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The day started with a short sightseeing trip to Rio Tarcoles, where we watched a large population of crocodiles laze about in the sun. We had a great vantage point from directly above them on the highway overpass – close enough to appreciate their size and power, but safely up out of their reach. Though Costa Rica has made a huge commitment to eco-everything, this river is very polluted. The crocs, however, are amazingly resilient and have no problem surviving in the murky waters. Sadly, two of them had garbage stuck around their necks. Remember those lessons about not tossing your six-pack plastic rings away uncut? These were living examples of what can happen.

Tastes like chicken.

Big croc. (Image processed)

Croc/rock camo.

Peaceful co-existence (not). A few minutes later I looked away for a moment and the croc took a snap at the bull. Drat, bad timing!

Sadly this huge guy has gotten a plastic ring caught around his neck.

We then headed down to Camaronal beach, where we walked around the small beach community in search of Red Macaws. We finally spotted a pair (they mate for life) in a beach almond tree. It must have been some sight watching the group of American tourists standing under the tree gawking up at the birds, while local Costa Ricans on vacation were enjoying their beachside campsites all around us, unimpressed by what is a very common sight to them.

Wild macaws, reaching for a nut.

Got it!

Back at the hotel it was laze in the sun time. We nabbed some lounge chairs and hammocks, sunglasses, suntan lotion and read (or slept) our way into the afternoon.

Reading “Death by Black Hole” by Neil deGrasse Tyson on the beach. A great collection of articles by a brilliant scientist/author. This chapter is called ‘Footprints in the Sands of Science’ – appropriate, yes?

Sarah and I took a couple of classes – the first was a “coffee class”, which was not quite what we expected. Rather than learning about the history of coffee, or how to brew the perfect cup, or a tasting of different blends, roasts or varieties, the class was really about how to make coffee-based cocktails, complete with bartender and lots of samples. We had a great time!

The hotel also offered a towel folding class which we thought would be fun – we’ve enjoyed the elephants and swans that have shown up on our beds at various hotels. They’re surprisingly simple to create.

Another sunset at the end of the pier – this one a little less dramatic because of the clear skies, but nonetheless very relaxing and beautiful.

After dinner Eric and I took Kevin and Sarah back out to the end of the pier to see the phosphorescent algae, but the bloom was a fraction of what it was the night before so it was difficult to see. I went out much later and tried to get some time exposure shots, which were only moderately successful. (Pictures to come…)

Our last full day in Costa Rica, and the main agenda item is to get back to San Jose to fly out tomorrow. We had three stops along the way – the first was in a town whose name I missed, where we walked around the plaza, visited the church, and most importantly had ice cream. Kevin and I have agreed that a proper diet should include ice cream three hours after breakfast every day if possible.

Our turn in the front seat today. Much more thrilling than I thought – this bus is gigantic.

Our lunch stop was in the town of Sarchi, which is famous for their painted oxcarts and painted everything else. We watched some of the local artists painting souvenirs.

Cans of paint.

Paint pots.

Palette detail.

Artist’s drawers.

While in Sarchi we took a picture of the tour group.

And a shot of Paul (right), Marcos (left) and a friend of theirs in Sarchi.

The final stop was a tour of the Britt coffee plant, which was very entertaining. They have a small coffee plant field that you walk though with two guides who basically do a comedy routine while educating you about the plants, the beans and the process from fruit to roasted bean. The last part of the tour is in a small theater where they reenact coffee’s history in a campy and humorous play. Lots of fun, but I liked the coffee we bought in Fortuna much better.

Britt coffee plant.

San Jose traffic.

San Jose rainbow.

Dinner tonight was the group’s last time together, so it was a more formal meal at the top of the hotel we stayed at. The Holiday Inn is the second tallest building in San Jose, so the view from the 17th floor after dark was wonderful.

Crocs and Macaws

Lazy Sunday

Sarchi

Britt Coffee, and Back to San Jose