This morning started early with a pre-breakfast inflatable boat ride into the Agujitas River. We were fortunate because without the proper tide our journey up the river would not have been possible. As soon as we entered the river we were treated to an iguana in a tree having a morning dispute with some black vultures who also wanted to share the limb the iguana was resting on; the birds won and the lizard retreated.
We started deeper up the river as yellow-crowned night herons watched our movement from lofty perches. We learned about walking trees, basilisk lizards and were amazed at the many morpho butterflies that were seen on the entire journey. Also seen on the adventure were spider and white-faced capuchin monkeys, and then it was time to head back to our ship for a good breakfast.
Mid-morning found us on the shores of the Caletas Reserve. Here we divided into separate groups, with some exploring deeper into the forest while others did a walk around the area where we came ashore. Everyone was treated to wonderful views of scarlet macaws as they fed in an almond tree a short walk down the beach. We were treated to a delicious picnic lunch and were serenaded by a couple who played guitar and sang songs for our enjoyment. We then had time to do a little personal exploration and while some headed back to the forest, others practiced some newly acquired photo techniques at water’s edge.
In the afternoon we landed at the beach in Corcovado National Park. Here we headed into the forest with a very specific destination in mind: two waterfalls at the end of one of the trails. Along the way we spotted spider monkeys, birds, and had the chance to study some of the smaller critters of the forest like spiders and bugs. The trails led us through the woods and across the river on a rustic but sufficient bridge and along the waterway for a mile or so. We reached our first waterfall but did not linger very long as our plan was to go to the further one first and then backtrack. We reached our destination and enjoyed the beautiful tropical waterfall, and headed back to the prize of the day, a swim in the first waterfall.
There are few pleasures in the world that can compare to a submersion into a tropical waterfall after a hot hike through the tropical rain forest – a perfect end to a perfect day.
