Manuel Antonio

Almost all the fellow travellers I spoke to prior going to Costa Rica said if there was only one thing they could see, it would be Manuel Antonio national park. this is about 2/3 of the way east down the Pacific Coast, just outside of Quepos. I arrived on Sunday afternoon with 2 American girls whom I had met at the border, Andrea and Sophie and as the hostel had only room available for 4, we shared with a German surfer called Matt, who happened to be a kickass electrical engineer who had just finished an internship at MIT. The following day, the park was closed, so I went boogie boarding for the first time, and after I understood that you have to ride the white water once the wave has broken, I managed a few good rides. However, I also managed to bruise my ribs badly when I got tumbled over the edge of the board and fell heavily on it. It pained me for about 2 weeks.

Manuel Antonio itself is how I imagine a game park in Disneyland would be. Hordes of tourists were clustered around guides on massive paths. The guide was expensive but worthwhile, as he was brilliant at spotting things long before the others (attracting a cluster of the others) and had good knowledge. There was also the added bonus of being able to take photos with our cameras through his telescope, which is how I have the images below.The park itself is small and beautiful primary forest on the edge of the coast. However it is far too touristy for me to want to return.

After the walk, it was great to relax on the beach and swim, whilst hordes of capuchin monkey and racoons attempted to rifle through unattended bags for snacks.

Melissa a mural artist and I with our guide, Miguel on the beach at the end of the tour

An ibis

A tiny tree frog, which Miguel spotted , even after showing it too us, it took a while to realise that it wasn't just some patch on the leaf

3 toed sloth (diurnal)

Another one enjoying a (very) leisurely breakfast

A 2 toed sloth (nocturnal) evidently having a bad hair day

A capuchin monkey, looking for something to steal. So called because they are dressed like capuchin monks

A boa constrictor sleeping in a tree above the path beside the beach.

A tree crab! This actually lives and feeds in trees, and eats fungus from the leaves and stalks

A "Fitou" or stick bird, that mimicks dead branches when threatened by a predator, in this case a nearby hawk. It iself is a nocturnal hunter of small animals

The idyllic beach