Friday, 8 March 2019
Sarapiqui, Costa Rica
Scheduled for a 2hr walk along a 1,600m trail through the rainforest, starting at 0830hrs and returning 1030hrs.
Ho.
Ho.
Ho.
Walk along the suspension footbridge to cross the river far below. Immediately see an iguana sunning itself high up on a lone branch, quickly followed by a bright red breasted bird. Things are looking up. Expecting great things from this rainforest walk. Seeing lots of interesting wildlife in this vast nature reserve in Costa Rica, famed for its rich wildlife.
Ho.
Ho.
Ho.
I should perhaps mention the heat and humidity too.
Walking along the main trail, hear a howler monkey howling to its mates who quickly reply. Can hear them but can’t see them. Too far away from the trail. Which becomes a theme for the day.
Spending too much time looking at feet trying to watch where you step to ensure you don’t trip over on the footpath through the rainforest.
Find a toucan sitting on a branch. You’ve got to look hard through the foliage. Its brightly coloured beak is quite large and struggle to get a clear photo of it. What you see below is the best I can do. Seeing it reminds me of the Guinness adverts of old.
A poisoned dart red frog (nicknamed the blue jeans frog as it has blue legs on its bright body body) is seen but hops off before I can take a decent photo.
This wildlife is a bit elusive and not seeing much. We’ve been walking 2hrs now and nowhere near returning. There’s a lot of walking but not much to see apart from trees and leaves. Dripping in sweat too. Not a pretty sight.
Now 1100hrs and realise we’ve actually left the main signposted trail. Somehow. And now on a tributary trail that isn’t identified on our basic map.
We’re off-piste.
Ask the guide where we are and he points to the top left of the map.
Even I know that’s not right and we’re more towards the bottom right of the map. But on an unmarked trail.
It’s clear he doesn’t know where he is.
Right.
GPS switched on phone. Google Maps shows the blue GPS dot in a sea of green forest. No trails marked obviously. Continue on the side trail for about 20mins. A large tree has fallen over the trail blocking our way.
So.
Retrace our route and go up another side trail. After 10mins that too is blocked by a fallen tree.
Retrace our route back to the first fallen tree and decide that if we can make our way through it then it will lead to the main trail that we should be on.
Ho.
Ho.
Ho.
Walk some more through the heat and humidity. Scramble through and over the fallen tree. Desperately trying not to touch anything lest there are creepy crawlies hiding in nooks and crannies.
That might kill us.
A fork in the trail. Left is another side trail. Straight on is a continuation of the side trail we’re currently on. Take the left fork. And walk for 10mins. Until we see a river in the valley below on our right. If we’re where we think we are, then the river should be on our left and if we keep it to the left will bring us back to the suspension bridge.
Walk some more.
Until another fork in the trail.
Guide hasn’t got a clue where we are now. A further problem is that we can now see that the river that we’ve been following now on our left is flowing in the wrong direction. It should be flowing the way we’re walking. But it’s not.
So that’s that then.
We’re lost!
Have been walking for two and a half hours. On a trail that isn’t shown on our map. Map only shows the four main tourist trails of varying lengths. Somehow, we’ve deviated off the main trail that we were meant to be doing.
We’re not on any of them.
Oh. And we’ve not seen any sodding wildlife for two hours. Bizarrely.
Guide decides we need to retrace our route. He’s right of course. That’s the proper way to do it. But it’s taken two and a half hours to get where we are so, in theory, another two and a half hours back.
In the heat and humidity.
With water supplies dwindling.
Back the way we came. Through and over the fallen tree. Along the muddy paths. With no sodding wildlife to look at. Just trees and leaves.
Oh yes, dear reader, it’s a giddy existence.
After 45mins, find the main trail that we should have been on. For some reason, our guide had taken us left at a junction passing a sign that says, “Do not enter, nature reserve staff only.” We should have turned right at that point to keep on the main trail. Which is another half hour back to the suspension bridge and home.
Fortunately, the rainforest redeems itself slightly as then see a howler monkey high up in the trees resting and soon after a woodpecker hammering away. Always wanted to see a toucan and a woodpecker, so at least a successful walk in that respect.
Finally arrive back at the hotel at 1200hrs. Three and a half hours of walking in the heat and humidity.
A hot sticky mess am I.
Guide has arranged a couple of local taxis to take us to a local restaurant for dinner about 5mins away.
Your life in their hands. In what must be a 30mph zone, we speed along at 50-60mph.
With no seat belts.
Couple of boy racers.
The only thing missing was a handbrake turn in the car park.
