Page 3 of 30 | Text and photos by Michael Jacobi with additional photos by Andrew M. Smith
ARRIVAL IN COSTA RICA
Twisting like a helix spiral, unmarked roads ascended the mountains north of San José as Paul Carpenter piloted our rental car north. Getting out of the populated area surrounding the airport and capital city was no small task. Roads branched toward T-junctions completely void of signs. We seemed to be traveling in circles both in vertical and horizontal space. Paul commanded our Daihatsu Terios with the quick and clever wit that I would soon discover is typical of his cheery disposition, but we all were becoming frustrated with the lack of would our sense of humor.
With his map spread across his lap in the passenger seat, Andrew Smith attempted to make sense of the road maze while Mark Carpenter and I wedged amongst gear in the back seat. My large frame jammed in the rear certainly strained the confines of our small vehicle, but I had no room to complain as Paul wrestled the tendrils of roads while driving with a left side steering wheel from the right side of the road, completely opposite of how he would travel back home in Worcester, England. I was able to just kick back and take in the breathtaking scenery.
Our destination was La Virgen, a collecting site to the north in the general vicinity of the well-known La Selva Biological Station. It is in Provincia de Heredia just west of where La Selva sits at the northern end of Parque Nacional Braulio Carillo. Here the lowland tropical wet forests of the Caribbean slopes support an astonishing diversity of wildlife.
Difficulty in navigating our way out of the greater San José area had us taking a circuitous route clockwise around the volcanic region of Parque Nacional Juan Castro Blanco. We should have been able to travel almost due north toward La Virgen, but instead our unplanned scenic route had us first heading west before taking us north to Zarcero and on to Quesada, where we finally headed back east. As darkness fell, we decided to stop for dinner just west of Aguas Zarcas. The restaurant had cabinas that our road-weary group considered for a moment, but they had no vacancies. While we quenched our thirst with some Costa Rican beer and waited for what would prove to be a delicious and inexpensive dinner, we consulted Lonely Planet's Costa Rica guide to choose our first base camp. (We wanted to keep our plans flexible and had no reservations throughout our trip, making decisions of where to base our operations on the fly.)
I had already discovered that my mobile phone would work in many areas of the country when it shocked me by ringing earlier in our drive. My phone would prove handy as I tested my Spanish by beginning to call potential accommodations. The first couple of places I called were completely booked; later I would be glad they were as my third call was a charm, leading us to the enchanting La Quinta Sarapiquí. This delightful 10 acre lodge has very nice cabins, a wonderful open-air restaurant and bar, its own butterfly and frog gardens and spectacular vegetation—a paradise home away from home.
After we checked into our two cabins, which included open wood-deck porches accoutered with a hammock, we gathered for a map and planning session. House geckos [Hemidactylus sp.] scurried above us chasing moths and flies as we discussed our goals over a few cold cervezas. With beer and cigar in hand, enveloped by the night sounds of the Costa Rican riverine forest, life was pretty damn good.