Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica
In the southernmost part of Costa Rica, inside the “Sweet Gulf,” Ron and Trudy McAllister have established their home: Casa Orquidea. Their private botanical garden is a true Eden. Surrounded by primary forest, this garden has been lovingly tended by the McAllisters for over 25 years. In the beginning, they planted fruit trees with the sole idea of survival, but later became very interested in the plants themselves. Self-taught botanists, they have amassed a collection of plants that is a source of envy for us.
As we disembarked this morning on the pebbly beach, the heat and humidity overwhelmed us. We had no other choice but to stare in awe at what the McAllisters have accomplished. Calabash, Breadnut, strangler fig, soursop, cocoa, miracle fruit, papaya, mango, cannonball, starfruit, and ylang-ylang trees are just a few of the species of trees that we saw today. We had a wonderful opportunity to see what determination and love for something can bring about, as the McAllisters have created a paradise to leave for their children and their children’s children, while giving us the opportunity to wander around and take magnificent pictures.
As we repositioned our ship a little bit further west, we had a delicious, very typical lunch and a lecture by one of our naturalists. We reached the area of Rincon and had the choice of kayaking, walking or taking a Zodiac ride or a combination of any two of the above. Well, a bit difficult to explain, but it worked like a charm. Back on board, we began moving towards the second country of our expedition: Panama.
In the southernmost part of Costa Rica, inside the “Sweet Gulf,” Ron and Trudy McAllister have established their home: Casa Orquidea. Their private botanical garden is a true Eden. Surrounded by primary forest, this garden has been lovingly tended by the McAllisters for over 25 years. In the beginning, they planted fruit trees with the sole idea of survival, but later became very interested in the plants themselves. Self-taught botanists, they have amassed a collection of plants that is a source of envy for us.
As we disembarked this morning on the pebbly beach, the heat and humidity overwhelmed us. We had no other choice but to stare in awe at what the McAllisters have accomplished. Calabash, Breadnut, strangler fig, soursop, cocoa, miracle fruit, papaya, mango, cannonball, starfruit, and ylang-ylang trees are just a few of the species of trees that we saw today. We had a wonderful opportunity to see what determination and love for something can bring about, as the McAllisters have created a paradise to leave for their children and their children’s children, while giving us the opportunity to wander around and take magnificent pictures.
As we repositioned our ship a little bit further west, we had a delicious, very typical lunch and a lecture by one of our naturalists. We reached the area of Rincon and had the choice of kayaking, walking or taking a Zodiac ride or a combination of any two of the above. Well, a bit difficult to explain, but it worked like a charm. Back on board, we began moving towards the second country of our expedition: Panama.
