Rainy day and river rafting trip

The last full day I spent in Cahuita was a rainy one. Between showers, I walked around the town a bit and visited the shore. Most of the day I spent under cover on my cottage porch, reading while swinging in the hammock, writing and sketching. I proved that I'm out of practice using watercolors, but still enjoyed making a small depiction of the cottage. 

After a rainy night, I woke early to be picked up for my last adventure -- a rafting trip. The driver took me to the Rios Tropicales lodge, where I had a lovely breakfast and coffee. Because of all the rains, we weren't able to go on the Pacuare River, instead going to a river managed by dams, the Reventazon, along a 10-mile stretch. Guides and rafters were divided between three rafts, with a safety guide in a kayak moving between the rafts. The safety talk gave me some reservations, but I forged ahead, clipping on a life jacket and helmet. It was thrilling to go through sections of rapids and welcome to float through quiet sections of the river and enjoy the scenery. Several people in the larger raft bounced out through a rapids and quickly climbed back in. Fifteen minutes later, I was the one flying up off the raft and into the water. I was terrified, and had already sucked in water before I could see a paddle being held out but couldn't reach. The safety guide got his kayak to me within moments that felt longer and I grabbed on. A guide from the larger raft pulled me up into it and I coughed and caught my breath. The young women in that raft said I did exactly as I should have, but it sure didn't feel like it in those scary seconds I was underwater and struggling to surface. 

The remainder of the route was fine, and overall I'm glad I did it. I'll never feel the need to do it again. 

After we banked our rafts, we climbed back into shuttles and went back to the lodge for lunch. The ride to San Jose was quiet, and the shuttle dropped me at a hotel where another driver picked me up to get me to the hotel near the airport before my flight out the next day. I took a long, hot shower, put on pajamas and watched the movie "Ghost" in Spanish before falling asleep. 

Checking in for my flight went smoothly. I bought some rum in the duty-free shop and waited to board. Flying through Houston meant having to go through immigration, customs and back through security. Lines were long, but I made my connection and was very happy to get home and to see my husband and daughter waiting to greet me. 

I so appreciate the ways traveling allows me to stretch and explore, and I am always grateful to return home to my family and friends. I'll continue to consider how this trip will inspire me in days ahead. The group of five Omaha artists have committed to an exhibit in September where we'll show the results of the trip's inspirations. So stay tuned!  

a note on howler monkeys

The howler monkeys were abundant around the places I stayed near the Caribbean. They are fun to watch and they well deserve their name. It's amazing how loud they are! Nearly every night or early morning during my travels in this part of the country, I was awakened by them, reminding me how far from home I was. During my last night in Cahuita, the heavy rains pounded on the metal roof, and the monkeys were quiet. 

and then on to Cahuita

During a lovely afternoon spent in the gardens and hiking through muddy trails in the preserved lands adjacent to the grounds of Tortuga Lodge, I enjoyed seeing many butterflies, birds and several poison dart frogs. The next morning I set off with a river pilot and guide to the port, where I was picked up by a shuttle driver. We drove through tiny villages and fields of banana trees, where the fruit was wrapped in blue mesh bags to protect from weather and animals (something I was able to ask about with my very limited Spanish combined with gestures). People were gathered at polling places for local elections. After several hours on the road, we pulled into the small complex of cottages that would be my home for the next three nights in Cahuita, a Caribbean beach town with a national park that includes miles of coastline. 

my cottage at Ciudad Perdida Ecolodge in Cahuita

I had half of the pink cottage with a shared kitchen in the middle. After getting settled, I walked to the town's center, about five minutes away. While enjoying all the local foods, I have to admit I relished the idea of a big slice of pizza after reading the Lonely Planet description of Pizzeria CahuITA. At the edge of town with children playing on the swings behind the restaurant and a glimpse of the sea from outdoor seating, it was a good choice. A thin crusted pizza baked in a wood-fired oven didn't disappoint. Lightly topped with tomato sauce, prosciutto, parmesan and mozzarella, this pizza fed me over several days, because leftover pizza is always a good thing.

The next day, after breakfast at the lodge, I went to the Cahuita National Park, a small park but wonderful for its beachside trails. I didn't catch sight of monkeys or sloths, but did see blue morpho butterflies fluttering among the plants. The day was hot, so enjoying the surf from the shade of the trees was perfect for me. I spent several hours just relaxing, reading, sketching and dreaming.  

nature tour in Tortuguero National Park

The highlight of my next day was a morning tour of the area around the lodge and of the national park from an open boat like the one shown above. I took my binoculars instead of a camera and just enjoyed traveling in the smooth waters on this quiet boat and seeing all kinds of creatures in their natural environs. Our tour guide, Angelo, was knowledgeable about the animals, environment and history of the area. Here's a partial list of what we saw as we puttered through the shaded riverways:

toucans
male three-toed sloth
howler monkeys, including moms with babies on their backs or chests, leaping between tree branches
freshwater turtles
blue morpho butterflies
adult male emerald basilisks, fighting up in a tree and the loser hanging upside down, seeming to be contemplating his next move
juvenile emerald basilisk, jumping off a log and skittering on the water's surface to the bank
herons
kingfisher
caiman

As we concluded our tour and left the boat, a staff member from the lodge greeted us with chilled watermelon juice, a delightfully refreshing drink. 

Tortuguero Village

Escaping the Nebraska cold to walk barefoot along the Caribbean beaches of Costa Rica was wonderful. It was about a 2-mile walk from the lodge to Tortuguero Village, a small, sleepy town where activity increases later in the day. Along these beaches during the summer and early fall, sea turtles lay their eggs. I walked around the town during the heat of midday, walked on a few trails of the national park, bought a few gifts and caught a water taxi back up to the lodge. 

in Tortuguero Village

A relaxing evening with a book and a great meal of grilled chicken served with a pineapple, mango, coconut sauce rounded out the day.