Once upon a time, in the quaint village of Agujitas, there was a traveling duo living the Costa Rican dream. In the early hours of Wednesday, the warm rays of the sunrise shone in through their transparent curtains, waking the boy and girl from sleep. Little did they know that as the days ensued, so would this pattern of early morning wake up calls for their week long stay in Agujitas. This morning in particular was spent like most; reclined in the adirondack chairs on their deck overlooking Drake Bay, book in hand, occasionally glancing up to observe the loud but beautiful scarlet macaws. These birds seemed to live in the tallest trees and feed off the walnuts (appropriately named beach walnuts). They were often seen dangling by their claws from the branches, fighting off other macaws that desired the same branch. It provided great entertainment for the travelers, many mornings and afternoons.
That Wednesday afternoon, the boy and girl threw on their swimsuits and walked along the coast, heading west towards Playa Cocalito. Forty minutes later, they arrived to the small beach, bordered by rocks on each side. Mostly deserted with only one other couple to be seen, an hour was spent joyously playing in the waves on the few sandy spots that could be found under the water. To the west of the beach was another tree filled with macaws that made lying in the sand and playing hangman even more enjoyable.
The hike back required precise attention to the signs directing one to walk down the hill on the broken tile pieces instead of following the perfect looking trail straight ahead. Upon arriving back to town, the two stopped for a late lunch at a restaurant on the bay and the boy happily ordered salchipapas. He had seen these on a menu at a different restaurant earlier, and had been craving sliced up hot dogs over french fries topped with copious amounts of mayonnaise and ketchup ever since.
This Wednesday was a special day; the young girl wasn't so young anymore, as this day marked 32 years since the world had first met her. The sneaky, charming boy was aware of this and he made a scrumptious Asian rice dish for dinner that evening. He had also slyly purchased a box of wine, chocolate cake mix and ice cream from the store (he sure knows his traveling companion well). Realizing that the oven was filled with spiders and wouldn't turn on, there was a moment of despair followed by Google searching for how to bake a cake without an oven. Google provided such complex answers as "place large pan on stove top with rack inside, then place smaller pan containing cake inside larger pan," but the girl sadly discovered the kitchen was definitely not equipped for this. Then, the boy had an idea: "I'll make pancakes with the mix instead!" he exclaimed. And he did. And together, the two ate one-third of the cake, smothered in ice cream and bananas. And it was so good, the two vowed to never go to the trouble of baking a cake in the oven again.
Better than cake pancakes with vanilla ice cream and bananas
Fighting a cake induced coma, Thursday the two could be found either on their deck or in the kitchen. There were high hopes of spotting whales or dolphins from their deck, but this never happened. Neither were disappointed though, as the macaws and other bird sightings kept them distracted. The boy continued reading The Old Patagonian Express, a book that was written by a young man traveling by train through Central America in the 1970s. The girl fought to enjoy the classic book, Frankenstein. Lunch was quite the ordeal for these two, as they made chicken burritos with enough to pack up for some lofty plans the following day. Dinner was leftover Asian chicken rice, and another third of the birthday cake.
Parque Nacional Corcovado is the draw for many travelers to the area of Agujitas, where tours are often based out of. This park has an amazing amount of biodiversity and is considered the last great original tract of tropical rainforest in Pacific Central America. Researching ways to explore this vast area but attempting to avoid paying for guides or entrances fees, the boy discovered a hike on the perimeter of the park that would pass multiple beaches. Again donning swimsuits, packing a bag with burritos and snorkel gear, and lacing up their hiking boots, the duo headed out on Friday morning. Out the door after splitting a burrito and an unfortunate plantain that was disguised as a banana for breakfast, the two set out on the same path they had done the previous Wednesday to Playa Cocalito. They passed the familiar beach, and continued walking for another two hours into the rainforest.
The trail was mostly flat, and hugged the coastline nearly the entire path. As they trudged along, the wildlife they were exposed to became more diverse and awe-inspiring. There were countless scarlet macaws (this area is home to the largest population) encouraging the travelers eyes to stay on the thick forested branches above, which allowed them to spot the toucan. The bright yellow chest and beak gave him away, and the girl was able to tip toe closer for some photo ops. While doing so, another five or more were noted in neighboring trees.
The smoother part of the 2.5 hour hike
One of many toucans quietly hiding in the trees
During the hike, spider monkeys occasionally leapt from branch to branch overhead and howlers could be heard in the distance. As the boy and girl neared their destination beach, Playa Josecito, a new monkey was spotted: the white faced capuchin. This monkey had been observed at their previous stop in Manuel Antonio, but not as clearly or close up as it was in this forest. Actually, it was a bit closer than either was comfortable with. The monkey, known for taking people's belongings, was not shy in closing the distance between human and monkey. When the hikers finally reached their beach and started picnicking on their burritos, a capuchin climbed down a branch just over their belongings and they had to move their packs and yell at the monkey.
Spider monkeys everywhere
I named this one Marcelle
With bags securely attached to a tree and bellies full of burritos, the two were ready to jump in the clear Pacific water for some snorkeling but first had to wait out the storm that began when they arrived. Realizing it made no difference if they were wet on the beach or in the water, they jumped in and let the rain fall. Once clear skies returned, snorkel gear was brought out and they attempted snorkeling around the rocks near the shore and a small island 40 meters off the coast. The waters boasted more abundant coral and fish than they'd seen in months, but both agreed nothing compares to the Caribbean.
Around 2:30pm, the boy recommended they begin to head back to reach their bungalow before dark. Hiking boots were put back on and the walk out began, but with a new companion. A friendly white dog, given the name Josecito, was guarding their bags from the monkeys when the two returned from snorkeling. He was given water as a thank you and in return, he walked the travelers halfway home before happily finding a new beach to play at.
Boy, girl, Josecito the dog
Once home and cleaned up, the duo retreated to the kitchen for another meal. They were quite proud of themselves, shopping for five days worth of food and devising meals that were unique but used similar ingredients. This night, they feasted on bacon, cheese, refried bean and tomato omelettes. And the remaining third of the cake mix in pancake form.
Saturday was another day of rest for the two; books on the deck, research and discussions regarding their next stop. They made an outing for lunch and stopped at the grocery store to purchase a few more products to help use all the leftovers. With a deck and ample room to hang a shoe string, laundry was done in the afternoon. The boy did his first, using a large garbage bag to fill with hot (first time handwashing clothes in hot water!) soapy water. He threw his clothes in, let them soak, then replaced the bag with fresh water before tossing them around for the "agitate" portion of the cycle. The clothes were then rinsed, rung dry and hung. Next was the girls turn; she did nearly the same process, but received a blister from aggressively ringing out her clothes and is not confident they smell any better.
Making good use of the deck
That evening, another rice and chicken dish was made but with a jalapeño cream sauce that made it taste completely different from the first dish with practically the same ingredients. Dishes were washed and the two returned to their room to find a cockroach hiding by the bed. The girl found a broom and the boy managed to sweep it out, after it eluded capture multiple times.
Sunday, (today) the two made the most of their last day on Drake Bay. Quesadillas were made for brunch, a resourceful way to use the tortillas and sour cream left over from previous meals. The deck was used for more reading, clothes drying and a perfect viewing of a lightening storm. There was an afternoon stroll along the beach, cut short by a few raindrops. The room was paid for and tickets purchased for the 7:15 boat the next morning, after discovering that the bus was very temperamental based on rain and picked up at 4am. Dinner was the leftover chicken and rice from the previous night, leaving them with two pounds of uncooked rice as the only ingredient they couldn't finish off. It will be packed and carried.
A macaw in the trees just behind Cabinas Murillo
View of the bay and a storm rolling in from the right
In the next part of their adventure, the two hope to cross the border and arrive in David by late afternoon the following day. They both look forward to the conveniences that a big city has to offer after their recent stays in small towns. And of course, experiencing the last country of their year long journey, Panama.
-J2
