Jungle Run
I let out a surprised shout, but it was only a Morpho butterfly that had startled me out of my reverie during a run in the Costa Rican jungle. It's iridescent blue wings fluttered erratically in the trail ahead (movement designed to avoid being eaten). I was running alone on the Zapatero Trail (meaning "shoemaker" in Spanish and named for the massive trees with "feet" or buttresses that keep them stable in the shallow soil) and was not surprised that something so graceful would startle me. The omnipresent vulnerable feeling I had in the jungle was due to the knowledge that I was surrounded by things that could be watching me or could cause me harm.
First, there was the puma, a stealthy cat that was recently seen nearby. I was comforted by the fact that there had not been an incident in the 22 years that Bosque del Cabo - the eco-lodge we were staying in - had operated. There was also plenty of better tasting food than me in the jungle. We had spent the week wanting to spot a puma - or one of its relatives, like the Jaguarundi or Ocelot - that we knew roamed this private reserve and the nearby national parks of the Osa Penisula.
There was the viper, a seven-foot long venomous snake that could be resting in any of the hollow logs of decomposing fig trees that I passed. With every stride, I diligently scanned the path for any number of resident snakes that might slither my way - or even worse - resemble a tree root in its stillness. Like the puma, I knew a snake wouldn't want to have anything to do with me - unless I stepped on it.
There was the trailside tree with long poisonous thorns that could be a hazard if I slipped on the red, clay-like soils, that could get slick from frequently passing rains.
But after quickening my step briefly, I relaxed into this feeling of unease. It was slightly exhilarating, this sense of risk juxtaposed against the reward of being in this remote, wild place. Alertness allows you to see and hear things. The deep, thick green of the forest. A family of Collared Peccaries (visualize small pigs with porcupine quills) nosing the underbrush for food. A troupe of Howler Monkeys peering down at me from the canopy in curiosity. The way the trail dipped and rose and twisted through primary and secondary forest.
But running is not the way to explore the jungle. Movement in the jungle should be slow (the two or three-toed sloth being the model mammal here) and observant, not just to be kind to the body (as the 100% humidity can make even the healthiest lungs behave asthmatically), but rather to intellectually absorb the experience of being in one of the most biodiverse places on earth. Only in stillness can a visitor notice the rising cacophony of the sundown cicadas. Only in slowness can a visitor spot the emerald green stripes of the Gulfo Dulce Poison Dart Frog. Only by stopping trailside, can one spot the brilliant blue, yellow and green wings of the Trologan (?).
Breaking down the secrets of this vast forest is Philip, the biologist in residence at Bosque Del Cabo. Until I experienced it, it was hard to imagine that his 4 - hour tropical forest ecology walk could only scratch the surface of what there is to understand about this forest. After hearing Philip's seemingly endless stories of the interconnected nature of the flora and fauna (for instance, how keystone species such as wasps and fig trees are mutually reliant upon each other for survival and subsequently many mammals of the forest are reliant on the copious production of figs), we all agreed that a version of this walk should be mandatory for anyone visiting the rainforest.
I was told by Joci (who had taken the walk a day before me) to be "prepared to have my mind blown". One example came in the form of deep respect for the diligence and job dedication of the leaf cutter ant. Any of the following were reason enough:
I was told by Joci (who had taken the walk a day before me) to be "prepared to have my mind blown". One example came in the form of deep respect for the diligence and job dedication of the leaf cutter ant. Any of the following were reason enough:
- Each ant expends the daily energy that it would take a human to run 2-3 marathons a day, at the pace of a 3-4 minute mile, carrying 3-5 times their weight, up a mountain.
- Three castes of ants coordinate to retrieve leaf matter and bring it to the nest, with roles that chew up the leaf into small pieces, carry the small pieces on backs, and ride on top of the leaf to fight off parasites along the way.
- Ants have a sophisticated way of "communicating" by touching antennas to pass messages along the chain of working ants.
- The nest is highly organized, including chambers for food and exits for waste, and the hierarchy of the many castes, headed up by a queen ant who controls everything, such as whether to heighten the reproduction of soldier ants if there is a threat to the nest or to order a mass killing of the soldier ants when they are no longer needed.
- How ants are what you call a "super organism" in that they cannot operate as individuals, but only as part of a colony and each understands its specialized contribution to the collective as determined by their caste.
We also learned to fear the army ants, which we witnessed crossing the trail in a swarm en masse, seeking any insect in its path. We watched spiders and beetles scurrying in an attempt to escape, only to be overtaken. Evidently, they can overtake a bungalow, too, and it is best to get lost or else get bitten in a nasty way.
Philip described other fascinating forest ecology dynamics, such as the ongoing competition for light, the defense mechanisms of plants that mimic disease or damage to avoid being eaten, and how the forest is in a continuous state of change.
But he became most passionate when he described the distressing danger to the rainforests from industrial harvesting. He did not mince words in stating his disappointment in the international politics that have not cultivated economic alternatives to natives of rainforest-rich countries or to ensured that investments are made in conservation when commercial uses, like medicines or cash crop foods (like mangoes or bananas), benefit corporations. He said the United States under George Bush Senior was the only country in the world that vetoed an international agreement that would have prevented Ecuador from allowing their forests to be decimated.
He described how it doesn't take long for soils to get to an end point of being so stripped that it can never again support flora, pointing to places like Africa where the land has become a hard brick as far as the eye can see. This is a global problem, he told us, and if we don't act we'll face a tipping point that the next generation will have to live with. "70% of cancer-fighting medicines come from species found in the rainforest," he said, "why would be stay on track to eliminate half the world's species by the end of the century."
He described how it doesn't take long for soils to get to an end point of being so stripped that it can never again support flora, pointing to places like Africa where the land has become a hard brick as far as the eye can see. This is a global problem, he told us, and if we don't act we'll face a tipping point that the next generation will have to live with. "70% of cancer-fighting medicines come from species found in the rainforest," he said, "why would be stay on track to eliminate half the world's species by the end of the century."
Eco-tourism
Ten of us spent two weeks in Costa Rica over the Christmas and New Year's holiday: Phil, me and our kids, Austin and Carson; Phil's parents (Jim and Hebe); Phil's sister, Jocelyn, her husband, John, and kids, Jackson and Lexie.
Phil's walk and our experience in the rainforest has sparked conversation about how we might do something to "save the rainforest" or curb the climate change that is shifting populations, such as the 7,000 species of butterflies found here. It is obvious that plane fuel is one of the largest contributors to carbon in the atmosphere, so should we fly less? Probably. But I also counter that against the good I hope we've done by visiting this place.
Eco-tourism is one of the top 5 industries in Costa Rica and to some degree we reward entrepreneurs like Phil & Kim Spier of Basco del Cabo who have invested everything (capital and passion) into conserving this wild place so generations can experience what we have. Our kids are old enough to understand they are seeing something unique and I imagine it will help shape how they view the world.
Ariel View
Ariel View
The 6 or 10 seat planes we took across the country tested my comfort level of being airborne. It didn't help that when we were serpenting slightly down the runway, Phil noted that he though the "pilot" was in training. Sure enough, I watched the two "captains" consulting each other. Ascending to 10,500 feet from San Jimenez, I distracted myself from the turbulence by searching for dolphins over the gulf, studying the fruit and coffee plantations that make a patchwork quilt of the coast or following the winding dirt roads along steep mountain ridges.
Bosque Del Cabo
Bosque Del Cabo
Our base camp for the first week was an eco-lodge called Bosque del Cabo, a lovely place of 12 or so bungalows within 800 acres of conserved rainforest. Our rooms were open-aired (we can tell stories about close calls with scorpions in discarded clothing, geckos in beds and gigantic luna moths flapping at lights), as well as outdoor showers and toilets. The lodge grounds are tropical gardens of trees - some fruit-bearing (limes, mangoes, coconuts, bananas), others flower-bearing (hibiscus, plumeria (frangipani)) and leafy shrubs (manglillo). Everything was frequented by copious birds and butterflies.
Morning Wake Up Call
The Howler Monkeys started their calls every morning about 5am. Evidently, troupes start the day establishing their territory with other troupes. The Howlers that surrounded our bungalow would let out a daily drone that a family poll said resembled either a jet engine starting up, demonic gorillas, or a pack of wild barking dogs.
We spent alot of time during the week watching with fascination the three out of four types of monkeys from this region: the Howlers, the white faced Carputins and the Spider Monkeys. The Howlers mostly ignore humans, but one day I was on a hike with Phil, Austin, Carson and Jackson and we witnessed a group of Howlers that were agitated at several Spider Monkeys that got too close.
The Spider Monkeys are very curious and would mostly watch us, unless they were adolescent males who would get frisky in a harmless way, tossing down sticks and nuts. One time, Phil, Jocie and I stopped during a run and were cracking up at one monkey who used his tail to hold himself upside down and was using his hands and feet to wrestle a widowmaker that he intended to toss our way (he was unsuccessful).
Finding monkeys was a highlight of the trip. One day, Jack and I watched a family above our heads: a mother with a baby on her back, a juvenile and a male.
We spent alot of time during the week watching with fascination the three out of four types of monkeys from this region: the Howlers, the white faced Carputins and the Spider Monkeys. The Howlers mostly ignore humans, but one day I was on a hike with Phil, Austin, Carson and Jackson and we witnessed a group of Howlers that were agitated at several Spider Monkeys that got too close.
The Spider Monkeys are very curious and would mostly watch us, unless they were adolescent males who would get frisky in a harmless way, tossing down sticks and nuts. One time, Phil, Jocie and I stopped during a run and were cracking up at one monkey who used his tail to hold himself upside down and was using his hands and feet to wrestle a widowmaker that he intended to toss our way (he was unsuccessful).
Finding monkeys was a highlight of the trip. One day, Jack and I watched a family above our heads: a mother with a baby on her back, a juvenile and a male.
Carson on the bed (and Jocie in the hammock below) at Casa Manglillo
The view of the Gulf from one of Bosque's trails
Paddle, Paddle, Paddle!
The water was 85 degrees the day we went surfing on Pan Dulce beach, located on the Gulf side of the Peninsula. Pollo, the local who runs the surf school, reviewed some introductory techniques and a sequence of motions for when it was time to "ride the wave".
After practicing on the beach, we all took a board to the water. Pollo and another instructor took the kids (Austin, Carson, Jackson, Lexi) and several others motioned for the parents (Jocelyn, John, Phil and me) to paddle out. Shallow enough to stand, my instructor held my board steady until he saw a good wave approaching. "Ok, lady," he said as he gave me a good push, "paddle, paddle, paddle!" When I heard, "now get up!", I pushed up my body, planted my back foot and replaced front hand with other foot. The waves were slow and forgiving and within a few tries I was upright and surfing towards beach.
The waves on our beach were perfect for beginners, and we all had success that day. A few beaches away, we knew that more advanced surfers were on the Matopolo break. This gem of a surfer's beach was remote but those that came seemed to stay awhile as evident by the bohemian surf camps lining the Beach Access Road. Those looking for more luxury accommodations than
tents and makeshift kitchens, had their choice between numerous brightly colored bungalows with names like Casa El Sol or Surfer's Paradise
At low tide, we visited the coconut-littered beach via the Pacific Trail by descending an 800 step trail from the lodge. We scrambled over the rock formations of tide pools, dodging skittering crabs, spotting hermit crabs and sea urchins.
Although the ocean was too rough for swimming, we refreshed our salt-coated bodies by immersing in tide pool "jacuzzi tubs" or gulping mouthfuls from fresh springs cascading off the cliffside.
Walking the suspension bridge to the tropical gardens
A spider monkey named "Sweetie" took a liking to Phil when we visited the animal sanctuary that rescues, rehabilitates and then releases mammals and birds
Searching for dolphins while traversing the gulf and birding while in the mangrove forests. Our guide tried to spot a Tree Boa snake for us (but was unsuccessful)
A day of sport fishing for the "boys" (Jim went, too) where the catch was a Roosterfish.
John, Joci and Lexi went horseback riding through forest and beach
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