Day 7: Manuel Antonio National Park

Our hotel is really nice and very well located, immediately next to the entrance to the Manuel Antonio National Park. It costs about $18 to enter (less for Costa Ricans), and was much more crowded than I remember it being when we visited as a family in 2007. Our group arrived at the front gate at 8am and it was already busy - with lines like TSA or Disney. The line moved quickly and we got into the park without too much of a delay. As we walked along the path into the park, we’d see clusters of people with scopes set up to see sloths resting high in the trees, lizards on the ground, birds, monkeys and many other critters. The guides are generous in helping each other spot the animals, most of which are well-camouflaged. We walked for about 40 minutes before reaching the primary crescent beach. Being a Saturday, it was probably busier than usual. Once we got to the beach, people in our group divided up, with some settling in for beach time and others opting to hike. There were lots of playful capuchin monkeys that were endlessly entertaining near the beach - also iguanas and other creatures. Jane and I went for a hike up and around a promontory (though we somehow got turned around and went in the opposite direction), and then set our towels on the second/quieter beach. We played in the water that was very refreshing (taking turns so one of us could keep an eye on our belongings) until the rising tide forced us to move on and out of the park. We were nearly ready to leave anyway, so we didn’t mind. On our way out, we saw the smaller squirrel monkeys playing and chasing each other in the trees. They have really long tails and one was hanging on to the end of another monkey’s tail - seemed like a younger sibling irritating an older one. Returning to the hotel, we showered outside and then enjoyed the swim up bar! Dinner tonight was not included in our package, but most of us joined Jose at a nearby restaurant. It was tasty and festive, ending with birthday celebrations for 2 of our fellow travelers: Dorothy who turned 78 two days ago and Desmid, who will be 70 on Tuesday. I think our oldest trip member is 80, and the youngest is 47. Jane and I are the only pair of friends. In our group, we have two mother/daughter pairs, two couples traveling together, two other couples, one of which is joined by the husband’s mother, and two single travelers - though the solo man had been sick and missed most of the trip. He is presently in the hospital in San Jose, we think due to issues with his diabetes and perhaps also a virus. Fortunately, nobody else got sick.Baca selengkapnya