Visit to Lapa Rios

The trip did not begin auspiciously. The taxi scheduled for 6:15 a.m. apparently went looking for us in Raleigh instead of Chapel Hill. We woke our friend Kirk, who was house and dog sitting for us, and he kindly drove us to the airport.

Without further incident, we flew to San Jose, the capital city of Costa Rica. Our hotel provided a good view of the central highlands, and a short walk brought our first sighting of Costa Rican fauna. OK, not very exciting, but an evening rainbow augered well for the next day.

In fact, the next day began as badly as the first. Descending to the lobby shortly after 4 a.m., the elevator stuck. The phone ("Dial 0 in case of emergency") provided a reassuring message in Spanish, "Sorry, no-one on duty yet. Please call back later". After several minutes of frantic banging, an enterprising porter managed to prise open the door for us.

Fortunately, there were no further incidents, in spite of our taking a frighteningly small plane for the next leg of the trip. Sitting behind the pilot provides a very intimate flying experience. We tracked our progress on the GPS navigational aid, and arrived at the Puerto Jimenez landing strip.

The airport at Puerto Jimenez is small but efficient. Everything seems to be run by one person. It might be a small operation, but along the way we encountered other airports that seemed even more primitive.

We were met at the airport by a Lapa Rios representative. The limousine provided a bumpy 20 kilometer trip to Lapa Rios. The resort is at the top of a large, steep hill, with a welcoming entry way.

Upon reaching our destination, friendly staff helped us out of the limo, and offered much needed refreshments.

Accomodations consist of thatched bungalows designed to fit harmoniously with the surroundings. Screened on three sides, the bedroom provides a feeling of connection with the forest. We could relax on the deck looking out over the Golfo Dulce.

The swimming pool offers a view of both sides of the ridge, and another shady spot for reading. It was easy to work up a sweat in the tropical sun, but an outdoor shower (viewer discretion advised here) was a good way to cool off.

Great meals were provided in the central lodge, where the guests can be as entertaining as the local fauna.

A visit to Lapa Rios can be strenuous. We took a guided hike through the primary forest, wading along small rivers and stopping to gaze at a number of beautiful waterfalls.

On another occasion we walked to the nearby beach, from where one has a good view of Lapa Rios back on the ridge.

Rather less strenuous was a morning's outing on horseback. Neither of us had been on a horse since we were small kids, which made us rather nervous at first. The animals turned out to be very gentle, and by the time we were done we felt very relaxed.

Mornings start around 3:30 when the howler monkeys begin their barking. On hikes through the rain forest we were guaranteed to encounter spider monkeys. A troup of the tiny squirrel monkeys was on parade near the beach. Of the four Costa Rican species of monkey, only the white face eluded us.

The trees near the lodge are a favorite for the toucans, and one showed up every afternoon near our deck. The fiery breasted aracari is another favorite around the resort. Pairs of scarlet macaws (the "lapas" of "Lapa Rios") would fly past in tight formation at any time of day.

The sloth is not an exciting animal to watch. She's hard to distinguish from the termites, which are found everywhere. But a close up view of golden orb spiders is intriguing. The large spider in the middle is the female. The tiny fellow below her is the male, and, eventually, her dinner.

One morning we went with the guide Randal on a serious bird watching hike. We were issued a list of some 38 species that we might see. In a walk of perhaps half a mile, during a two hour period, we encountered 26 (not counting the toucans, aracaris, humming birds, etc., at Lapa Rios).

Using his telescope, Randal helped us take great close-ups of some of the birds. Here's a pair of roadside hawks and a red lored parrot.

Of course, the most spectacular of the birds is the macaw. After a while a pair landed in the top of a tree. As the female hung upside down, the two set about ensuring that the species does not go extinct (viewer discretion advised again).

Although without exception the staff was friendly and welcoming, not everyone at Lapa Rios was happy to see us. A small lizard insisted that the deck was his terrain, and a pair of spider monkeys made it clear that the rain forest was their's.

Other signs of nature's violence were everywhere. A golden orb spider was seen enjoying a tasty cicada lunch. Almost every horse on the horse-back ride showed the scar of a recent bite on the neck (see enlargement) - breakfast for vampire bats. Even the flora were not guiltless. Strangler figs destroy their hosts after using them for support in the early years of their life.

Fortunately, the boa constrictors were well fed and sound asleep when we encountered them.

As we left Puerto Jimenez, on the wall separating the airstrip from the cemetery (yes, it does give one pause), we found a flycatcher, cheerfully unconcerned by the comings and goings of tourists. (No guide being present, exact identification was not possible.)

The trip back was uneventful. And so, as the sun set in San Jose over the car rental agency, we said "Adios" and "Hasta Luego".

For more about Lapa Rios, see their web site, with lots more photos - better than those provided here.

Other Pitz Vacations