March 9, 2019
If you look up the word commotion in the dictionary, you might see a picture of the mobs of Cruisers trying to get to their chosen excursions this morning.
As hundreds of us gathered and moved about in the Mainstage Theater waiting for them to call our group name, I thought of the phrase “It’s like herding cats.” Several hearing aids needed to be turned up. Each time the assistant cruise director called a group, people inevitably began saying things like “what group did she call?” or “did she call my group?” or “Harold, go find out if she called our group!” People, don’t bother the busy lady as she’s trying to maneuver several hundred people in about 30 different directions, sit down, and listen.
The pandemonium was exacerbated by the fact we all had to be off the dock and onto our buses by 7:40 am because the Coral Princess was scheduled to dock on our port side at 7:45. If we weren’t off the dock, we would have to wait until after the ship had docked to continue on our way and, likely, we would miss our buses. Well, that was what we were told. It seems plans were flexible because at 7:45, we were just getting off the ship and I could see the Coral Princess hovering out in the harbor. I’m sure we messed up the start times of their tours. Oh well, Asi es la Vida!
What to say about Costa Rica? It’s beautiful, lush, tropical, filled with plants, birds and animals, and HOT! Although Cartagena was hotter and more humid, Puntarenas was sweltering even at 8:00 in the morning and, for some reason, we felt the 95 degrees and 45% humidity much more. Reapplication of sunscreen would be crucial, particularly since we were headed into the dry forest to look at the aforementioned plants and birds. The bus’ air conditioning was a godsend.
On the 90 minute drive to Pura Vida Gardens, our tour guides, Walter and Raphael (Raffa) were anxious to download as much information about Costa Rica as humanly possible. I was impressed with how knowledgeable each of them was, but others in the group wondered, under their breath but loud enough to hear, whether they would ever stop talking. I don’t have enough space to regurgitate all of the facts thrown at us, but I’ll share a few:
- Costa Rica has 5% of the world’s biodiversity, but it is not wealthy in resources
- Costa Rica is committed to being carbon neutral by 2021 (2nd country behind Bhutan)
- 80% of electricity is hydroelectric; 20% of electricity is generated by wind, volcanoes (geothermal) and solar (smallest percentage due to cost)
- Costa Rica has 130 volcanoes, only 5 are active
- the country was discovered during Columbus’ 4th trip to the Americas, but he never got off the ship to step on the shore because he was ill
- the flag consists of horizontal stripes of blue (representing clean blue sky), white (symbolizes a peaceful nation – they have no army), double stripes of red (signifying the blood shed by ancestors, then white and blue again.
- Costa Rica has more teachers than they do policemen (17,000 police)
- money not used on an army is dedicated to education and healthcare – they have a 98.6% literacy rate (2nd behind Chile in all of the Americas)
Developed by Dallas natives David and Cindy Stannard, Pura Vida Gardens and Waterfalls showcases nature in all its glory. Set on top of a hill, winding trails take you to fabulous lookout points where there are unobstructed views of the Pacific Ocean or overlooking valleys of waterfalls.
Although we arrived in the dry season, several varieties of flowers were still in bloom, and while they were browning, the trees were magnificent. As the cicadas harmonized (very loudly) in the trees, our guides took us on a short hike to see the waterfalls below.
We were then split up into two groups – people who wanted to climb stairs and people who didn’t. I was in the first group, Joan was in the second. My group’s hike took the paths deeper into the forest while our guide pointed out plants and flowers and told stories about Costa Rica.
Along the way, two scarlet macaws flew over our heads and settled into a tree high above us. As we walked along, they seemed to track us turning to sit on the branch so they had a clear view of us no matter where we were. As they chattered above us, I could almost hear them say “Hey, where do you think those strange creatures are going? What are they doing? What funny feathers they have.”
As we headed back to meet the other group, we were treated to an aerial display by several hawks, kites, and turkey vultures. They too seemed to be interested in our group – hopefully not as dinner.
Cold glasses of mango and berry juice and trays of delectable papaya, watermelon, and pineapple were the reward for our exertion in the blistering heat. Fruit never tasted so good.
Our trip back down the hill in the bus was a bit scarier than the ride up. It might have been the sheer cliff drop on my side of the bus. The views were spectacular, just as long as I didn’t look down.
As we passed over the main river feeding into the ocean, we were treated to a sighting of five very large American Crocodiles sunning themselves in the brackish shallows just inside the mouth of the river. Unfortunately, they were just to the right outside the edge of my photo.
Following afternoon tea, we lounged in the cool shadows of the Lido deck until we got underway. With several blows of the ship’s horn, the captain artfully backed us away from the dock, leaving the Coral Princess in our wake. According to its schedule, we will meet again in Huatulco. Hopefully, they don’t get there first and make us wait. Karma.
