Manuel Antonio Park
It is another bright, sunny day in Costa Rica and we’re out fairly early to beat the crowds at the park. We make a quick stop at the ticket booth ($16 for foreigners) and then work on finding a guide. We have read a few warnings about untrained people wearing official looking gear that will walk you through the park but don’t really know much, so we’re trying to be choose carefully. Eventually we come across a group whose name we recognize from our guide book. They have a tour starting with an English guide for $20 each. Normally, we’d opt for something private so that we can move at our own pace, but there is only one other couple signed up so far, which we figure is pretty manageable.
When we first started traveling, we often considered hiring a guide to be a waste of money. After all, the guide books told us pretty much the same stuff. It doesn’t take long to appreciate their value here though. Where all we see is acres and acres of green jungle, Fabian is pointing out bats, land crabs, lizards and spiders that are just a few feet away, but invisible to mere tourists like ourselves. He is also armed with a telescope that gives a much closer view of the wildlife.
As we wander along the trail, there is a sudden rush of excitement. One of the guides has spotted a sloth, high in the trees, looking (slowly, of course) for a place to sleep. It is one of the major things to see at this park and they are not always visible so we take that as a win.
Continuing on we also spot an agouti, which is basically the killer squirrel from your nightmares. Topping out at 18 pounds (yes, the size of 6 month old child, although I didn’t have one handy for context), these giant rodents will bark like a dog when threatened and can haunt your dreams for up to 20 years. They’re harmless really, but still, if an 18 pound squirrel doesn’t blow your mind, not much will.
Of course no tour through the jungle would be complete without monkeys, and here they don’t disappoint. There have been people coming to the park with food long enough that they know all of the best places to hang out now and are happy to pose for photos while their buddies sneak in behind you and pick through your bags.
The tour ends at the beach, where Fabian leaves us to relax for the day. The water is warm and if you’re willing to walk a bit, the crowds quickly thin out.
We spend a few hours just relaxing, reading, and watching the coati (Costa Rican raccoons) try and steal things from unsuspecting beachgoers. They’re tenacious little buggers, and it quickly becomes clear who has been down this road before, as the savvy visitors have all hung their things in trees while the newbs just leave them on the ground.
For dinner we head into Quepos, which is the main town nearby. It is a change of pace, I managed to lose my sunglasses to the waves and need some replacements before our tour tomorrow. Sadly, there isn’t a whole lot there (or we just don’t know where to look), and after wandering around looking for inspiration, we end up in a bar overlooking the street eating a pretty mediocre meal. We passed a ton of restaurants on the way from Manuel Antonio so it is a bit of a let down in that regard, but I guess now we know.