Rain!

It's raining here in Panama City, more than cats and dogs, more than pigs and chickens, more like elephants and camels! The noise of the rain on the tin roofs is deafening. We are waiting for it to abate before continuing our taxi trip for check in.

No hope to stay dry in this place!

We arrived in Panama City yesterday and are anchored at Las Brises along with SV Three Sheets. Today we hired Alexis the taxi driver to schlep us around to do our check in. The first stop was the port captain, who is located at the Flamingo Marina, just down the street.  We had to purchase a one year cruising permit for $193 (US dollars), plus a fee of $20 for the boat.  There is no option for a shorter term permit even though we plan to leave in about two weeks. Ouch.

Next stop was immigration located at a place called Diablo. We filled out some forms, one with information about the boat and one form for each of us with passport and nationality information. After completing these forms we were told to go to the immigration office at Balboa Yacht Club. As we stepped out of the building we saw the rain as in the photo above. Wet! We waited a bit for it to subside and then Alexis drove us to the yacht club. We found the immigration office was the size of a closet surrounded by tires for use when transmitting the canal, oil drums, trash, cats, etc. we knocked heavily on the door, waking the poor fellow so he could look at our paperwork, stamp our passports and some of the documentation from the previous office. We walked down to the yacht club office where they made copies for us, then dropped off a set of copies with this office,  found Alexis and then back to the other office. Here we sat and waited until it was our turn, and paid  $100 each for our visas plus $20 fee  for who knows what and we were finally checked into Panama, $400 plus dollars poorer and it took from 9 am to 3 pm to get this done.

Alexis dropped us off at the Rey's super mercado and we paid him $60 for schlepping us around. We had a late, late lunch and did a little shopping before catching a taxi back to the dingy dock. The dingy needed to be bailed out from the rain but we made it back to Windarra.

Tomorrow is Saturday so we plan to do a little exploring. Hopefully it will not rain as much.

Damp in Panama.

Isla Taboga

8 47.659 N, 79 33.025 W, Isla Taboga

We left Ensenada Naranjo early in the morning after a not so peaceful night's sleep rocking and rolling as the boat was contrary to the swells. We had originally planned to have a leisurely morning but we were so disgusted with the anchorage we decided to leave right away, so by 8 am we were on our way. It was a long slog of 152 miles down the coast, around Punta Mala and across the Panama Gulf to Isla Taboga, near the entrance to the Panama Canal. We were able to use the yankee for some of the trip but not a lot unfortunately, not enough wind or on our noses. We did have some dolphins join us and we saw plenty to lightening but none immediately near us. The thunder was loud and the rain came down hard.

When we left Naranjo we had 2-3 AIS targets. Rounding Punta Mala we saw 8-10 AIS targets. As we got closer to the entrance to the canal, the number of AIS targets climbed to 250! This is a busy place.

Isla Taboga is a populated island with a ferry into Panama City. Our original plan was to stay here and take the ferry into the big city. It seems that there is no dingy dock and that we must prevail on someone named Luis for a panga ride in and out. Unfortunately Luis is not answering our radio call. So we think we might move and anchor closer to the city.

Cheers

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Bahia Honda and Ensenada Naranjo

7 04.974 N, 81 30.747 W, Bahia Honda

We left the lifestyles of the rich and famous for the lifestyles of the poor and forgotten. Bahia Honda is not the home of a fancy resort but the home of some very poor families, getting by with fishing and farming to sustain themselves. The 'town' had only two lights on after dark. Shortly after we anchored three young boys paddles over in dugout canoes. With our limited Spanish and no English on their part, conversation was a little but they seemed to enjoy the can of ginger ale that I gave each of them. Later a fisherman came by and Rich traded some fish hooks for some limes. Ishmael, who spoke some English, motored by with a boat load of kids. We traded batteries and boxed milk for two avocados and a pineapple that he grew on his farm.

That evening we had Reg and Phoebe over for dinner. Rich rowed over to their boat in our dingy to pick them up. After dinner he rowed them back just as the lightening and thunder had started and the rain followed shortly thereafter.

7 16.350 N, 80 55.620 W, Ensenada Naranjo

This morning we were up early for the 50 miles journey to Ensenada Naranjo and the anchor was up by 7 am. As we left Bahia Honda, we got a call on the VHF from another boat in the bay, Derek and Avril, on the sailboat North Crossing, asking where we were headed. They too are headed south but we did not see them today so maybe they decided to stay put another day. We have seen very few sailboats this whole trip since we left Mexico.

Unfortunately this morning after we left, I did not feel well. Something disagreed with my stomach so I was out of commission for a while. It is no fun being sick during passage, but it was not seasickness and I am feeling better now.

Our passage included heavy rain, thunder, some lightening but also some wind and we used the yankee for the second half of the trip. The anchorage is small and the beach is black sand. Some of the trees on the hillside have been cut down to make pasture land for cows. They seem to be the only inhabitants in the immediate area.

We are thinking of leaving tomorrow and doing an overnight passage straight through to Isla Taboga. It is about 150 miles. The alternative is stopping at Bahia Benao, 50 miles from Ensenada Naranjo and anchoring in a rolly anchorage for the night. The other advantage of the overnight passage is that we can catch a ferry from Isla Taboga to Panama City. So, if you do not hear from us tomorrow night, it is because either we are on passage or I am too lazy to do a blog entry. Either way I will try to write the following night.

Cheers

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Islas Las Secas

7 59.614 N, 82 01.908 W, Islas Las Secas

This morning was leisurely as it is only 20 miles from Isla Gamez to Islas Las Secas. Rich transferred some fuel from our jerry jugs to the forward tank, I put in waypoints from here to Panama City. The ride was fairly uneventful. There was some rain but more of a Seattle sprinkle than a downpour.

We are anchored off of a resort that offers fancy tent like accommodations for a mere $300 a night. To go along with the lifestyles of the rich and famous, is the sailing yacht Hemisphere that is also in the anchorage. It is a 140 ft catamaran. A beautiful boat but definitely an upscale cruiser as it does not have stuff hanging on it like BBQs, solar panels, wind generator, etc.

SV Hemisphere and its 44 foot tender

The water here is the clearest we have see in central America. Even in the overcast lighting we can see the bottom in 6 meters depth. Perhaps we will do some more exploring tomorrow.

All is well,
Cheers

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Isla Gamez

8 07.754 N, 82 19.074 W

Yesterday we motored to Isla Gamez, a small island off of Isla Parida. Islad Gamez is like a saddle with rock outcroppings on either end and a small sandy beach in the middle. When the tide is high, waves break across the island on this beach. We are relatively alone, except for a few local fishing boats.

Last night, Reg and Phoebe had us over for dinner. I made browning for our contribution for dinner. Unfortunately the first batch were too hard, so I made another batch. These were a little too soft but as I did not have any more packets, we had to settle for too soft. We bemoaned the rolly anchorage at Punta Balsa and hoped that this anchorage would remain calm during the night so we all could sleep better.

During the night we could see lightening and hear the thunder but luckily it did not seem close by. This morning we see rain clouds in the direction we plan to go today. We are bound for Islas Los Secas, which are known for clear water for snorkeling and diving. Of course, this is when there is not a lot of rain and calm waters. So I am not holding my breath.

All is well.

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Goodbye Costa Rica, Hello Panama

8 4.578 N, 82 50.945 W, Punta Balsa, Panama

We left Golfito at 6:00 am this morning. The skies were overcast, no breeze and the seas were flat as a lake as we motored out of Golfo Dulce. When we rounded the south end of the gulf, the winds picked up and we unfurled the yankee which helped us on our way. We passed the sailboat, Nuage, heading northbound, a sailboat originally from Vancouver, BC, heading back after spending 4 years in Ecuador and traveling in South America. They were surprised when Rich radioed them by name, as they had recently installed their AIS and had not been called by name before by a boat unknown to them.

Now we are anchored at Punta Balsa, Panama, our first stop in the country. Right now the anchorage is very rolly as the current moves us crosswise to the swells. Hopefully it will turn us around soon or it will be tough to get some sleep tonight.

Tomorrow we will head for Isla Gamez and Isla Parida as we explore this country.

Hola Panama

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Has the rain stopped yet?

Rich having an Imperial beer while waiting for the rain to stop.

Another wet day

This is the view of Windarra in the rain with the sunshade on from the deck of Land & Sea in Golfito

Goodbye Golfito

Today we went to get our international Zarpe for leaving Costa Rica. Reg, Phoebe, Rich and I piled into a taxi to take us to the National Bank. There is a security entrance where you press a button, step into a space the size of a closet, it does some sort of scan and then the opposite door opens and lets y into the bank. It would not let me in with my cellphone so I gave it to Rich to hold outside the bank. Phoebe and I took numbers and waited our turn. When our numbers came up we found out we were in the wrong line and were sent to another desk to wait. The woman at the desk called us over and we explained what we wanted. She took our boat information and went off to type up a form in triplicate with carbon paper. With this form she sent us over to take another number and pay the cashier. Oops, there was a typo. So she had to retype the form and we went to pay. For us it was 10,060 colones or $20.04 US dollars.

We walked to immigration. The gentleman here spoken great English and processed our paperwork, stamped our passports with an exit stamp and explained which paperwork we should give to customs and which to the port captain.

Another taxi ride to customs or Aduana in Spanish. Here we gave them the paperwork and they completed some more paperwork. We met a couple from a powerboat named Wet Bar, who were checking in from Panama, doing the international check in dance.

Yet another taxi ride to the port captain. We gave him our paperwork and now we have a Zarpe which we will provide to officials when we check into Panama. Outside the office was an old narrow gauge train engine, coal car and a box car. It must have been a relic of the banana days.

Yet another taxi and a stop at the grocery store. It had started to rain so we grabbed the last taxi ride back to Land & Sea where Windarra is moored. After a cold drink and the rain had abated, well just a little we went back to the boat, stowed the dingy for passage on the davits, took down the sunshade (read rain tarp) and settled in.

Tomorrow morning we will be up early to catch the tide out of Golfito and on to Panama.

Adios Costa Rica

Sent from SV Windarra iPad

Thunder and Lightening and rain, oh my!

8 37.263 N, 83 09.175 W, Golfito

Right now we are sitting in the cockpit, under our sunshade, on a mooring in Golfito harbor. The rain is pouring down, thunder and lightening surround us, as we sip our happy hour drinks. The rain is so thick we can not longer see the harbor entrance or where we were walking in town, checking out the shops. Rich counted 6-8 seconds between lightening and subsequent thunder. Wait, this last one was only 1 SECOND! That was too damn close! The sunshade is filling with water so I go out and try to empty the pockets of water. The dingy is hanging from one of the spinnaker halyards off the side of the boat and it is collecting water as well.

----- this blog entry was temporarily interrupted ----

I had to stop the blog entry to put some of the electronics including the iPad into the anti-static bag and the microwave until the storm passed, and until after dinner and, well, two episodes of Boston Legal. The storm has passed, the rain has stopped.

But now it is time for bed, so, I will end this entry.

Good night

Sent from SV Windarra iPad

Puerto Jimenez

8 32.616 N, 83 18.106 W, Puerto Jimenez

Yesterday was even a longer motor than the day before. It started out promising winds of 10 to 15 knots but quickly died as soon as we got to the next way point, a short 4 miles away and headed south. Then the rains started and the thunder with some lightening thrown in to make it exciting. I grabbed some of our lose electronics like iphones, hand held GPS and VHF, ipad, and camera, put them in an anti-static bag and then into the microwave so in case we got struck by lightening a few items might still work. The rain became torrential. We had the radar on, watching the storm cell slowly recede behind us.

Our autopilot is still prone to porpoising. This is when it will not settle on the desired course and overshoots so we move in a sine wave fashion instead of a straight line. It gets annoying after a while and we have been struggling to figure out why it operates this way sometimes and not others in a seemingly random fashion. We have been trying little tricks like adding way points to the course that are less than 7 nautical miles distant thinking that this distance has an effect on the calculations but that is not a hard answer yet. We hope to get in touch with SimRad to see what they say.

We arrived at Puerto Jimenez and set the anchor. The rains come and go so we are not able to open the boat fully to cool off from all of the motoring. The fans are going full blast to compensate.

Today we plan to go to Golfito for a few days. We need to do a few boat chores, provision and get our international exit zarpe before heading to Panama.

Cheers

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Bahia Drake

8 41.808 N, 83 40.116 W, Bahia Drake

Today there was not enough wind to sail in (< 5 knots most of the time) so we motored from Punta Quepos. We left at 7 am and arrived at 3 pm. There were 3-4 foot swells from the southwest on the forward starboard quarter so we rocked and rolled listening to the engine drone on and on. We did see some spotted porpoises and turtles, some with a bird hitching a ride to break up the monotony. There were some logs and branches in the water which we were careful to watch for.

Of course, 15 minutes before we anchor, it starts to rain. Not just a sprinkle but a downpour. So the boat it hot inside from the engine running all day and we have to close it all up for the rain. Rich and I are sitting in the driest spots in the cockpit where it is cooler, enjoying our evening drink and watching the sunset.

Punta Quepos

9 24.302 N, 84 10.114 W Punta Quepos

We left Punta Leona and stopped for fuel at Bahia Herradura and decided to stay and spend the night. It rained so we took advantage and got a free shower in the rain. Yesterday was a long, long motor to Punta Quepos. We had Reg and Phoebe over for night amid the rain, thunder and lightening. It was quite a display.

Today we are bound for Bahia Drake, named for Sir Francis Drake.

All is well,

Sent from Elaine's iPhone

Punta Leona

Sunday we caught the afternoon rising tide and threaded our way out the channel from the yacht club and Puntarenas and over to Isla San Lucas for the night.

This morning we headed south again stopping at Punta Leona. The anchorage is quiet with just us, Three Sheets and the Costa Rican Coast Guard. Last night they were escorting a cruise ship out of Puntarenas.

Phoebe has invited us over for dinner.

Tomorrow we head for Quepos as we harbor hop our way south to Golfito.

Cheers

Sent from Elaine's iPhone

Back at the Costa Rica Yacht Club in Puntarenas

9 58.948 N, 84 47.603 W Puntarenas

 

On Friday we did some provisioning since we still had the rental car until Saturday morning in preparation for departure. We had emptied the freezer and refrigerator and turned them off before we left for the road trip and it was time to fill them back up. We found a great bakery next to the Mega Stop which sold coconut macaroons and cinnamon rolls. In the evening we went out for dinner.

 

Saturday we needed to check out with the port captain to get our national zarpe for Golfito. Easier said than done. Idalie, who manages the yacht club told us where the port captain was on Elaine's iphone. Rich drove, I rode shotgun and Reg was in the back. We arrive at the address. No port captain, no sign that this is where we shoud find the port captain. Hmmm? We drove around the adjacent blocks, asked someone on the street. No joy. We went over to where the cruise ships dock. There was a large painted sign that said Capitan de Puerto in front of a building next the dock. We asked a security guard where was the port captain and he directed us to the ferry dock. Hmmm? So back in the car and off to the ferry dock. A gentleman directing traffic asked us in English, where are you going? We replied we want to see the port captain. He told us to park our car and to go see his frined, Marvin, who speaks English. Marvin, who owns the restaurant across from where we parked, spent some time in Trenton, New Jersey and speaks excellent English. It turns out that his friend who was the port captain 10 years ago was visiting. Between the two of them, they tried to contact the current port captain but just got an answering machine. But, Marvin agreed to get in the car with us and help us find the port captain. So off we go in the car again right back to the building next to the cruise ship dock. Upstairs was the port captain's office but it was closed. It turns out that the office that Idalie had directed us to was destroyed in the earthquake in 2011 so this was the new location. Some mysteries are solved but still no port captain. We drove Marvin back to his restaurant and he made a few more phone calls. The response was that port captain does not work on weekends, so we will have to wait until Monday.

 

We drop off the rental car but they can not drive us back to the yacht club so we take a cab. When we arrive back at the yacht club, Idalie had managed to get ahold of the port captain. He was visiting his mother in the next town but agreed to meet us at the yacht club in the afternoon and provide us with a national zarpe for a fee. Yes!

 

So we hung out at the restaurant at the yacht club, having lunch, surfing the web, waiting for the port captain and our laundry. Phoebe was having problems with her mac computer and had to backup and restore but now it seems to be good to go. The port captain arrived, we did our paperwork and he graciously declined to accept the fee. Thank you Idalie and the port captain.

 

By this time, we had missed the high tide so we decided to stay another night instead of leaving a day early. No problemo.

 

Our laundry arrived and we got a panga ride back to the boat, just before the rain started in earnest.

 

This morning, Sunday, we will prepare Windarra for transit, taking down the sunshades, the sunscreens and the sailcover after they dry in the morning sun. High tide is this afternoon, so shortly before we will leave, weaving our way back out the 4 miles to the entrance.

 

We have enjoyed our time here but it is time to go.

Toucan Rescue Ranch day 2

10 01.566 N, 84 02.201 W, Toucan Rescue Ranch

This morning Leslie and Jorge of the Toucan Rescue Ranch gave us a tour of their facility. Most of the birds and animals need to be rescued due to the black market or deforestation or accidents. In Costa Rica it is illegal to have a Costa Rican wild animal or bird and recently the law is being more aggressively enforced. The officials conduct raids and road blocks inspecting vehicles looking for illegal animals. In one case, they found a baby sloth in the trunk of a car whose legs were damaged as it was taken from its mother. People who want to get into the drug trade will steal toucan chicks, raise them in small baskets and sell them on the black market to get enough money to buy drugs. Nests of toucans were recovered when a large tree was cut down without being properly inspected to see if there were nesting birds in the tree. Luckily the loggers saw the nests when they were cutting up the tree and took them to the authorities who brought them to the rescue ranch. In one case a toucanet was hit by a truck and the trucker dropped off the bird. Now the bird is recovering from its injured wing and they are hoping it may be released to the wild.

Leslie told us story after story, some with before and after pictures of the animals that she and Jorge have nursed back to health. Some injuries mean that the animal may be released into the wild if at all possible. For others the injuries or situation is such that they will stay indefinitely at the ranch. The toucanet is a potential success story. The baby sloth will recover from its injuries but may never be released as it does not have a mother to teach it life skills and it can not survive on its own in the wild.

Leslie feeding a baby sloth

We were able to see toucans pairs that Leslie is hoping will mate and produce offspring for later release. Other critters include two and three toed sloths, stinky porcupines, a spider monkey,  a wild cat, several varieties of owls, hawks, scarlet macaws, love birds, and parrots

 

Rescued Toucan

 

 

Ralph, the whistling duck, who followed us on the tour

Our visit was certainly enlightening. We appreciate the places that are helping to preserve the rain forest and habitats of these beautiful creatures. It also makes the cases where we were able to see the animals in the wild much more special.

If you would like to learn more about the Toucan Rescue Ranch, please go to their website, http://www.toucanrescueranch.com/

After our tour we drove back to Puntarenas and Windarra and the heat. It is definitely hotter here on the coast. We hope to be on our way soon.

Sent from SV Windarra iPad

Toucan Rescue Ranch

10 01.566 N, 84 02.201 W, Toucan Rescue Ranch

Today was a busy day. After breakfast at the Poas Lodge we drove up to the entrance of the Poas Volcano National Park. We hiked up to the caldera which is at 8350 feet above sea level. There was a fumarole in the crator and a lake of rainwater from which there was steam coming off. The volcano is active but not erupting which was good for us. From this viewpoint we could see part of the city of San Jose. If it had been a clear day we would have seen the Caribbean. From this caldera, Reg, Phoebe and I hiked up to the lagoon, another lake in another caldera of the same volcano. At this point we were up to 8800 feet above sea level. As we drove down we stopped and bought some fresh strawberries. They are red and sweet.

Crator of Poas Volcano





Our next stop was the La Paz Waterfalls. This park has not only waterfalls but an aviary, hummingbird enclosure, butterfly house, snake house (I didn't stay here long), frog house and wild cat enclosures.. All of the critters at the Waterfalls are rescued and not captured from the wild. At the aviary there was a special enclosures of toucans. There were all types f toucans including the toucanet. Most are relatively tame and would sit on your arm. It was fun seeing them so up close and I tried to take a lot of pictures, hoping some will come out. The butterfly house was filled with colorful butterflies, especially blue ones. We did see a bright blue and black poison dart frog plus a few tree frogs. The waterfalls were refreshing to see. Even though the rainy season is just starting there was plenty of water tumbling down. It was a bit of a hike down to the waterfalls but we were assured that there would be shuttles at the end of the trail to take us back to the entrance to the park. It was true but no one told us that the last part of the hike would be up a long series of stairs before you reached the shuttle area.

 Rich eyeing the toucan

Elaine sees a toucan close up

Scarlet Macaw spreads his wings

Tiny poison dart frog

 

Elaine and Phoebe by the waterfall

 

After the waterfalls we had a drive over hill and dale to reach the Toucan Rescue Ranch where we are staying at the guesthouse. I was glad that Google maps was working because we would never have made it without it. There was a few times when we had to backup to get back on the right road and Google maps was premature at indicating the entrance to the ranch but we made it. The Toucan Rescue Ranch is a 10 year old facility for rescuing not only toucans but other birds and animals that have either been injured, orphaned or can not be released into the wild. We will learn more about this tomorrow when we have our tour.

More to come.

Sent from SV Windarra iPad
 

Sarchi, Poas Lodge

10 09.3 N, 84 13.5 W, Poas Lodge and Restaurant

 

We packed and then bid farewell to the Villa Blanca and headed for Sarchi. Sarchi is know for the colorful wooden ox carts that are a symbol of Costa Rica. They were built and used to carry coffee beans for export. They are brightly painted with designs that look similar to the Pennsylvania Dutch artwork on barns. Sarchi is also known for wooden furniture and shops which sell souvenirs, cheaper than San Jose. So we stopped for a little shopping.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

World's largest ox cart at Sarchi

 

 

View from our room at the Poas Lodge

 

The road wound through small villages and farms on steep hillsides. We saw large portions of land covered by black sunshade material, underneath was growning ferns and plants for export as well as produce for local consumption including strawberries.

 

We are at the Poas Lodge at 7300 feet above sea level. From the window of our room we can look down into the valley and see the city of San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica and home of over a million souls. Tomorrow we will go to the Poas Volcano National Park, where the entrance is just up the road from where we are staying.

A toucanet

This morning after breakfast, Phoebe and I went to look for the toucanet and we were rewarded with a showing. After snapping a few photos, I have a couple that look decent. Here is one,

What do you call a small toucan?

10 12.039 N, 84 29.068 W, Villa Blanc

Sunday evening, Phoebe, Rich and I went on a nocturnal forest hike with our guide, Hernando, and a guest from Florida. We had flashlights to help spot critters and the path. Lightening bugs twinkled like stars between the forest floor and the tree canopy. I was glad the guide was in front especially after he mentioned snakes and spiders including tarantulas. My flashlight was scanning the trail and I was hoping not to see any of these things. We did see many crickets, moths and I spotted one tiny, brown tree frog, the size of a quarter. There was a Jesus plant that has red splotches on the leaves that look like blood. As we concluded our walk and went by the recycling center, there were hundreds of moths of many varieties darting in the lights.

Monday morning after breakfast we stood on the balcony off the dining room and scanned for more birds. Phoebe spotted a pair of green birds with the yellowish green bill like the toucan we had seen on Sunday morning. It was a smaller variety of the same species. It is called a toucanet. Learn something new every day.

In the late morning, Phoebe and I had a massage. There was only one masseuse on duty so we could not do it at the same time. It was an Arenal Volcanic Lava Rock Therapy. Arenal is the volcano that we visited when we flew to Costa Rica in 2007 with our friends, Dan and Madeline. Now Arenal is in a dormant phase. Anyway, the therapy is specially heated volcanic stones are carefully placed on key muscle areas, providing deep therapeutic bliss. This lava rock treatment is supposed to melt away sore muscles, providing pure relaxation that reaches deep into your muscles. The massage along with the hot rocks was great. Both Phoebe and I enjoyed it. It was a fun pampering.

Villa Blanc also has a wedding chapel on site. The property was originally owned by a president of Costa Rica and he built the chapel to celebrate the renewal of his vows with his wife of 60 years. The ceiling is covered with ceramic tiles celebrating the various Virgin Mary's. the site is beautiful and over looks the forest. There was a wedding there on Sunday so we did not get a chance to see it before.

Dinner last night was a more intimate affair, near the fireplace with a fire. There were only 6 guests here at the hotel last night, including the 4 of us.

This morning after breakfast we were able to get a few more photos of the toucanet which I will post later. We are packed and getting ready to continue our road trip which will take us through Sarchi, Grecia and on to the Poas Lodge by the entrance to the Poas Volcanic National Park.

Stay tuned

Sent from SV Windarra iPad

Fruit Loops?

This morning we were up early to meet Roy, our guide, for the 6:15 am bird watching tour. Roy is in charge of the research station they have here at the reserve. He has been bird watching for the last five years and has seen 500 of the over 800 species of birds native to Costa Rica. In addition to binoculars, a camera with a mega lens, Roy had a spotter's scope. At first we just walked around the gardens in front of the main complex and we were stopping every few feet to look at a different bird. It was amazing the different colors from dark blue to vibrant red. Roy would whistle a call and we would all listen for the response.



Roy and Reg looking up at one of the birds

Starting in the late 1970's a lot of the cloud forest area was cleared to provide grazing area for cattle. As a result, it has also changed the bird life in the area and there are more raptors in the area, including the laughing falcon and the toucan. Now I have been wanting to see a toucan for a while, especially in the wild. I did not know much about it or that it was a raptor that ate the young of other birds. It was just a character from the Fruit Loops cereal commercial with a brightly colored large beak. Well, today was my lucky day and we saw as many as 5 toucans flocking together in trees. Below are pictures of the laughing falcon and the toucan, taken with the aid of Roy's spotting scope.

Laughing Falcon

Toucan

After our bird watching we had breakfast, complete with made to order omelets, fresh fruits, rolls, etc. We were hungry after our morning hike. Of course, after breakfast it was time to return to our casita for a nap. Now I am sitting on the back deck of the casita, composing this blog entry and watching the hummingbirds visit the flowers. There is a large purple colored hummingbird that I have been trying to get a picture of but he always darts away as soon as I bring up my camera.

Here are a few pictures of Villa Blanca. You may also check out their website, www.villablanca-costarica.com

The main lodge with the front desk, gift shop, theater, game room, lounge area, bar and restaurant 

The casita where Rich and I are staying. 

Stay tuned for more of our adventures at Villa Blanca.

Sent from SV Windarra iPad

Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Reserve and Hotel

10 12.039 N, 84 29.068 W

Reg and Phoebe of SV Three Sheet plus Rich and I are on a road trip. We rented a car and headed for the Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Reserve and hotel near San Ramon. It is pat of the private Los Angeles Cloud Forest Reserve, over 2000 acres of privately held rain forest.

Rich was driving and I was navigating with Google Maps on the iPad. Unfortunately, Google Maps got it wrong so we missed our turn in Los Angeles (thank goodness it was the LA in Costa Rica). Luckily we turned around and while Rich got directions from the owner is a small tienda, I called the hotel to find out which way to go as well.

When we arrived at the hotel, they were waiting with fresh, warm, wet hand towels to wipe our hands and faces and a cocktail made with a Costa Rican liquor made from sugar cane. It was a good sign that we were staying at a special place. Each couple is staying is a separate casita, overlooking the gardens and the property.

We joined happy hour and the. Sat in the small theater to watch a movie on the flora and fauna of Costa Rica. The dinner was excellent.

Since we are up at 3500 feet above sea level it is nice and cool. It will be the first time we are wearing long pants and sleeping in a bed with blankets since we went to the Copper Canyon this past November.

Tomorrow we will be up early for a guided bird watching tour. With any luck I will get a picture or two.

Cheers

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Up the river, stuck in the mud

9 58.948 N, 84 47.603 W Puntarenas

This morning we were up early so we could arrive at Puntarenas before the flood. We followed the waypoints from the S/V Sarana cruising guide until we met up with Timo, the pilot, who led us the rest of the way to the Costa Rica Yacht Club. The waypoints were spot on by the way.

Following the pilot boat

We are tied to a floating dock that is moored fore and aft in line with the flow of the river. When we arrived Chiky was waiting at the dock to grab our lines. We had to manuever a little due to the current. The depth was 3.6 meters when we arrived. Now our depth meter shows 1.2 meters as we rest on our keel with a list to port. We will see how that works sleeping tonight as I am on the downhill side.

We hail the panga on channel 06 and they pick us up and deliver us across the river at the yacht club. Reg and Phoebe of SV Three Sheets are tied fore and aft to mooring buoys on the other side. We went in together, had breakfast at the restaurant on site and got checked in.

As they have free wifi we coordinated some of our inland trip. The plan is to depart on Saturday morning for the Los Angeles Cloud Reserve, visiting San Ramon on the way. We are booked for three nights which will give us time to check out the flora and fauna. Next we drive through Grecia and Sarchi and on to a bed and breakfast near the Poas Volcanic National Park. The next day we will check out the volcano. We are not sure where we will go next.

Watch this space for details.

Isla San Lucas

9 56.877 N 84 54.647 W, Isla San Lucas

Last night we had thunder, lightening and rain. It was the first rain we have experienced since Mexico. In fact, we think the last time we had rain on the boat was October, 2012. It was nice to have some of the dust and salt washed off the boat.

Today, Reg, Phoebe, Rich and I went onto the island to check it the prison.  According to the cruising guide,

"This island was once the site of a forbidding prison. Costa Rican dictator Tomas Guardia built this Central American version of Alcatraz in 1870. People were imprisoned here from 1873 to 1991. At the time, being sent to this prison was considered equivalent to a death sentence. The atrocities which occurred here were made famous by Jose Leon Sanchez in the book "La Isla de los hombres Solos" ("The Island of Lonely Men"). It was also made into a mediocre film, Island of Lost Souls. "

 

Administration building and church

Rich in one of the group cells

 



Phoebe and Reg as inmates

The administration building has been restored but most of the other buildings have not, like the hospital, church and the cell blocks. Some of the buildings are occupied by bats which are a little startling when they fly at you. There is a caretaker on the island who collects the tickets from the visitors from Puntarenas. He almost did not let us stay since we did not have any tickets but we explained that we were from the sailboats anchored in the bay and that we would pay for our tickets when we arrived in Puntarenas.

 

We walked around the island a bit and saw howler monkeys and red squirrels. Birds were a bit allusive. The howler monkeys put up with Phoebe and I taking pictures but when they started to pee from the trees we decided to move on. 

Tomorrow we head for Puntarenas and the Costa Rica Yacht Club. 

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Bahia Ballena, Isla Tortugas, Curu, Isla San Lucas

Bahia Ballena 4/28

Rich and Reg on the path along the beach

 

Sunday we went into Tambor, the village at Bahia Ballena. We walked to a small boutique hotel with a swimming pool, a bar and a restaurant looking out onto the bay for some cold drinks and lunch. Everything was made of beautiful woodwork. The doors were finely carved. There were wooden lawn chairs next to the beach for watching the sunset. We saw red squirrels climbing through the trees. It was a quiet restful place. It was even more quiet as it is the end of the dry season and fewer tourists. Soon the rains will start but we hope, not too soon.

Tables by the pool

 

Carved doors

On the other side of the bay, was a small enclave of building on stilts. As we walked towards it we saw howler monkeys sleeping in the trees. We even saw a small one hanging by its tail, eating leaves. We have heard them howling since we arrived in Costa Rica at all of the anchorages but this is the first time that we have seen them. 

 

Howler monkeys, a small one hanging by its tail

We saw the Bahia Ballena Yacht Club, a restaurant over the shoreline, but it was all locked up and it looked like it had been closed for a while.

Isla Tortugas 4/29

After Bahia Ballena we went to Isla Tortugas. As weleft the harbor, two men in a panga flagged us down and wanted us to tow them north. They wanted to go as far as Puntarenas but we were only going to Isla Tortugas so that was ok too. Their tow line broke twice but we got that sorted out. They had a small puppy on board as well. Later we saw them sailing north with a black plastic bag as a sail. We hope they made it.

Nantucket sleigh ride

 

Isla Tortugas, has a few restaurants on the beach, only open during the day, but a popular place for tour boats to bring tourists to go snorkeling or hang out at the beach. Reg, Phoebe and I got our snorkel gear and decided to check it out. The water was warm, 30 degrees Celsius and I did see a few wrasse but that was it.  Maybe the light was wrong or too much wind and waves but I thought the snorkeling was poor compared to what we have seen in the South Pacific.

That evening was dinner for the four of us on Windarra. Rich fixed chicken on the BBQ. Yummy.

Curu 4/30

This morning we had the anchor up at 7:00 am and we went over to Curu, a small bay opposite the island. It is the home of the Curu Wildlife Refuge, http://www.curuwildliferefuge.com/. It is a private reserve that is family owned and operated. Luis, the son of the original owner, was our tour guide. He is a wealth of information, explaining how the reserve was initially set up, what he experienced as a child living on the property and now as the operator. In addition to the reserve itself, folks may stay in one of the cabins on site and enjoy the beach, the bush and an artificial reef that was created in the bay. They also provide PADI diving.

Capuchin monkey eating a mango

Luis walked us through the forest, where we saw trees of teak, mahogany, .a form of cashew, mango, banana, and much, much more. We saw the guanacasta tree, native to Costa Rica, whose name in the indigenous peoples language means ear which is the shape of the seed pod. We saw howler monkeys, Capuchin monkeys and spider monkeys. Luis explained there are certain limes that grow on the property that the Capuchin monkeys we open and spread the juice on their fur to clean it. They care for spider monkeys that may no longer live in the wild, often because their teeth have been removed so they do not bite but of course, now they may not survive on their own. We were lucky and saw a pair of red macaws, as well as Jesus lizards (they can race across the surface of a stream), leaf cuttings ants and woodpeckers. It was a great experience and we would suggest it to others.

Hanging out

Isla San Lucas 4/30
9 56.877 N 84 54.647 W

After our tour we motored north to Isla San Lucas. It was once the site of a prison, for Costa Rican prisoners. The facility is closed now but tomorrow we will check it out.

Tonight we are anchored in calm, flat water and we are looking forward to a great night's sleep.

Good night.

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