park (Wikipedia) and About Drake Bay (Wikipedia)
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| Brown Basilisk or Jesus Christ Lizard Tarcoles River, Costa Rica |
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| Brown Basilisk or Jesus Christ Lizard Tarcoles River, Costa Rica |
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| American Crocodile Tarcoles River, Costa Rica |
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| American Crocodile Tarcoles River, Costa Rica |
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| Green Iguana Tarcoles River, Costa Rica |
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| Spiny-tailed Iguana or Black Ctenaura Iguana Tarcoles River, Costa Rica |
As always on this blog you can click a photo to see a larger version on black background.
Yeah, it is possible to sometimes see a monkey, sloth, coati, agouti, bat or other mammal, though no longer frequent on Tarcoles. People population growth reduces the animal population everywhere!
You can see all of the photos from this day trip at 2017-13-April Tarcoles Float Trip gallery
Or see my photo collection of OTHER WILDLIFE in Costa Rica or BIRDS separately
EASTER BUNNY?
And for Easter I have yet to see a rabbit here, though one website says there are 3 species of forest rabbits. The more common agouti twitches his nose like a rabbit, but he’s actually a rodent! 🙂
EASTER IS EITHER RELIGIOUS OR BEACH HOLIDAY FOR TICOS
Easter is purely a religious holiday here officially almost equal with Christmas in importance but purely for the focus on Jesus, not spoiling children with candy. (They spoil them other ways!) I’ll try to get some photos to share from the Easter Mass Processional tomorrow which is big deal everywhere. It used to be a “Dry Week” with no alcoholic beverages sold nation-wide, by law! Now it is up to local communities and is not enforced in the dry cantons.
Click this One tourist guide to being here for Easter (Semana Santa or Holy Week) with a list of other major holidays included. It is important to know before visiting here because many Ticos travel for many holidays, especially this week, and especially to the beaches, meaning the highways are literally bumper to bumper. It took us twice as long as usual to get to Tarcoles Thursday because of this. I would never go to a beach during Semana Santa (Holy Week). Think Spring Break!