Parque Nacional Corcovado

On day five, at 6am, we met Nito, our guide for the next few days, when he arrived in 4x4 taxi from Puerto Jimenez. Together we drove for about an hour to the end of the "road" at Carate. Then we loaded our packs onto our backs and walked 4km along the coast to the park entrance, at La Leona Ranger Station, where we paid our fees and had a quick cup of coffee. Once all the formalities were done we continued hiking another 16km on to Sirena Ranger Station in the middle of Corcovado National Park.

At this point it is worth mentioning that the hike into Sirena is known to be quite arduous due to the heat, the sunshine and several beach walks which do not afford you the protection of the jungle canopy. Most people return the way they came, which allows them to carry a lightweight day pack. Since we were exiting via boat to Drake Bay, we had all of our belongings with us. We were very conscious of packing light after our hiking trip in Nepal last year, but still, each pack weighed approximately 27 lbs.

Thankfully, the day was overcast and not as brutal as it could have been. As we walked Nito identified all the species that we spotted, monkeys, birds, frogs, and even a couple of anteaters. Just before we reached the Station a funny thing happened.

After 7 hot, sweaty hours of hiking, we arrived at the Rio Claro. The distance from shore to shore was about 100 metres. "Where's the boat?" Lynda asked Nito. Nito smiled and replied, "Take off your shoes." The water was barely moving, but it was chest deep in some spots. Halfway across there was a big splash. Again Lynda questioned Nito "There aren't any crocodiles in here are there?" Nito again smiled and said "No, don't worry". The next day, while out on a walk with Nito, he showed us a croc resting in the middle of that river.

Sirena Station is the main ranger station in the park, with power, overnight dorms, washrooms and cooking facilities. It all sounded good except the BBC was there shooting an episode called "Night Creatures". Time to rough it. Nito arranged granola and pasta for meals, and we slept on the deck under a mosquito net. Not too bad actually, as Corcovado is an amazing place and it was truly Nito's world. We took walks at dawn and in the evening. Highlights included a pair of cranes that performed a dance on a river bank when a third crane showed up, an ocelot that Lynda saw disappear off the trail, and the elusive tapir that was grazing in camp when we returned from our walk. There is only one drawback to the jungle. Ticks. Lucky for us, Costa Rican ticks don't have Lyme disease. They're just invasive and itchy.

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