Hotter than the sun

Ok, so that may be hyperbole and a half but I’ve spent the last three days being too hot. Even worse, it’s been horribly muggy and close and I’ve spent a fair amount of time just attempting to cool down and stay hydrated. Perhaps this is karma catching up with me for waving Lauren farewell and continuing on alone, though more on that next time. It’s been a weird adjustment, a bit like starting over again with the sense of something (someone) missing. I’m also coming down to earth from the holiday high to mere travelling again and the differences that come with it (clue: none of them can really be described as positive). And did I mention that it’s hot?

That’s enough of emo-Chris for now though. In reality I’m in a pretty good situation. Unlike the snowy renaissance the UK is undergoing, that’s not a problem I need to deal with and I’m also still in Costa Rica, a truly beautiful country, and I’ve hopped down the Pacific coast to Quepos. There’s not a huge amount here, but there is one major draw: Manuel Antonio National Park.

This is the most-visited National Park in the country, probably due to the winning combination of location, the astonishing biodiversity and the stunning beaches located within its boundaries. As it’s also small and can get pretty crowded, I set off to be there at the 7.00 opening. There are raised walkways throughout and the experience was light and airy, much more like Tortuguero than closed off like Monteverde. Partly this is because the tree line didn’t feel as tall and enclosed, partly I’m sure this was simply the sunshine of the former rather than the perpetual cloud of the latter. There’s nothing too taxing in terms of trails, but I explored them thoroughly and the heat and humidity really sap your energy, even early in the morning.

Following the tried and tested method of careful listening and watching for movement allowed me to see a huge amount of wildlife: black and green frogs, brightly-coloured birds, agoutis, a deer, iridescent violet-indigo butterflies and one chilled out sloth having a slow scratch. There were also numerous masked raccoons and so many white-faced capuchins that you couldn’t miss them. Much of the wildlife here is very tame, which is great for spotting things, but when the monkeys and raccoons are scavenging for food in people’s belongings, it is sad that they have been conditioned to such unnatural behaviour. 

The stunning peninsulas, isthmuses and coastline of the park also gives it four cracking beaches. I spent plenty of time enjoying the sights and sounds and the following day I ventured further up the coast to a beach not located within the park. Reading, podcasting, and sheltering from the sun when it became overwhelming (most of the time, if I’m honest) was the order of the day after watching Ireland win a deserved Grand Slam on St. Patrick’s Day. I toasted this by sweating some more and enjoying an ice cold beer and an awesome sunset on the sea.

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