Thanksgiving in Costa Rica

[bethany]

On Thanksgiving, glenn and I awoke to the sound of howler monkeys in the distance in our open-sided, thatched cabina overlooking the jungle and Pacific, and lazily watched a chestnut-mandibled toucan and a white-faced capuchin eating bananas mere feet away as scarlet macaws flew over head. We weren't tripping; we were on the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica.

After a morning of lazing about in a hammock, and hiking in the astonishing rainforest, we caught a ride to Puerto Jimenez where we hooked up with Josh from Escondido Trex (escondidotrex.com), a kayaking and adventure tour place. He showed us the orchids he was growing in the beach house yard, along with cinnamon, citronella, and more. We drank pipa (unripe coconut water -- better than Gatorade), and went for a leisurely paddle with him in bulky sit-on-top-boats. It was a tourist sunset tour that any beginner could do, but we were too laid back to care -- I just wanted to see dolphins, and the stable barges of boats we paddled felt like fine protection from the rest of the toothed company we had.

The three of us paddled with the crocs and caymen and colorful land crabs and multiple kinds of kingfishers in the mangrove swamp then pulled the boats over a sandbar to a beautiful desolate beach and ate pineapple. From there we launched into mild surf into the Golfo Dulce, which is an underwater fjord according to J. Cousteau. As we rounded a point the water became strangely quiet, and the surface was like glass as far as we could see.

The sunset was obscured by clouds as a lightening storm began rolling across the gulf from Panama. The sky and water turned an eerie matching cobalt blue and flying fish lept out of the water. The dolphins (including the mad acrobatic spinner dolphins) blatently ignored my attempt to communicate telepathically and stayed out of sight. The storm marched toward us magnificently, lightening turning the sky bright purple as we raced it to the shore.

Later, while eating fish and steak at a soda in town, a bolt struck not far away, so deafening and large that everyone who had ducked into the restaurant turned to each other and giggled weakly. We got a ride back (several miles over potholed and washed out dirt road took an hour) in a snorkel-equipped Land Cruiser. One of the rivers we drove through had risen to car window height.

It was a fine way to spend the holiday.

(Did I mention that the water was in the high 80s???)

http://infinitesea.com/golfodulce.jpg

[rick stoehrer]

come on....the news is that this was your honeymoon, right!

so glad you had a nice time. Janis and I went in February and CR was gorgeous. the vegetation, the animals (monkeys galore and sloths), the amazing hills/mountains over on the Osa Penninsula....and the exchange rate is so favorable as to be ridiculous? is there a more perfect place?

the land crabs were the coolest things....oranges, reds and purples and greens....all on a single species?

[bethany]

thanks! and now the question is, where are you two going to honeymoon?!!

we enjoyed honeymooning so much that we've decided to call whatever trips we feel like in the future "honeymoons" as well.

--b

[rick stoehrer]

we get married at sunset aboard a boat in Key West and from there, we're all off to margaritaville for dinner, drinks (so that'd be like the reception if we were doing this "standard", right?) and then after that and we put the various nephews, niece and old folks to bed....yeah, Key West never sleeps....

so after sleeping in the day/afternoon after our all night carousing....we head off to the Snipe Keys just NW of Key West for kayaking and a little "commando" camping. supposed to be a gorgeous area and we are really looking forward to getting on the water thereabouts....all kinds of little keys, birds, coral, fish, sharks....beautiful sunsets....ahhhh man! when's february??!!