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Sloths, Monkeys, waterfalls, Oh My!
Sloths, Monkeys, waterfalls, Oh My!
We are nearing the end of our adventure in Costa Rica. This is bittersweet for me, since waking up in a tropical paradise everyday is pretty much as amazing as it sounds. But, I miss my dogs, coffee creamer, my bed - and I'm having a significant eczema breakout from who knows what (sand/sweat/sunscreen?).
These past couple weeks have been filled with work and punctuated by more beach time and wildlife sightings. We have visited a couple gorgeous waterfalls and great restaurants, and done enough Costa Rican driving for a lifetime.
It's possible that my favorite place in Costa Rica is a protected sanctuary in the region of Bijagua called Bijagua Ranas. The area around this sanctuary has all been cleared of trees for farming, but this little spot is an oasis for both two and three-toes sloths, monkeys, frogs, and quite a lot more. They naturally inhabit this preserve and are not relocated here. We spent a day in this area and hiked down to the Rio Celeste waterfall, went to a restaurant with a butterfly garden, and then spent the afternoon creature-watching at Bijagua Ranas.
Three-Toed sloth in Bijagua Ranas, Costa Rica. I was a foot away from this guy!
Bijagua Ranas Sloth and Frog Sanctuary
Bijagua Ranas Sloth and Frog Sanctuary
Red-eye tree frog in Bijagua Ranas. Costa Rica's most famous frog.
Howler Monkey mama with her baby in Bijagua Ranas
Three-toed sloth curled up and sleeping at Bijagua Ranas.
I was so close to this sloth! He was just chilling in that very low sleeping place!
Rio Celeste Waterfall and Tenorio Volcano National Park
Rio Celeste Waterfall and Tenorio Volcano National Park
The hike through Tenorio Volcano National Park to get to the Rio Celeste River and Waterfall was a fun and challenging natural path over roots and rocks and across two creeks. It had more uphills and steeper downhills than Monteverde, and a set of stairs down to the waterfall, so by the time I got down to the waterfall I was very hot and my legs were shaking. But it was very worth it! The waterfall is gorgeous and so unique, and the forest is full of creatures!
Central American Whiptail Lizard in Tenorio National Park
Chestnut Mandibled Toucan in Tenorio National Park
Um...did I mention the stairs? These were not as bad as the stairs up the Eiffel tower but holy moly, they were still a lot.
The iconic Rio Celeste Waterfall
The turquoise Celeste River gets its color due to a light effect called Mie Scattering. Aluminosilicate particles are enlarged by a drop in pH and suspended in the river, and when the light of the sun hits them the river appears turquoise to the eye.
We made it!
Taking a break at Llanos del Cortez waterfall
We also visited another waterfall called Llanos del Cortez, close to Liberia. This seemed to be a popular spot for locals and tourists alike to picnic and get some refreshment from the hot sun. We took a picnic here too, after visiting a puma rescue center that morning. I did take some photos at the Las Pumas rescue center but they didn't turn out very well due to the cage enclosures. While I enjoyed searching for the pumas, jaguars and ocelots in their cages, it was disheartening to see them in such small enclosures. I don't really enjoy zoo-type environments at all, even though in many cases these animals can't be released into the wild.
Here are a few other random sightings. We made our way back to Playas Zapotillal, Tamarindo, Conchal, and Avellanas this week. We also went back to the Cow Beach (Crab-Crab Beach) and saw a bunch of cool stuff.
This horse is just one of the most beautiful creatures we've seen in CR. We pass by this field often on our way to various beaches, and on this particular day she just happened to come over right next to us for a photo!
Ghost crab sighting at Playa Zapotillal
Playa Zapotillal. While beautiful, the water smelled awful and was extra foamy. We decided not to swim here.
Things got very rocky at Crab-Crab Beach
When leaving Crab-Crab beach aka Cow Beach, we were nearly forced to turn around again due to cows in the road. This one got a little mouthy with us but we were able to go around.
"If we care for the earth, the earth will care for us."
Tropical kingbird that likes to fly right into the windows of our villa
We did have a flat tire this week on our way back from Playa Avellanas. Fortunately John knew just what to do! He had that tire changed in no time, and we were able to drive it to the Enterprise that was closest to us so they could fix it. While we were waiting, we walked around downtown Tamarindo, where we saw Howler Monkeys eating discarded fruit above a storefront.
Yet another gratuitous sunset at Playa Langosta
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