Costa Rica: Mountain High, Valley Deep
Costa Rica, February 5, 2003
 I
left San Juan del Sur early in the morning with Antonio
Sr., Matilde's husband. He works in Rivas and so gave
us a ride to the highway where the buses go by. It was
a difficult decision to leave such a great place but
once on the road that familiar feeling of adventure
surged in me and I was ready for the next destination,
that destination being Costa Rica.
The border crossing was uneventful except for the really
long wait. It seems Costa Rica is a busy border crossing
both ways but there is only one immigration window.
Go figure. 2 hours later we are on a bus and heading
for Liberia and beyond. Brigitta and Sebastion are headed
for the Nicoya Pennisula and a small beach town called
Montezuma. Originally I was headed for La Fortuna and
Volcan Arenal but that little imp "synchronicity" wanted
to go to Monte Verde so we missed our turn off at Canas.
"When do we get to Canas?" I asked the driver.
"40 km back there," he replied.
"Where are we now?" I wonder aloud.
"Near the turn off for Santa Elena and Monte Verde," he offers.
"O.K. I will get off here," I finish with a smile.
He smiles and opens the door. I struggle out with my pack and mandolin.
The 4 p.m. the sun is casting long shadows in the tall trees. Across the road
is a gas station. I cross over to it and buy a bottle
of water. The clerk tells me the bus for Santa Elena (the
only one in the p.m.) will be here in 5 minutes. So
I guess I am going to Santa Elena and the cloud forest
at Monte Verde. Later on I heard from other travelers
that Volcan Arenal although active is rarely visible
because of cloud cover and rain.
 The
ride up the mountain passes is breathtaking. The road
is narrow and the hills are steep. I stop looking at
the ground when I see the tires are only inches away
from a sheer drop off. At points along the way you can
see all the way to the Nicoya peninsula and the Pacific
ocean. Much of the prime growth forest has been cleared
for pasture and coffee plantations but the view is still
spectacular.
We arrive in Santa Elena around 5 p.m. as the sun slowly sneaks behind the higher hills. I feel a little disoriented going from a Nica beach to a Tica mountain top. The air is thinner and I notice my legs are a little heavier but I am used to this, having lived in the mountains in Canada.
What I am not prepared for is the cultural differences
between the two. After a month and some in Nicaragua,
Costa Rica is a slight jolt to the system. The highways
and storefronts are very "western". Santa Elena is almost
Bavarian in appearance. The houses and stores are all
very quaint with a European style architecture. Specialty
coffee shops, a bakery, fine dining and American clothing
stores. I felt like I had been suddenly teleported to
Banff, Canada 40 years into the past. I am not complaining,
I like Banff and I also like good coffee. I had my first
good cup in 3 months and it tasted great. I also had
a fantastic sleep that night in a big double bed with
the cool, fresh, mountain air wafting through the open
window.
The next morning I boarded the shuttle for the Santa
Elena Forest Reserve. This is a smaller reserve close
to the Monte Verde Reserve but is less touristy and
equally spectacular. The highlights include a trail
that crosses 8 suspension bridges over 5 km of cloud
forest hills and ravines. Another option is a "zip"
line that zooms you along from tower to tower parallel
with the trail below. I took the trail and my time without a guide.
The forest canopy is quite amazing when viewed from
above. The subtropical foliage in the dappled morning
light has a mystical quality that permeates the soul.
Rare and strange birds call from the valleys and wing
across the openings in the canopy. And yes I saw the
elusive Quetzal. A bird with an amazing plumage and
call. Sorry, no pics. The rivers below are difficult
to see through the dense undergrowth but the sounds
make you thirst for the the cool, sweet water below.
All the time I was on the trail I searched high and low for spiders and snakes but nada. Oddly enough the abundance of animals we see on nature shows leaves us with the impression that they will be everywhere in the wild. This is not the case. Just as in Canada, animals will be seen when they want to be seen. An interesting side point is the Bushmaster snake. This is a highly territorial 7 foot snake that will hunt anything that is in its territory, including people. It's fast and deadly so I think I will still be on the lookout for snakes.
 To
get a better idea of what I would have to deal with,
I went to the serpentarium for a protected peak at these
predators. The serpentarium houses 11 of the 27 deadly
snakes in Costa Rica. I was mostly intrigued by the
vipers. These snakes can be the size of a big pencil
and yet they are equally deadly in venom. They wait
by the side of a trail under forest debris for unsuspecting
mice and birds. They usually hide when they see or hear
people and large animals coming. I think I saw an open
cage and a wriggly pencil on the floor when I was there.
After 2 days I left Santa Elena headed for the central valley south of San
Jose. I chose not to stop in San Jose as most big cities
do not interest me but maybe I will return. San Jose
seems like a nice place from a bus window. My eventual
goal is Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean coast close to
Panama.
An incidental stop-off, and pleasant surprise in the Central Valley, was the small town of Orosi. It is nestled in between the mountains in the heart of the coffee region. I took a nice walk through the valley and down to a river where there are natural hot springs and a swimming hole. Orosi is very green and colorful. Fragrant blooms similar to fresia and lilies waft in on the wind. The nights are cool and the days are hot; perfect coffee growing weather. And oh yes, really good coffee.
Previous entry: Sun,
Surf and Miles of Sand
|
