The Howler Monkeys in the trees around the hotel get up early and make a lot of noise. Unlike back home, where I can’t fall back asleep because to-do lists run through my mind – I couldn’t get back to sleep because I was afraid of missing the monkeys. I took the Netbook, camera and my book out to the terrace at 5:30 a.m. Kevin snoozed and I never saw a monkey.
View from our balcony at dawn:
The Hotel Parador breakfast is amazing. Traditional items like beans & rice and plaintains, plus things like breakfast burritos, taquitos, burritos and empanadas. After filling up, we took the shuttle to Manuel Antonio, near the entrance of Manuel Antonio National Park. It’s a very small touristy-beach town and the entrance to the park is hidden well: up an alley past souvenir vendors, through a little neighborhood to the gate. Outside, guides with telescopes offer their services for about $20/person. We passed, figuring when we saw a crowd of people with a guide staring at the bushes along the paths, we’d know to stop and look, too. Plus, we were eager to go at our own pace.
Main Beach at Manuel Antonio National Park:
Sloth:
It was early, but already very warm and humid. Many tourists were on the main trail into the park. Along the way, we saw a sloth in a tree. They move slow and their fur gets filled with algae and parasites and bugs. They’re pretty interesting looking. The path lead to the main beach, where guides were promising their customers monkeys soon. The beach was beautiful, but pretty crowded, and we knew there was at least one more we could go to that would be more secluded. One of the guides was kind enough to direct us to a small path (there are no maps available of the park) and we had the small, brush-covered and slippery rainforest trail mostly to ourselves.
After about 15 minutes of walking we came out to a cove – the kind you see on postcards or Gilligan’s Island. Green water breaking on lava rocks, and the jungle right up to the sand. Crabs were everywhere. The surf wasn’t big, but strong. Kevin swam out a bit before I worry mothered him closer to shore. There are no lifeguards and only a few other beachgoers, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to rescue him.
We sat there for a while then headed back to the main beach. Soft sand and inviting water kept us there for several hours. I snoozed for a bit while Kevin explored a trail, and found white-faced monkeys to photograph.
We headed out of the park, saw some deer on the way, and grabbed a quick bite at “Chicken on the Run” before taking the bus back to the hotel.
We relaxed in the room and did some much-needed laundry. We were pulled away from our rest by the howler monkeys, who finally showed themselves, and an amazing sunset.
That night, we took a taxi to the main road, about 3 kilometers and $6 in fare, to El Avion – a restaurant with a fighter plane parked right in the middle, as if it landed on the hillside. We had drinks and Mexican food and a lovely evening. We walked the main road a bit, but it’s dangerous with the crazy drivers, blind turns and no sidewalks or lights. A cab grabbed us and brought us back to the hotel.
We ran into Matt and Jenna, who we had met ziplining in Arenal, and had drinks with them before turning in. They live in Memphis now, but are from New York. He is in the Navy and gets moved around a bit.
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