TravelStream™ news feed for member jr_riel on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/jr_riel en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Wed, 14 Jun 2006 00:05:38 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jr_riel/corcovado-2006/1147546860/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jr_riel/corcovado-2006/1147546860/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jr_riel/corcovado-2006/1147546860/tpod.html Wed, 14 Jun 2006 00:05:38 -0400 Corcovado National Park: A Wilderness Squeezed Between Soda-Pop Fizz & Snuggled-Up Sleep (photos by goo_scott and roxy46)

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Los Patos to Sirena Station, Costa Rica

Day Two - Beware of the Piccadilly's!

There once was a man backpacking his way through the wilds of Corcovado. Along the way, he came across a clan of crazy white lipped peccaries. They snorted their snouts in his general direction, and caught wind of the sweet sugary snacks stuffed at the bottom of his pack. They made an advance. He turned and ran. Up the nearest tree he went, scrambling like a squirrel monkey in search of a nut. Only he had to hold on for dear life. And hold on he did, for three days straight. All the while, the pack of fuzzy boars waited for him with frothy mouths and dirty looks until they finally got the point, and realized that he wasn't worth the wait. So they begrudgingly went off on their way in search of a simpler treat to eat.

Such are the urban legends circulating through the dingy hostels and drunk ridden cantina's of Puerto Jimenez, the main entry town to Corcovado. Needless to say, tales such as this were flying through our minds as we set out on the second day of our hike, pushing further and further inland, right through the center of the rainforest. This trek would take us 20 kilometers into the thick jungle, and images of slithery snakes waiting under crackling leaves with fangs full of venom, and steel plated crocodiles sunning themselves along the riverbanks, kept us open-eyed and turning at every sound.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jr_riel/corcovado-2006/1147665240/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jr_riel/corcovado-2006/1147665240/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jr_riel/corcovado-2006/1147665240/tpod.html Tue, 13 Jun 2006 23:58:56 -0400 Corcovado National Park: A Wilderness Squeezed Between Soda-Pop Fizz & Snuggled-Up Sleep (photos by goo_scott and roxy46)

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Osa Peninsula Coastline, Costa Rica

At one point, we found ourselves off the beaten path, following a tattered map and vague trail signs that would lead us to drinking water. I wasn't sure what to expect, a stagnant water hole or a trickling stream. Sure enough, we weren't disappointed. At the end of the trail, where a large sign read "Agua Potable", was a waterfall that poured out cool spring water. We took our time to refill our water bottles in the trickling stream and rinse the sweat off our faces.

About 3.5 kilometers before we exited the park, we came upon our final river crossing. Emerging from the bush it opened out before our eyes, wide and murky. Loose branches hung forlorn over the water's edge, lazily flicking the surface of the water.

We knew that our trek was coming to a close, so we decided to make an event of it. Dropping our packs along the river bank, we plunged into the river water rinsing off the day's grunge. We scrubbed our sweaty shirts and pickled socks with gritty sand and river rocks and lay them out to dry. While the high afternoon sun did it's job, we lay floating in the river, soaking up the warmth of the day and contemplating everything we had seen and done in such a short amount of time.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jr_riel/corcovado-2006/1147665060/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jr_riel/corcovado-2006/1147665060/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jr_riel/corcovado-2006/1147665060/tpod.html Tue, 13 Jun 2006 23:57:49 -0400 Corcovado National Park: A Wilderness Squeezed Between Soda-Pop Fizz & Snuggled-Up Sleep (photos by goo_scott and roxy46)

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Osa Peninsula Coastline, Costa Rica

Corcovado National Park is sold as one of the hottest spots of biodiversity on the face of the planet. Especially for such a small chunk of land mass, there's an exceptional amount of wildlife tramping around in the bush. Surprisingly, the homo sapiens to animal ratio is pretty low, and for two out of the three days that we were there, it almost felt as if we had the entire place to ourselves. Aside form the park rangers and their families, we never ran into any other passers through until the very ending of our second day.

It wasn't until the afternoon of the third day, while crisscrossing our way from beach to bush and back, that we began to bump into other explorers. We could tell we were nearing the borderlands, as little by little, tour groups of three or four slowly trickled past us. But they were nothing more than day hikers, clean, crisp and accompanied by a guide. And on our right we have the ring-tailed coati...

Walking past them I began to realize how foul we really were. Our packs were damp, our feet blistery, and our faces streaked with salty sweat past the point of beading up. At one point, I caught a familiar whiff of rainforest, but realized that it was just soggy Scott three feet in front of me. We had roughed it for three days in the boondocks, and we were beginning to show it. But despite all that, it felt like we had one up on every group of sightseers that we passed. They held hands with their honeys and coat tailed their guides, while we three had braved the jungle alone. They eyed the shadows suspiciously and turned at every rustling leaf. We tramped past them in a hurry, long over the fear of all things slithery. Their packs were light or non-existent, and ours were weighted down, muddied and messed. I was almost proud of how dirty we looked.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jr_riel/corcovado-2006/1149381840/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jr_riel/corcovado-2006/1149381840/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jr_riel/corcovado-2006/1149381840/tpod.html Sat, 03 Jun 2006 21:19:30 -0400 Corcovado National Park: A Wilderness Squeezed Between Soda-Pop Fizz & Snuggled-Up Sleep (photos by goo_scott and roxy46)

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Osa Peninsula Coastline, Costa Rica

At our first (and biggest) river crossing of the day, I opted to flip-flop it the rest of the way. Ash and Scott looked at me nervously. Although charging the world with bare feet or slippers is all the craze in Hawaii, it was true that I'd never actually walked eight full hours over blistering sand in just flip-flops before. But my feet had been rocking the amphibians for two soggy days now, and they were crying for freedom. So I slipped off my shoes and slid on the slippers, deciding to go at it semi-luau style. Crossing through the river with my feet fancy free was refreshing, and it gave me a little kick start for the day.

Moving along the sand felt comfortably familiar, after all we do come from the land of sand and sun fun, but I also knew that any extended time tramping on unstable ground would eventually become tiresome, especially with 40 pound packs strapped to our backs.

It was a good thing for us that the scenery was absolutely stunning. Looking behind, we saw the rainforest gradually descend from the inland where we had just hiked through the day before, eventually spilling into the ocean at the water's edge. Thick jungle mist rose slowly from the interior, and light sea mist sprayed us along the shore. Flocks of pelican flew along the horizon, skimming their way across the surface of the water. They were so far off in the distance over the churning ocean that, especially against the brightness of the sky, they looked like nothing more than fluttering checkmarks flying along in haphazard formation.

It was altogether a different beauty from the previous day's experience. Trekking right through the heart of Corcovado was wild, exhilarating and totally foreign. But now, as we made our way down the Osa Peninsula Coastline on our final trek, walking along in sand, it sort of felt comfortable and homely. But, at the same time, the thick jungle that grew right up along the shore was a reminder of everything wild that we had just gone through the day before, and that lightly tugging sensation of memories told us not to feel too familiar with our surroundings. After all, we weren't back in Hawaii just yet.

Overall the contrasts of differing beauties intertwined with one another on such a relatively small piece of land was amazing. Reflecting on our surroundings allowed us to keep our minds off of the reality that the morning shadows were lessening and the blazing sun was approaching.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jr_riel/corcovado-2006/1147459680/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jr_riel/corcovado-2006/1147459680/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jr_riel/corcovado-2006/1147459680/tpod.html Fri, 02 Jun 2006 04:36:16 -0400 Corcovado National Park: A Wilderness Squeezed Between Soda-Pop Fizz & Snuggled-Up Sleep (photos by goo_scott and roxy46)

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La Palma, Costa Rica



Day 1 - Tree Hugging Bunny Lovers

Backtrack three days prior, where we find ourselves bunked up at a cozy 'bed & breakfast' type place called Finca Kobo. It was here that we stopped for the night after a 9 hour bus ride from San Jose, but that's entirely another story.

The fresh morning of Day One dawned, so we packed our bags and started off early. Or at least we wanted to, but ended up sleeping in. So we got on our way later than we expected, but early enough to make it to the first ranger station on time.



We took a bus from Finca Kobo Eco-Lodge to the nearest entry town, called La Palma, which is simply a cool little mud hole on the northern shore of the Osa Peninsula, 30-minutes outside of Puerto Jimenez proper. There we discovered that the taxis, (or rather 4WD pickups with benches in the back), charged 40 bucks to transport us from La Palma to the entry of the park. We decided to shop around and discuss our options before departing. Not shop around for taxi deals, but for fruits and snacks, as this was the last stop before entering the jungle.

While running our goods by the cash register, we asked the clerk what our options were for getting into the park. He told us three. (1) We could go for the 40 dollar taxi ride, which happened to be a deal because it was normally ten bucks more. (2) We could walk the two hours, which didn't sound so hot since it was so SO hot! Or, (3) we could pay just six bucks to get dropped off down the dirt road at the last remnants of civilization, a bunch of shacks called Guadalupe, and hike an hour upriver from there. This, of course, would be a halfway compromise.

We found out that the reason why it was only 6 bucks halfway there, compared to 40 all the way, was because of the 20 or so river crossings that the taxi truck would have to make from Guadalupe onward. So, being the thrifty but comfort loving bunnies that we are, we decided to go with Numero Tres. (That's option 3, for you anglophiles).


]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jr_riel/corcovado-2006/1147460160/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jr_riel/corcovado-2006/1147460160/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jr_riel/corcovado-2006/1147460160/tpod.html Wed, 31 May 2006 05:48:18 -0400 Corcovado National Park: A Wilderness Squeezed Between Soda-Pop Fizz & Snuggled-Up Sleep (photos by goo_scott and roxy46)

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Guadalupe to Los Patos, Costa Rica

After a series of random bumps and dusty potholes, the taxi driver kicked us off a little past Guadalupe at the first river crossing. He assured us that we could make it to the entry of the rainforest in about an hour and 20 or so river crossings later. So we slid off our boots, donned our slip-slops and went on our way.



Hiking upriver allowed us to gradually get a sense of our surroundings. The steamy jungle grew thick and tangled right up to the edge of the riverbank and it felt like we were skirting our way along the fringes of a soon to be discovered wilderness. At one point we took a wrong turn off the worn path into an Indian village, where the natives came out and gave us directions in broken Spanish. We regained our bearings and headed back upriver, consciously trying to follow in the tracks of 4WD pickups long passed.



As we moved along, the sounds of click-clicking and rustling leaves told us that we were not alone. Tiny frogs chirped and jumped out of our way, and a jittery jesus lizard skipped frantically across the surface of the water as we approached, reaching the other side of the river and clinging on to a branch that had fallen in. With his head cocked sideways, he eyed us suspiciously as if he wasn't sure what our next move would be. The trek upstream was a stirring introduction to the jungle lands we were about to enter.

23 river crossings and 9 kilometers later, we came upon the edge of the Corcovado Rainforest, welcomed by a park ranger about to make his way into the interior. He said that after heading straight into the rainforest from where we were, it was still a muddy 2 kilometers uphill before we would get to Los Patos Ranger Station, our stop for the night. He told us that if we followed him in, he could show us a trail to a hidden waterfall where we could wash off. At this point we were clocking in at an hour or so from our first river crossing in Guadalupe. Not too bad, we thought, we were right on schedule.


]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jr_riel/corcovado-2006/1147460340/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jr_riel/corcovado-2006/1147460340/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jr_riel/corcovado-2006/1147460340/tpod.html Wed, 31 May 2006 05:46:47 -0400 Corcovado National Park: A Wilderness Squeezed Between Soda-Pop Fizz & Snuggled-Up Sleep (photos by goo_scott and roxy46)

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Los Patos Ranger Station, Costa Rica

We stumbled into camp 45 minutes later-- battered, bruised, and bloodied up. (Don't worry, I just had one of my customary nose bleeds where it looks like someone slaughtered a wild boar up in my nostrils). Anyway, we rinsed off our muck in the camp shower, popped up our tents as quickly as possible, refilled our water-bottles with 'agua potable', and set off on a mini-adventure in search of the fabled Los Patos waterfall.

The side trail took us down the steep edge of a muddy ravine, clinging onto exposed roots and relying on our boot traction for sure footing. At the bottom, we found a piddle of a waterfall, small and frothy, but still cool and soothing after the days activities. The jungle natives were slowly waking up from their afternoon siesta, and all around us the sounds of crickets and cicadas resonated. Initially there was a slight wariness of the trickling waters and mossy rocks as we realized that we were no longer in Hawaii, the land of non-existent land animal threats. But eventually we overcame our fear of the dark log in the middle of the pool and stuck our wrinkled toes in for a quick dip.

As the day came to a gradual close, we meandered our way back into camp, crossing paths with slithering creatures in search of supper. After a warm bottle of red wine and hearty conversation, we tucked ourselves in under an almost full moon.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jr_riel/corcovado-2006/1147598700/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jr_riel/corcovado-2006/1147598700/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jr_riel/corcovado-2006/1147598700/tpod.html Wed, 31 May 2006 05:27:34 -0400 Corcovado National Park: A Wilderness Squeezed Between Soda-Pop Fizz & Snuggled-Up Sleep (photos by goo_scott and roxy46)

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Sirena Ranger Station, Costa Rica

Day Three - On the Edge of Reality

Most people who come to explore Corcovado make a beeline for Sirena Ranger Station. There they typically will stay a night or two taking it all in, exploring the surroundings and enjoying its vast remoteness.

Sitting on the steps of the lodge a couple of hours before dawn's light gave me a chance to slowly let a sense of place sink in. The moon was full and bright and the drowning sound of jungle nightlife seemed to gradually dim around me until it was nothing but a dull hum. If there was anything I could have changed about how we did it here, it would be to tack on an extra day to sit around and relax at Sirena Station.

But as it was, we had previous arrangements to be elsewhere. Previous arrangements...plans. The very sound of those words felt so foreign in the center of Corcovado. But that's what we had, and that meant we weren't staying.

The night before, we had all decided to make our way out of Sirena by first light. The faint glow above the trees along the eastern edge of the rainforest told me that dawn was at hand, so I made my way back to my room, carefully keeping my eyes peeled for anything venomous hidden in shadowy crevices along the pathway.

The others were already up and packing. I did a last minute check of my pack before strapping it on and heading out. We decided to skip breakfast and just snack along the way. The earlier we could depart the better.

Before leaving, Scott and I sat out on the deck and watched as the evening mist lifted up off the ground, only to disappear into the already humid morning air. Across the field we could see another camper, an early riser, making his way down the beach trail with his camera in hand. Above him a tree full of Howler Monkeys shook as he walked by. Their screams of protests bellowed out into the early morning, echoing around the station and reverberating out into the deep jungle. This was the fourth and final primate species we witnessed while in the park. They were darkly wild and down right creepy.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jr_riel/corcovado-2006/1147602420/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jr_riel/corcovado-2006/1147602420/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jr_riel/corcovado-2006/1147602420/tpod.html Tue, 30 May 2006 21:00:36 -0400 Corcovado National Park: A Wilderness Squeezed Between Soda-Pop Fizz & Snuggled-Up Sleep (photos by goo_scott and roxy46)

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Sirena to Carate Town via La Leona, Costa Rica

Overall our departure from Sirena was uneventful. There was a moments debate over what path to take, after which we made our way along the trail that led out onto the beach. We took one last look behind at Sirena Station, and realized that the trail we were walking on also acted as a runway for occasional planes. This place really was make shift and rustic.

Our final hike would be the mother doozy. We had 16 kilometers to go before we reached La Leona Ranger Station, our last stop before exiting Corcovado. Following that was an additional 4 kilometers to the first town, Carate. The entire stretch was a beach trail, moving along the southern coastline of the Osa Peninsula. Some of it would be under the shade of the jungle which skirted the edge of the coastline. Most would be done on the sand directly under the scorching sun.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jr_riel/corcovado-2006/1147512660/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jr_riel/corcovado-2006/1147512660/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jr_riel/corcovado-2006/1147512660/tpod.html Tue, 30 May 2006 20:58:18 -0400 Corcovado National Park: A Wilderness Squeezed Between Soda-Pop Fizz & Snuggled-Up Sleep (photos by goo_scott and roxy46)

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Sirena Ranger Station, Costa Rica

With Scott above us already dribble snoring his way into dreamland, the two of us sat down and pow-wowed over our remaining grub. I had 2 remaining packets of army rations, (meatloaf and gravy). Ash had three packages of Spicy Chicken Ramen noodles, a bag of granola bars, cookies, a can of refried beans, a package of nori (pretty random I might add), and an avocado. And Scott had a couple of sweet rolls left. After a few moments deliberation, we decided to eat the Ramen for dinner along with the nori. The bars and cookies would be our fodder for tomorrow morning, and for lunch we'd have the sweet rolls with meatloaf, refried beans and avocado. Satisfied with ourselves for being so decisive, we stepped out onto the deck to enjoy the closing of the day and listen as the jungle night life came out.

Just as dusk was coming to a close, Scott came stumbling out of his room with a distressed look on his face. His right arm was up and over his head, and he turned his shirtless back to us to show us something he suspected. Upon closer inspection, we could see that he was right. While he was asleep on the bunk bed, a tiny brown tick had managed to lodge itself into his skin. It had already burrowed its way in to the point where only it's rear end poked out from the surface. A simple and effective remedy for unwelcome ticks is to light a matchstick, blow it out, and prod the intruder with the smoldering sulfur tip until it backed its way out. Immediately flustered, Scott flinched and moaned as Ash and I smoked the little bugger out slowly by slowly, one matchstick at a time.

As we were operating on Scott, another camper walked by. "Is that a tick?" he asked. We nodded. "Just wait until you wake up tomorrow," he said as he walked away. That night I coated myself with 100% deet and threw down layers of material over my mattress. I went to sleep to the sound of the howler monkeys still calling out their spooky throaty howls, (were they getting closer to our camp?), and visions of sugar plum ticks invading my body.
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