Corcovado Part 3: The beach scene

The day after arriving at La Sirena we took it easy. We knew it's not a place someone is likely to return to soon, so we figured its worth staying an extra day. We let our stinking feet dry some more and explored the surroundings. We saw a great variety of animals and insects, some very much appreciated, some not at all .... (Damn ticks!)

Well rested, feet still sore and a 12$ breakfast we set of to hike from La Sirena to La leona. Apparently it advisable to "consult" the tide tables, because there is multiple stretches of beach that are hard to access around high tide. If you Ignore them like we did however, you are in for a whole lot of extra fun. Meaning: running like a madman from one rock to another while the ferocious sea retracts! The fun part -obviously- is looking at the other not making it, getting wet and smacked into the rocks by the upcoming wave. What a Thrill, I felt like a kid again!

The trail is beautiful, there are parts that go inland through the forest, but most of it goes along the beach. Both sandy and rocky bits. There are some beautiful lagoons where you can have a refreshing dive...and so we did. Paradise you ask? My guess is that if you can stop your mind from thinking about an ice cold beer, it comes pretty close.

(Do be careful, as you can see in the pic, the sand is extremely hot!)

A couple of Km's before the end of the park we were slugging ourselves over the sandy beach using the side of our feet. It was the only part left without open and bloody blisters. From the end of the park to the little village (hardly a village at all) it was still an hour. What a bummer... we had not been expecting this. All neurons had been shouting for a rest and some accompanying alcohol for the past 5 km's allready.

And there it was... Finca Exotica, what would become our Serendipity of that day. Marcus (the owner) was just cutting up the testicles of one of his pigs to be prepared for dinner, when he noticed us stumbling in. "Common'in guys" He said. 5 minutes later we were drinking an ice cold beer and had our feet duct taped by Martine from Step Out Experience. (Thank you!). Needless to say, we slept like babies that night in one of the Tiki Huts (yes.. after having tasted some lovely pig balls).

The next day, before taking the collectivo back to puerto Jimez, Marcus kindly showed his around his sustainable property and had us taste a masive variety of fruits that I had never seen or even heared of. All and all we can look back on a wonderfull experience that has taken us on step closer to nature and a giant leap further away from the consumer society. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Corcovado Part 2: Wet wet wet

We started the first bit of rain forest trail from Los Patos to La Sirena with not a lot of spare time on our hands, since we started at 9.45 AM and the trail is estimated to be an 8 hour hike. The slightest mistake would result in hiking in the dark (since sunset is around 5:30). No matter how bright your flashlight is, the Jungle is probably one of the most scaring places on earth to be moving around in at night. This is when all the creapy insects come out! This is when you get bitten and have no idea what it was. You'd be going frantic, jumping up and down trying to find the invisible bugger, probably still undiscovered by mankind. The doctors would be speculating for ages what caused your nutsack to grow the zise of your head and grow glow in the dark pubes.

Anyway....... The start was bad. I slipped from a stone trying to cross the river, and using both hands to protect the borrowed DSLR (my DSLR and video camera traded owner against my will in Puerto Viejo the weekend before) I hit my knee, and got both of my feet wet. I learned two valuable lessons. 1) Shit also happens in the Jungle. 2) You want to keep your feet dry in the jungle at all cost.

After about 5 km's in we heared a waterfall in the proximity. A huge one... it was the kind of waterfall you do not go to....it will come to you. And it did! It stayed with us for about 3 hours. There was no hiding. We got wetter than a horny mermaid.

But we continued.. and after sogging on until 17:15 we finally arrived at the ranger station. Dinner was served at 17:30 and at 19:00 we layed down on a bug infested piece of antique foam. But we did not care... our legs and feet (or what was left of it) needed rest because we had hiked for almost 30 km's that day. Besides that, there was not much else to do at the ranger station anyway.

Part 3 soon to be posted.

Corcovado Part 1: Ogling down on the rainforest

The colorful twin otter from Nature Air containing me and my brother landed in Drake Bay (from San José) in heavy rains for a 5 minutes layover. I did not mind at all, two thrilling takeoffs and landings in the jungle for the price of one! After dropping some luxury resort saps, we continued to Puerto Jimenez.

I was happy, and could not believe that we where soon be hiking underneath the thick canopy I was now ogling down on. Boy oh Boy... Nature in its purest form was waiting for us... and so of course where the 17 species of deadly snakes. (Three days before I had almost stepped on a bushmaster, barefooted!)

After a good night sleep in La palma, we climbed in the back of a pickup truck to be dropped of at the first of 27 (or so) river crossings that would lead to the first ranger station "Los Patos" the official beginning of the prime rain forest. We arrived there at 9:45. Little did we know that you were not allowed to set course to the next ranger station ¨La Sirena¨ after 10:00, so we were lucky timing wise.

p.s.
Prior to going to Corcovado I googled for some waypoints but found little to none, so I marked some myself while hiking from Los Patos to La Sirena to La leona for sharing. Altough GPS reception is poor under the thick canopy of the rainforest, there are some open spots allowing you to check if you are going the correct way and how far to go still. The trails are very doable without a guide. Take the waypoints and Enjoy your hike.

Waypoints Corcovado National Park Costa Rica.

Los Patos Ranger station

N 08˚34.345'

W083˚30.488'

Old Patos Ranger station (from here it is 17km's to La Sirena)

N08˚34.258'

W083˚31.332'

La Sirena Ranger station

N08˚28.827'

W083˚35.375'

La Leona Ranger station

N 08˚26.860'

W083˚29.312'

Drinking source (on La sirena- La leona trail)

N08˚26.454'

W083˚32.615'

Pulperia Carate (Beer selling point and Stop for the 'Colectivo' for Puerto Jiminez)

N 08˚26.620'

W083˚27.730'