Tiff: Corcovado Costa Rica
"Well, finally I found a bit of public transportation
that I hate. Its the collectivo pick up truck from
Puerto Jimenez to Corcovado Park. 25 gut splitting
wrenching miles on the worst dirt road in the world at
break neck speed. We had to pull ourselves up by the
roll bar over the truck bed where we were sitting to
keep from being beat to death and just kind of hang by
our arms for 3 hours. Our driver was a bad attitude
guy. He stopped at a friends while we all sat there
and he had lunch and a beer. He had been out the
night before and just couldn´t stop the party--but he
sure is some driver. I don´t think any mud bogger
could take him. Of course the truck was full of
workers and they had gasoline, propane, and sharp
tools which wasn´t enough. Everyone had to have a
smoke EEEEKKKKK!!!. Anyway it was the truck ride from
hell but wait it gets worse, but more on that in a
minute.
We stayed at the entrance to the park in a sort of
cabin tent thing with no electricity as there is none
for 20 something miles. The owner was a great guy
though and so we had a nice evening in the dark
lathering on mosquito repelent.
The next day we entered the park after walking 3 miles
down the beach. It is the most unspoiled and
untouristed part of Costa Rica (it is next to
impossible to get there). For one thing you have to
cross a fairly serious river at almost high tide so
that you can conme back at lower tide (the river you
ford is still about three miles from the park entrance
and its all along a wild and raging coastline. Brad
got ready to cross but I got scared as the river ran
you right into an impossible boil of river and
pounding waves. I kept shouting I didn´t want to
cross but he didn´t hear me and kept going. Meanwhile
a huge wave came up the river and knocked me down and
I got my passport wet. Brad stood up to the surf but
I don´t know how. I crossed finally as Brad was on
the other side but I wanted to cross back and give up
the park trek. We crossed back with a little less
flurry as we picked when to run for it. Once we
crossed back, a guide for someone else showed up and
explained that in 4 hours the tide would be down so we
crossed back again and journyed on knowing we could
get back out. Most trekkers through that park have
guides--well we saved a few bucks there. That whole
area is supremely beautiful and wild and rugged.
Picture pitch black sand, raging surf, primary rain
forest,flowers, mountains, coconut, mango, and banana
trees--now add monkeys, butterflys, parrots, and much
more all to yourself--well you get the picture.
The truck ride back crossed 30 rivers without bridges.
We only crossed 5 on the way there. IT RAINED THE
GRANDADDY OF ALL RAINS. The water came up over the
wheel wells of the truck and swimming it would have
been a bit tricky as the current was whipping but I
was glad to be in the back for a quick escape.
Anyway we got across the border and are in David
Panama. We hope to go to Bocas del Torro tomorrow to
snorkel.
Some funny dramas along the way:
A lady at one bus stop where we had to wait about an
hour took a liking to me and showed me all about
dreaming of things that represent numbers to win the
lottery.
I started a big fight between rivel guides in Isla
Omtepe because one gude told me not to take a picture
while I was with the other guide. The whole town got
in on that one.
Our guy that arranged our cabin in Corcovado told us
he owned almost everything in Puerto Jimenez and had
been a proffessor at Harvard, an oilman in Oklahoma,
and a priest. Actually he turned out to be pretty
much the town drunk (sad as he was really so lonely
for anyone to talk to).
Hope we see lots of fish at Bocas del Toro."
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