Trip to Palo Verde National Park

Sunday, February 10

Starting Out

Yesterday - Sunday - we took a trip to Palo Verde National Park and it was fantastic! This was our first excursion to a park or other wildlife area. We went on a trip offered by Coco Tours, a small, local operation with an office in the Las Palmas development. The owner, Giovanni, was our guide on this trip, and he was wonderful. Although he enjoyed speaking Spanish with Bob, he was also fluent in English and conducted the tour in English.

We went in a shuttle van, and there were only five passengers plus Giovanni. The other three were women who were staying at another development called Pacifico in El Coco. The three women were friends traveling together, but coming from three separate places, two from opposite ends of Canada and the other from northern England.

Giovanni (tour guide), Patt, Connie, Bob, Christina, Marion at Palo Verde, Costa Rica.

 

Also coming on the tour with us, but following behind in their own rental car, was a family group from California - three adults and four children ages roughly 3-12. It was wonderful having this small, almost private, tour. Giovanni is very knowledgable about the area and he took time to stop at various places along the way to show us things and answer our many questions. We started off at 8:30am, after Giovanni gathered the troops from three different locations.

Iguanas in Filadelfia

Our route to Palo Verde took us southeast and inland, into very rural parts of Guanacaste. Our first stop was in the town of Filadelfia, just alongside the town square and park. Here we stopped for a few minutes while Giovanni bought some groceries. He suggested we walk through this park looking for iguanas living in the trees. At first, we couldn't spot any. Then a local Tico man pointed up into the trees, showing us where many of them were. Some of these lizards were quite large, others smaller. All were well camouflaged. Unfortunately, we could not get any good photos of them. But what a sight!

Sugar Cane

Leaving Filadelfia, we went from paved to dirt roads, some quite narrow and bumpy. We drove deep into the rural heartland of Guanacaste province. Here the main activity is sugar cane farming. Giovanni described the whole cycle of sugar cane farming, from the freshly plowed fields, to new shoots coming up from the old roots, to fully grown canes, to the burning of the fields the day before the harvest (to remove excess undergrowth and to kill rodents and poisonous snakes, scorpions and spiders), to the harvest itself and the trip to the local refinery, to the raking up of leftover plants and the plowing under of the soil. The fields lie fallow for about three months, then the whole 9-month cycle begins again. Each field yields one crop a year. We were told that the sugar cane products - raw and refined sugar, cane syrup, and rum - are not exported, but are used by the Costa Ricans.

Giovanni stopped the van beside a field of mature sugar cane plants, pulled out a large machete, and went out and cut two canes. He put those in the back of the van. We guessed we would sample them later.

Sand People and Cowboys

Our view of the countryside also included a look at the operations of the "Sand People" on the Tempesque River. These are a group of men who make their living digging sand out of this river by hand. The sand is hauled away to nearby dump sites using oxen with oxcarts. The sand is used by Costa Ricans for mixing concrete which is used to build both roads and buildings. The operation is done by hand so as to not damage the natural ecosystem of the river - just one example, of many, of the eco-consciousness of the Costa Rican people.

This countryside is also cowboy country. Cattle, oxen, horses, and goats are raised here on fields of dry grasses, and we encountered many cowboys (sabaneros) on horses (caballos) on the narrow back roads to and from the park.

Palo Verde

The last stretch of road leading to the park entrance was very rough - narrow, rocky, full of potholes (And this is the BEST time of year to go! In rainy season, the roads are impassable, I gather). And there is a lack of signage along the way. If one is determined to drive to this park in a rental car, you had best have a rugged 4-wheel drive vehicle and plan to drive in behind a tour bus or van (as did the family from California who followed us there and back). Otherwise, the chances of getting lost and/or breaking down are great.

Finally we arrived at the park entrance - a very low-key affair with an entrance booth (one staffer), no signage, no "hoopla" (one of Bob's favorite words), no other buildings except a crude concrete structure housing a few outhouse-style toilets. Another very short drive and we arrived at the boat landing and parking lot. We gathered our belongings (leaving no possessions visible in the locked van) and headed for the boat ramp.

Boat ramp on Tempisque River, Palo Verde N.P., Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)

 

We are told that the best (and sometimes only) way to see this wetlands park, which borders the Tempisque River for quite a distance, is by boat. There are many boats available to do these tours, all owned by private operators. Giovanni chose a boat owner named Ulices (sounds like Ulysses) to guide us - "the best guide and captain on the river", he said - and I am sure he was! The six of us from the van and the seven California folks from the car filled the boat. The boat was shaded by a canopy, and we found that the temperature was manageable, even though we were on the river from 10:30am to 1:00pm.

On the river, we saw several interesting shore birds, including Great Herons, Blue Herons, Green Herons, White Herons, White Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Eagles, Night Herons, and Flycatchers. Also, saw some beautiful yellow butterflies. And iguanas - a few of those, sunning themselves on the muddy banks of the river.

But the big draws were the monkeys and the crocodiles!

Fun With Monkeys

First, we went looking for monkeys. We saw a group of Howler Monkeys up in the trees, but could not see them too up close. Then Ulices spotted some white-faced monkeys (Capuchins) and pulled over to the the bank to take a closer look. One or two appeared and looked curious. Giovanni prepared some pieces of banana and threw them onshore to entice them. After a while, more and more monkeys appeared, and they finally got bold enough to board the boat (though they never touched any of the passengers). Watching them play and show off for us was enchanting. Bob got some great video footage:

White-Faced Monkeys (Capuchins) at Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica. [Video by Bob.]

 

Crocodilia

Now for the Crocodiles. We learned the difference between Crocodiles, Alligators, and Caimans. Alligators and Caimans (smaller than Alligators) are fresh-water animals. Only Crocodiles have adapted to salt water and can tolerate fresh water, brackish water, and salt water. The Tempisque River begins at the volcanic area of Rincon de Vieja as a fresh water river and empties into the Golfo de Nicoya. The area we were in is a tidal section of the river with a mixture of fresh and salt water, which varies with the flow of the tides.

We had seen a few crocodiles in our initial run upstream, but after we had played with the monkeys for some time, Ulices turned the boat and headed downstream to a section where the river widened a little and was closer to the mouth of the river. There the crocs seemed more plentiful. In order for us to see one or more up close, Ulices guided the boat to a muddy riverbank where a croc had been sunning himself. It slithered into the water and swam towards the boat to check us out. Ulices had brought some raw red meat to feed to the crocodiles and the one that approached our boat got the prize. Bob got some great footage of Ulices feeding the croc - a little too close for comfort, some of us thought, especially since we had a small child aboard.

Crocodiles in the Tempisque River, Palo Verde N.P., Costa Rica. [Video by Bob]

 

Two other interesting crocodile stories:

(1) At one point, the crocodile seen in the above video swam over to a nearby muddy flat. Standing near the water's edge was a Great Heron that seemed very interested in what we were feeding to the crocodile. Ulices threw a piece of the red meat over to the heron, who snatched it in his bill and flew off several paces to eat it. The heron returned, standing a little distance from the water's edge and the croc. Then Giovanni cut off a piece of sugar cane and threw it into the space between the croc and the heron. Both animals were eyeing that tidbit. Actually, the heron was eyeing the sugar cane; the crocodile was eyeing the heron. Who would move first? It was a Mexican standoff. Eventually, the croc turned around and came back to the boat for more food. The heron snatched the sugar cane, but quickly dropped it - not to its taste.

(2) Toward the end of the boat trip, Ulices spotted a large iguana sunning itself on the riverbank. He slowly maneuvered the boat a little closer to give us a better view of the iguana. Suddenly, the was a great burst of energy from the river's edge and out leapt a crocodile, previously submerged, who lunged for the iguana. The startled iguana turned and ran for the high ground and the croc went running after it. Both moved much faster than anyone expected. The croc might have caught the iguana except that the lizard ran up a steep embankment that the croc could not manage. The crocodile turned and headed back for the water. I'll bet that was one disgruntled and angry croc, who might even have had a mind to attack the boat for spoiling its chance with the iguana. As one passenger said, "That was a National Geographic moment." This was indeed a rare moment for tourists to witness. What a thrill! [Unfortunately, we have no video of this event!]

Lunch

After a long, two-and-a-half hour boat ride, we were all feeling hungry, thirsty, and a little wilted. Giovanni had the situation well in hand, however. We left the river and the park and drove a short way into the village of Ortega. He drove us up a very steep and bumpy trail to our lunch stop, a private finca (farm) owned by Ulices and his wife and family. Here the women prepared a delicious Tico lunch for the thirteen of us. The lunch included a wonderful wood-fired chicken dish, homemade corn tortillas, rice and beans, salsa, fajita-style beef, and some other delicious side dishes. Our beverage was tamarindo juice. We ate outdoors, picnic-style. Behind us was a view of the valley below and the mountains near the coast to the west. A delightful spot and a delicious and refreshing meal.

Lunch at the Finca. Connie, foreground left. Giovanni, our tour owner and guide, foreground right. The family from California in the background. [Photo by Bob.]

Lunch at the Finca. Our three traveling companions in the foreground. [Photo by Bob.]

 

Pottery Demonstration

After lunch, we stopped briefly in Ortega to visit the home and studio of a family that has been making handcrafted Indian pottery for generations. A young man of the family gave us a short demonstration of how their pottery is made. The process was fascinating, and gave us an appreciation of the work and skill that went into this style of pottery.

Pottery demonstration, Ortega, Costa Rica. [Photo by Connie]

After the demonstration, we were invited to go into their small gallery, in hopes that we would buy some pottery. Unfortunately, none of us did. Bob and I had already purchased two pieces of this style of pottery when we were in Playa Ocotol, and although I wanted to buy more, we weren't sure that we could fit anything more in our suitcases. However, we knew that Giovanni had given us a chance to see the real thing, rather than the knock-off imitations available in most souvenir shops. It was another glimpse into the genuine rural Tico life and a treat to watch the skilled demonstration.

Scarlet Macaws

After the pottery stop, we were heading home in earnest. But, as it turned out, we had one more surprise stop. On the winding gravel road back towards Filadelfia, Giovanni stopped the van and suggested we all get out. He pointed out a tall tree in which there was a nest of Scarlet Macaws. And as we watched, the male and female macaws emerged from a hole in the tree and perched on a branch for several minutes as we gaped in awe at the beauty of these birds. (Too far away to get photos without a telephoto lens.)

Home Again

We drove back through "cowboy country", some too tired to look at the window. We arrived back in El Coco at 4:30 pm, the trip having lasted eight hours. For my money it was worth every minute and every dollar. (The cost of the tour was $75 each and included everything.) We were "wiped" and ended up taking a siesta for about two hours. In the evening, we walked down to Pueblito Sur and ordered a pizza and some tropical punch at La Dolce Vita, one of our favorite restaurants. A lovely, gentle way to end a perfect day!

 

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