travels with janne

Mother Nature is the true artist. We humans can only hope to emulate.

After having spent days upland and inland, away from the steamy lowland coast, what better way to enjoy a reunion with the ocean than to travel to the tiny but beautiful national park called Manuel Antonio on the Pacific coast? The fun already starts at the bus stop where, as we wait for the bus to the national park, we see and hear howler monkeys raise a racket every time a vehicle brakes to slow down for the turn in the road.

Manuel Antonio National Park is a real jewel with wonderful sandy beaches and a backdrop of wild rain forest with lots of good hiking trails. Only a limited number of visitors are allowed into the park each day, so it is not overly crowded and, if you are willing to walk for a bit, you can easily get away from most of the other tourists and enjoy some solitude.

Walking slowly and ever so quietly, just two of us, we spot active and curious capuchin monkeys, slow-motion sloths, leathery iguanas, a long brown snake, colourful toucans, a busy raccoon, and a wide range of lizards rustling about in the fascinating plant life.

The walking is hot and hard work and seems like it is all uphill. Our reward at the end of the day is a refreshing swim in the ocean. Afterwards we bask on the beach in the company of iguanas that evoke thoughts of prehistoric dinosaurs.

Orchids are the epitome of specialists. Each orchid species has its own particular way of attracting specific pollinators. Using shape, colour, smell and the right timing they lure bees, moths, birds or whatever they need into their intimate world of petals, sepals and stamens with the express aim of getting the tiny animals to distribute the orchids’ pollen to other orchids.

Some orchids offer up fragrant perfume while others attract flies with a smell of rotten meat. Some orchids emit their smell at night, when moths are active, while others save their smell for daytime, when bees are active.

The shapes and forms of orchids are something to behold and, to my great surprise, there is also a huge variation in the size of the different species. Some flowers are so small that they need to be viewed with the aid of a looking glass.

Woken – again – by a local rooster crowing at about four o’clock in the morning. We set off in a southwesterly direction to the town of Monteverde. This is the area of cloud forests.

I happily grab at the chance to go for a walk in the forest canopy aided by a series of 16 hanging bridges. The bridges are made of steel and are sturdy so even though they sway slightly and are high up from the ground, it’s not at all scary. On the contrary, we can see animals grazing on the forest floor that would otherwise scurry away if we were on eye level with them.

One of the animals we spot is an agouti, a rodent that looks like an enlarged hamster. I recall the term agouti from my days working in the fascinating field of colour genetics. The agouti gene plays a role in colouration but also has an influence on obesity. Anyway, I digress.

The plants in the cloud forest obtain their moisture from low-hanging clouds and I hope for some nice shots of mystical scenes with trees shrouded in clouds and mist. However, we experience a totally cloud-free blue sky on the day we visit.

From the forest canopy we are at eye level with various epiphytes that make their home high up in the treetops, so they are closer to the light. We see strangler figs, birds, butterflies, flowers and monumental trees. One of the plants is called rattlesnake palm and another is called hot lips. Take a look at my photos and try and guess why!

Later on, we go on a night walk. We see more agouti, a kinkajou, which is a honey-loving animal related to the raccoon, a hairy, orange-kneed tarantula, a sleeping toucanet and a stick insect about a foot long. See if you can spot it in the photo that otherwise looks pretty bland!

In every rain forest we visit we spot tiny but diligent farmers – the leaf cutter ants. These fascinating creatures work hard day and night, tending their community and farming their fungi. Next to humans these ants have the most complex society on our planet.

The ants have specialised functions. Some of them cut leaves and bring them back home. The leaf matter feeds the fungi that other specialised ants tend to. The fungus garden is maintained to feed the ants’ brood. Soldier ants act as guards, other ants clear the multi-lane ant highway while other ants are responsible for getting rid of refuse. This is the short version. I think in my next life I could be tempted to become an entomologist. Insects and spiders are deeply fascinating!

Although an extraordinary amount of land in Costa Rica (about 24 percent) is dedicated to the preservation of nature, agriculture is also important. Fruits abound. Sweet and juicy pineapples, mangoes, papayas, watermelons and bananas are the order of the day as well as strange fruits I cannot remember the names of and which either have a good taste but a weird texture or a nice texture but a strange taste. The Costa Rican coffee is also something to celebrate. Mmmm!

Generally speaking, my impression is that Costa Ricans are good at thinking in terms of sustainability whether it be ecotourism, organic farming, saving water or preserving nature. Organic farming is not the answer to everything, though. In the hot and humid climate everything grows well which is one of the reasons there is such an incredible biological diversity. This also means that pests affecting agricultural plants, i.e. weeds, fungi and insects, have a good life. And, apparently, pineapples are particularly prone to pests, so they are frequently sprayed, we are told.

We visit a coffee and sugar cane plantation. We are shown the process that starts with a coffee seedling and continues to adult plant, then on to coffee berries to shelled, hulled, cleaned and roasted beans. We watch as sugar cane stalks are pressed to extract the juice and see cauldrons filled with juice being boiled down to syrup. All very fascinating – and tasty too, as we find out when we are treated to samples of the products.

When land is cleared for agriculture the contours are laid bare. It looks pretty, but in a different way from the lush forests that would otherwise cover the undulating landscape. Every dent, knob and dimple becomes visible. The land looks like the head of a man who has shaved his head bare.

In the town of La Fortuna it seems as though the Arenal volcano is just down at the end of the street. And, wherever we drive in the area, it always seems as though the volcano can be seen in the not-so-far distance. However, just as elusive as the butterflies we see in the rainforests and the butterfly gardens, the very top of the Arenal volcano does not easily reveal itself. It is often veiled in clouds.

Some of us decide to spend a few hours kayaking on Arenal Lake which is at the foot of the volcano. A hydroelectric dam on this 85 km2 man-made lake provides power to Costa Ricans – originally satisfying 70 percent of their needs but now only about 17 percent.

The hilly area around the lake is lovely, encompassing rainforest and cultivated land. Birds abound. The kayaking affords great views in a tranquil setting and, as I find out when we beach the kayaks for a short fruit break, the swimming is great, too.

Another great swimming opportunity is afforded at the Fortuna Waterfall, which is reached by an easy and short hike. The current directly under the waterfall is not conducive to swimming. Instead we swim at a natural pool close by. The current here is still somewhat strong and it is fun to swim against it, playing at being a salmon that is on its way against the current to spawn. When I finally reach a rock I grab on and let the strong water massage my back before letting go and allowing myself to get washed away.

Costa Rica is a lepidopterist’s delight and it seems that every little town with respect for itself has a butterfly garden. This affords us good photo opportunities because, if truth be told, the fluttering beauties are almost impossible to photograph in the forest. They flit and fly like ballerinas in an endless dance, seemingly never sitting still long enough to take a breather and pose for the photographer.

Particularly alluring and tantalizing is the large and brilliantly blue Morpho helenor. While it flies it displays its dazzling colour but the instant it sits it closes its wings and shows only its somewhat duller brown underside with pretty circle patterns. On the upside, it does not seem to mind sitting on one’s finger and will even allow itself to be touched, but gently trying to pry open its wings does not work. I tried, but to no avail.

Fragile butterflies are offset by a meeting with leather-skinned green iguanas. They look like a herd of prehistoric dinosaurs. Neither dainty nor pretty they are nevertheless fascinating to look at.

We continue our journey westwards to the town of La Fortuna. It sits at the foot of the perfectly cone-shaped volcano Arenal. To my great disappointment, this hitherto active volcano turned off its light show last year, so now I guess I will have to go hunting for active volcanoes somewhere else in the world.

We do however, get treated to another unusual sight. At a place called Rio Celeste (Light Blue River) in Tenorio Volcano National Park sulphur and carbonate from the volcano mix where two rivers meet producing the most amazing turquoise-blue hue. A challenging walk leads us past a lovely waterfall and hot springs. Unfortunately, armed guards ensure that no one swims in the water (although it is advertised that you may), so there is no relief from the mud and sticky heat.

On the way we take a break to study a tarantula that is sitting in a hole in a mossy tree, patiently lying in wait for its next victim. It’s huge – about the size of my hand – and hairy. And as fast as lightning. Impressive!

We take the boat down the canal and then make our way further inland and upland by van and by a tractor-drawn wagon to a solitary spot at Magsasay. We have the place all to ourselves. Except for the animals that continue to wake us at the break of dawn (sometimes before). The “alarm clock” is the hoarse cry of howler monkeys, the crowing of roosters or an enchanting mix of tropical birdsong.

The nights are refreshingly cool, providing quite a relief to the muggy nights at the coast. The days, however, are still very warm but we cool ourselves in a babbling brook. One early morning we don rubber boots for a walk in the rainforest before it gets too hot.

Some of the animals we see are well camouflaged, blending in with the surrounding scenery. We spot a brown frog that looks just like dry, dead leaves. Because he thinks he is more or less invisible, he sits completely still. Unfortunately for the little guy we spot, he has chosen to camp on a bright green lichen-laden tree trunk, so with his brown colour he sticks out like a sore thumb.

Other animals use a different strategy. They advertise themselves with bright colours in psychedelic combinations to warn predators that they are poisonous, such as the charming little “blue jeans frog” – a bright red poisonous frog with blue legs that is often seen hopping underfoot. On our rainforest walk we also spot two green macaws mating.