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FRIDAY 25TH FEBRUARY - PUERTO JIMINEZ
Oh, the joys of admin! As we werent ready to trek today the morning was spent walking from the park office to the bank to book our entry and camping. It was kind of fun as we insisted on speaking spanish to practise which was really great. We worked hard to get it done all early so that we could go to the beach in the afternoon. We were going to get the collectivo taxi to the beach but it was really expensive so we decided to hitch the 5km journey. The beach was lovely after our long walk, a long stretch of deserted black sand with warm water. It was great until we both got covered with jellyfish stings at the same time. they were really painful and left big red marks all over the body so we had to retire to the shady hammocks for a while and then reclimb the tree that dave hid our bags in, about 3metres of the ground. We were really lucky to get a lift on the way back from an american called chad who also invited us to a garden BBQ party, shame we would be in the jungle. That evening we went out for a soda and dave got his first taste of plantain -yum yum!
SATURDAY 26TH FEBRUARY - LA PALMA TO LOS PATOS, CORCOVADO CONSERVATION AREA
We got up really early to finish packing and get an early bus to the next town about 30km away after a good slap up breakfast of rice and beans. At La Palma where we were to start the 20km trek to the park entrance we were told repeatedly that it was too late to start as the route was too hot and difficult and how important it was to pay 20USD to get a taxi and blah blah blah. However, we threw caution to the wind and set off on foot for what actually turned out to be a really nice 3 hour walk through little villages and forest. We had to make about 20 river crossings and the cool water was sooo nice on the feet. We stopped at the ranger station to confirm directions to the campsite and ended up being invoted in for a cold juice and a long chat in spanish. Speaking in full conversations is so exhausting still and i am still not very good but the ranger was patient and helped out lots with words and structure and it was a really nice feeling to see how my language is coming on. It did wear me out though and I ahd to have a little snooze in the tent later. we were the only people staying at the site so we chatted in depth in spanish to the manager who is also a local guide and he showed us lots of wildlife and some live scorpions that he had caught. there are so many venomous animals about but we did see a toad and some spider monkeys playing in the trees above us. The jungle is so beautiful here but so dangerous and as we sat chatting by candlelight the noises of the insects got louder. lets hope i dont get bitten by anything tonight!
SUNDAY 27TH FEBRUARY - LOS PATOS TO SIRENA RANGER STATION, CORCOVADO CONSERVATION AREA
We set off on what we thought was an early start but the park warden looked worried at our late departure. We laughed "were not average gringos(tourists) - well be fine!" Wow, we were mistaken as it still took us 7 hours of gruelling trekking to get there, and the route was only 20km! It was sucha hard day and by the end i was totally exhausted from the heat and humidity. It was really beautiful and we saw lots of monkeys, frogs, geckos and birds but it was hard - no mistake. We were planning on making a hide to watch the roosting wildlife at sunset when we got there but it was 4pm when we arrived and we were way too tired to bother so we hiked down to the river to try and see some american crocodiles but we left it a bit late and the sun was setting so we couldnt make out definite shapes in the water.
Over our evening meal we met a guy who stumbled across a puma by accident while he was pre-occupied watching his potential monkey shaped dinner up a tree. We also met some welsh guys who offered us a lift back - thank god as 47km is a long way!
the power goes off really early in the jungle so we went to the tent fighting off swarms of insects on the way to boil ourselves alive in our own sweat. geez - the jungle is so hard. Its dirty, sweaty, hot, humid and very physically demanding. i still feel very lucky to be able to do this though.
MONDAY 28TH FEBRUARY - SIRENA TO LA LEONA TO CARATE, CORCOVADO NATIONAL PARK
We had to get up at 3am so that we could cross the headland and the river at low tide. We also had the added stress of trying to keep up with the young, strong, rugby playing welsh lads so we could get a lift back. And boy, did they shift some! We did the entire 20km route through steep jungle paths and sandy beach in 5 hours. It normally takes 7.
Before the sun came up we were walking along the moonlit beach following the footsteps of the couple 400m ahead of us when we noticed big cat prints from a large puma stalking them. there was no way the prints were coincidence and we must have been within 200m of the puma - wow! Im glad that it didnt punce on the poor girl but it was very exciting! the rest of the journey went by in an exhausting, sweat drenched blur until we got to the thankful confines of their car.
They had obviously been hammering their hire car as half way back a tire blew and came right off the rim. they kept driving for about 500m thinking "hmm, its a bit rattly..." thankfully they had a spare and it was all bronzed muscle in the change it. i watched....
I have learnt so much about working in the jungle environment and if I have to work with kids on an expedition I have real knowledge but i did totally underestimate it. I have never sweated so much and sat back in town after removing ticks from my legs and soothing multiple insect bites i realised how tired i actually was. the only regret I have is not being able to spent more time sirena where all the actions happen but we didnt have enough time or food. i was really disappointed but I guess it gives me something to work towards.
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