Author: Maggie Page 14 of 34

There are only two ferries a day from Sierpe to Drake Bay – 11.30 or 16.00. This gives us time for a leisurely breakfast before Stephanie drops us off at the jetty.

It all seems very organised. A man comes over to us and asks where we are going. He introduces us to our boat captain and are told they will let us know when our boat is ready to depart. It’s 09.30 and already very hot. Time for a watermelon smoothie and people watching.

It’s 11.20 and people are being called to join their boats. We see lots of boats departing and there do not seem to be many people left. Despite assurances that we would be called we are beginning to feel uneasy. I suddenly see our captain with a full boat and about to depart. I tell the man organising boats and, after a bit of shouting to and fro between them, it is decided that our captain should not be our captain and we should board a different boat. That was almost full too, but we managed to nab the last two seats that were in the shade. Phew! To miss that ferry would have been mega-annoying. It would mean catching the 16.00 ferry and driving at dusk on officially the worst road in Costa Rica.

We reach Drake and the boat reverses up close to the beach. Shoes off and step into the sea which is about knee high. Good. I won’t get my shorts wet this time…… Unfortunately as I clamber off a huge wave hits the boat which splooshes up my backside and completely soaks me. No big deal. I grab some different shorts and pants and change in the toilet before our 3 hour drive to Carate.

We start our journey up the track from the hotel and the car is beeping. I haven’t closed the boot properly. I get out and really slam it. Clouds of dust engulf me – our car is absolutely filthy with ¼ inch dust sitting on the bumper and the back window is completely covered. It was a brand new car and doesn’t even have number plates yet – just a notice taped to the front windscreen saying what the number will be.

The track is so steep that the car will not move. We have stopped on a large rock. Paul has to reverse, pick the flattest bit of surface and wellie it. We make it. A test for the hour drive from Drake to Rincon which we know is brutal. Indeed it is worse than we remember it. Maybe not having driven for a few days is making it seem more challenging…..

We did have a thorough laugh at one stage, though. There was a very steep section, with large gullies and potholes. We had to weave from side to side to avoid damaging the vehicle. Then we see men working ahead. Ah – good we think. They are repairing the road. Not so. They are strimming the verges! Clearly vital to have beautifully maintained borders to your thoroughfares whatever their condition. You could not make it up.

The rest of the drive is comparatively straightforward apart from the interesting bridges on the stretch between Puerto Jimenez and Carate. The bridges are just a narrow strip of concrete with no edge or railings. I can tell you it focuses the mind. Health and safety? Not in Costa Rica!

As we drive up to the hotel – Laguna Villas, all the hardship of the journey is forgotten. This place is paradise. This is a tiny boutique hotel with just 8 rooms. It is owner run and Greg and his wife Keiko greet us warmly, hand us a beer and show us to comfy, squashy chairs on the terrace. The views are stunning. Red macaws squawk in the trees and a toucan puts in an appearance. Annoyingly I have not unloaded my camera yet.

Keiko escorts us to our room which far exceeds our expectations. It is large with a huge terrace overlooking the lagoon and Pacific. Yes – this will do very nicely thank you.

We shower and sit on our terrace to unwind. Before we know it, the sun is setting and we head up to the bar for sundowners. Greg tells us to sit and be comfortable. Our G&T’s arrive and, at last, they are proper ones that have not had something weird added and contain a really good slug of gin. Excellent. Greg sits and chats to us, telling us about how they have developed the hotel over the last 18 years. They started with nothing, replanted the grounds which had been cleared of the rain-forest. They have created something truly exceptional. This is a very,very special place.

We have the choice to eat alone or with the other guests. We choose a communal meal with a couple from Maine and their teenage daughter and a couple from Alaska. Greg also joins us. The food is good as is the company. These are interesting people and there is a lot of banter. It would have been easy to linger too late drinking wine but we were tired, so actually did the sensible thing and headed off to bed.

Our host Stephanie says that we must have breakfast before we leave. We say we’ll just have coffee and juice and take something with us and thought she had packed us breakfast to go. She takes her daughter to school, before returning to take us down to the dock. We see one breakfast beautifully laid out on the bar. Coffee, juice, fruit, eggs and toast. It looks delicious, but as there is only one plate we do not think it is meant for us. Big mistake! It was meant for Paul. Stephanie returns and says “Are you both fishing? I thought it was just Paul. Oh, so sorry, I made that for Paul and was going to make you something when I came back.”

Bother – it looked so great and now we have to go out all day with nothing to eat. Hopefully the boat taking us out will provide something. We arrive at the dock. The gangway is steep and wet with condensation. This makes it exceedingly slippery but somehow we both remain upright – though a close call.

Mist sits over the river and the sun starts to burn through the ethereal haze.

Water hyacinths float on the surface looking like some type of alien life form…

and the mist rises and blankets the tops of the hillsides in a white shroud.

Although this is a fishing trip, the guides realise that I need some decent photographs. Wildlife abounds and they are eager to spot anything that moves and slow the boat down so I can capture the action.

And what a lot of action there is. Crocodiles and parrots. Every type of wading bird. Monkeys galore – howlers, squirrel monkeys and capuchins.

We slowly traverse the river in this fashion for an hour or so and then power up out to sea in the hope of primarily catching rooster fish. This involves riding the surf on our way out. The boat is sturdy and well up to the task. I am relieved to find the sea moderately calm just with a rolling swell. We stop close to beaches and rocky outlets. I am delighted. So much for me to shoot.

Incongruously we spot a pig on the beach. No idea if it was wild or domestic.

The bird life is wonderful. Pelicans plop into the sea and sandpipers rise in shimmering flocks as waves break over their roost.

Suddenly there is action. Paul has hooked a rooster fish. They are big and a ten minute battle ensues. It is hard work. Sadly in the end it gets away but I think Paul enjoyed the fight though might have appreciated standing in the shade. He was exceedingly hot in the searing heat. Personally I am struggling to see the appeal in sitting in the sun for hours, continually casting and trying to catch something huge that will knacker you further….

I do however love any excuse to be out on a boat. There is definitely something about being on the water. Our guides were fishing for smaller stuff. They caught a sardine and large jack then hooked a snapper. I was handed the rod and reeled it in.

We kept moving location and held off by a wonderful set of rocks with frigates and boobies circling overhead.

It is mid-day and scorching. We race in across the incoming surf, picking a route through the rollers before they break on us. Very exhilerating. We anchor on a sheltered little beach and sit in the shade for an hour or so. There are buildings so we think there must be a bar. Unfortunately not. This is clearly someone’s home. Not to worry, we have iced water and it gives me the opportunity to find a welcoming bush for a loo break. Our boat is the smaller one on the left. I take my shirt off and hang it on a palm tree. I think to myself that there is a a high chance of my forgetting it and guess what? That’s exactly what I do.

After our break we make our way back up the Sierpe River. This time in search of snook. We actually see snook and rooster fish chasing prey but unfortunately the fish are just not biting today.

This in my view is the advantage of photography as a hobby. You will always go out and capture something to take home with you.

I am so pleased with my camera. I cannot believe how good the photographs are today considering they were all taken form a moving boat, mainly between 600mm and 800mm. It should not be possible to capture such sharp results handheld. Thank you Olympus!

This was an incredibly long day – 10.5 hours out on the boat. We were pretty exhausted and the prospect of a 1 km walk from our hotel to find a mediocre dinner was less than appealing. I popped into the minimart across the road from the jetty and bought rolls, ham and juice. Stephanie met us and took us back to the hotel where we were delighted to discover that air-conditioning had been installed. The room was blissfully cool. We collapsed on the bed, plonked slices of ham on the rolls. Oh my word. They tasted good. All we had eaten on the boat was pineapple and watermelon and having missed breakfast we were ravenous.

I reviewed my day’s photos and was pretty pleased with the results. Then exhaustion took over and although only 19.50 we turned out the lights and crashed for the night.

As the drive to Drake Bay was so horrendous we see no point in giving ourselves a tortuous 3+ hour trip back to Sierpe. We decide instead to take the ferry across the bay which is about an hour’s ride. We have two choices – 07.30 or 14.30 and opt for the latter and a lie in. I spend the morning catching up on the blog. The Wi-Fi only works within about 10 feet of the office so there has been little opportunity to process anything. I just drink water as I feel I need serious re-hydrating after yesterdays walk. We both have stiffish calves.

We wait under the trees on the beach from 14.00. We are told it is not an exact timetable. Correct. The boat eventually arrives at 14.40. There is no jetty here, so it is a wade through the sea to clamber aboard. We therefore have decided to leave most of our kit in the car and just take bare essentials for our two nights in Sierpe. The boat reverses in and raises its engine and I make my way towards it. Problem is my backpack is pretty heavy with all my camera equipment and the boat is quite a long way out. I walk very gingerly as I really think I am going to fall. A girl near me offers a hand and I make it safely to the boat but I was wet to my hips.

We don life jackets, $20 per person is collected and off we go. It’s a full boat with probably 40 people. It powers across the bay and makes short work of the rolling waves. After about half an hour we enter the mouth of the Sierpe river and have a wonderful initial glimpse of the swamps and mangrove lined channels. Majestic mountains form a perfect backdrop. No photos though as my phone is wisely put in my backpack and not in my pocket as I feared it could get wet. I would have been correct.

We reach Sierpe which is a tiny and somewhat shabby little place. We clamber onto the rustic jetty and try to find a taxi. There are hoards of people and it is steamy hot in the mid-afternoon sun. We find a van with two girls already in it and the driver says he will take us the 1 km up the road to our hotel for 3000 colones – about $5. The girls squidge over and Paul sits in the front.

We arrive at Hotel Cocodrilo. What a delightful little place with the most welcoming hostess – Stephanie.

She apologises profusely that our room has no air-conditioning but it will be fitted tomorrow. In the meantime we have two huge floor fans which help but it is still a very warm room. We order beers, laze in hammocks and watch the sun going down. Nice! Stephanie tells us to make ourselves at home. She shows us the bottle opener and the fridges and tells us to help ourselves to anything we need. It feels as though we are real house guests. What a contrast to Drake Bay.

I should perhaps mention the lack of health and safety requirements here. Our bathroom is large and the shower works well. Just don’t look at the electricity connection!!

Stephanie tells us there is a bar and restaurant next door where we can eat. In reality we had huge difficulty just ordering a drink. The was a severe language barrier. I order a beer for simplicity and Paul has a pina colada. That was a word the girl could say. Mistake was he did not say con ron. With no rum it was a bit bland. We have no option but to walk into town if we want to eat. There is not a lot on offer. We settle on the ineptly named Las Vegas. It’s a big place on the river with just three fisherman sitting in the corner telling stories. We order cuba libres and spaghetti bolognese. Seems like a safe option and indeed it is all absolutely fine. We look down at the dock and spot a crocodile cruising upstream.

There is a supermarket next door where we buy water and then walk back to our hotel. Somehow it does not seem so far. We collapse into bed and sleep restlessly. It is a very warm room indeed.

Today we decide to walk much further around the headlands. This involves an early departure to benefit from as much cool air as possible. It may be cooler but the rainforest is still very hot and humid. There is not a breath of air so sweat doesn’t evaporate. You just get stickier and stickier! We definitely seem to have acclimatised though and this seems much easier than yesterday.

The path weaves its way up and down the coastline and every so often we emerge onto a pristine and totally deserted beach. There are long beaches and tiny inlets where the waves crash onto the rocks and surge there way inland.

Wildlife is tough to spot in the forest but any sign of movement and my camera is there.

I spotted the lizard above by its flash of turquoise. The tail was so long I initially thought that it was a snake. I moved to photograph it and it shot behind me and stopped directly behind my right foot. I knew I couldn’t move so had to contort myself and point the lends behind me. Quite a good result considering, but there is no way I could fit the extra foot of tail in.

There is always lots to photograph if you sit still for a little while. Nature appears around you.

By 08.30 we were hungry and in need of sustenance. We found a very basic adventure camp that welcomed us warmly and served us fruit, eggs, pancakes, juice and coffee. It was so welcome and tasted so good. We had worked up quite an appetite. We were relieved as we had tried another little hotel en route and they would not serve us. It seems strange to turn away business in such a remote location. When we made it back to our beach we stopped for a well-earned beer. Turns out we walked 11km over the last 5 hours. No guilt for doing nothing else all day!

Dinner was at the same restaurant as last night as the food was so good. I had teriyaki tuna which was very fresh and of course another affogato.

We sleep really well and decide to go for an exploratory walk before breakfast and before it becomes too hot. It is already 29C and only 07.00. Surprisingly, for such a tiny location, Drake Bay has a small police station set back from the beach. We presume it is necessary because this is close to the Panama border and very remote and would be an ideal location for drug running. That is only our guess but would seem likely.

We see pelicans flying in formation above us and vultures are abundant in the trees and on the beach.

I’m particularly grateful to this guy who lets me get really close.

There is no jetty so all boat trips involve a wet embarkation.

At the end of the beach we divert to the road that then turns into a track with a path off through the rainforest.

We see the hugest bamboo and beyond that we enter the forest. Birds and butterflies dart from bush to bush. Tantalisingly difficult to photograph.

We’ve been walking for an hour or so and are now hungry. We stumble across a luxury hotel and decide breakfast here would be an excellent idea.

Feeling much refreshed we set off once more. Paul spots a couple of green parrots in the bushes. It’s takes me a while to see them. They are so well camouflaged.

This tanager is not so well-camouflaged but still hard to spot!

We cross a very rickety hanging bridge and can see monkeys in the trees above.

The path now went steeply uphill but at least had some crude steps and a handrail to make life a little easier. We then go the same distance downhill and arrive on a beautiful deserted beach.

Above us I hear squawking. I am being watched by a cheeky red macaw.

Hermit crabs scuttle along the sand. We sit and watch them for a while and soak up the magnificent view before heading back to our hotel.

We now change rooms and are delighted to find that our deluxe room is a huge improvement. We have a balcony with chairs. It is yards from the beach with a lovely view and breeze. We even have bedside tables. Hoorah!! Still no glasses though….. We skip lunch and drink beer and eat nachos on our terrace. We then swim in the sea and laze on loungers until it is sundowner time. We head down the beach in the opposite direction to this morning. We find a bar with a great view where we sit and drink our pina coladas.

We find a little restaurant tucked away behind the beach where we have a really excellent meal. There are specialist coffees here and the affogato to finish was delicious.