Costa Rica Day 11 - Manuel Antonio National Park with beach

Saturday February 16

Yesterday we arrived at the Monterey Del Mar in Puntarenas
On the way to breakfast.

Just outside the front gate is a dead palm tree where a couple of the beautiful scarlet macaw live.

In the center of the photo you can just see one peeking out of the nest.

And off we are on our daily adventure. It is Saturday though and we are lucky because there is a really nice market in Quepos on the roadside. Of course we stop to look.

Besides fruit and veggy sellers there are also some local crafts people.

Nestor also tells us about the "three-day liquor" Coyol. For more info click here.

Ah, mangoes.

And then we continue to the Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio.  From the entrance we walk on a rather common and noisy walkway with lots of other people but there are still some nice things to see.

And Nestor knows a lot of things. This is a flower which had fallen down from somewhere above. I  forgot what it was called but it catches an insect in its trumpet and lets it go in the morning. Only needs it for the fertilization.




We also saw a golden-web spider but I couldn't take a picture. This info came up when I googled on it. Nestor had told me that they can make webs that are so strong that they even catch hummingbirds.





And then a swallowtail butterfly fluttered by. Nestor explains that it is laying eggs here and there so if a leaf gets eaten, not all eggs are lost. And ... here he shows us that one single egg the butterfly had just laid which we all had seen.

Finally we are at the beach ... which is so nice. And we are let loose. We can change and swim, stroll around etc etc

Above: tried one of my panorama pictures again. Doesn't really show it here though.

Oh yes, and there three racoons visited us. No, WE did not feed them.

On the way back to our bus we went a different way. We came very close to some white-faced monkeys.

... and a big lizard on this tree.

... and another lizard on the beach. You can see his head popping up at the edge of the shade of the tree.

Got to take all the photos because you never know whether you see one again. Sometimes not ... and sometimes even better.

No swimming allowed on this beautiful beach because there is sometimes a crocodile visiting from a nearby brackish water.

Ha-ha, we are all walking a little faster because Nestor promised us ice-cold coconuts (outside the park).

And there they are!

Here is a video how he gets them ready for us:
Pipa Fria
(Ha-ha, when I uploaded it you youTube it auto-corrected the title. Must have thought that I am German) 

Lunch in sight! We are driving up a mountain to Ronny's!

Appetizer: salsa and pesto. Yummy!

Special here: Sangria 

arriba
abajo
al centro
al dentro
=   Spanish toast!

It was a lovely place, but then ...
... vamanos (or as Nestor says: letsgomanos)

At the hotel, walking to our rooms, we are greeted.

James and I go for a walk on the beach at sunset.

A long-arm picture!

There is a wedding going on a little further. Here is the "local Maren" doing her thing.

A video to remind us ... aaahhh!

After dinner we sit a little on the porch in front of our room.











* * * * *
The official OAT itinerary of today:

Day 11

We spend our morning in Manuel Antonio National Park, one of the most biologically diverse areas in the world. One of the smallest—and also most popular—of Costa Rica’s national parks, this lush reserve encompasses four beaches, island bird sanctuaries, coral reefs, and a luxuriant rain forest. Manuel Antonio is also one of only two habitats in the country for the endangered Squirrel Monkey. As we walk along the nature trails here this morning, we’ll keep an eye out for these friendly primates as well as Two- and Three-toed Sloths, Capuchin Monkeys, Giant Iguanas and more.

We spend a full morning at Manuel Antonio, including plenty of time for hiking or relaxing on its beaches before lunch at a local restaurant. Later in the afternoon,we return to our hotel. Dinner tonight is on your own.