Since last night’s presentation about today’s activities, our expectations for visiting the Osa Peninsula were very high. The idea of being in one of the wildest places of Costa Rica was on our minds all night long. Finally this morning, after a wonderful breakfast on National Geographic Sea Lion, we disembarked into adventure… 

Many of us decided to enjoy this wild region on horses. As the horses went along the desolated beaches, across rivers and jungles, wildlife started to be seen, to the enjoyment of the numerous riders. The long hikers geared up with good hiking shoes, walking sticks, binoculars and cameras to venture into the deep stretches of the tropical rainforest.  Muddy trails led to the land of giant trees and hidden wildlife, but our naturalist managed to show us some animals as well as talk about this forest and unveil the mysteries of this magnificent ecosystem.  

The majority of the guests, with giant lenses and fancy cameras, strolled along the coastline looking for good subjects to make great pictures. As they were walking along the beach, a group of no less than six scarlet macaws flew by and landed in one almond tree at a good distance. The macaws began feeding on the leaves, making it difficult for the photographers, but some pictures were coming out. With time and patience, as soon as the macaws had a snack the show began! The scarlet macaws started to interact with each other flying from tree to tree, hanging up side down and doing all kinds of majestic, colorful displays. It was a symphony of clicks that resulted in wonderful pics! 

In the afternoon, we also had another exciting outing at Corcovado National Park, one of the most wild and pristine parks of Costa Rica. A group of us went on the Pargo Trail to encounter a group of spider monkeys, howler monkeys, coatis and many birds. The other option was the waterfall hike, this offered not just a walk but also a refreshing swim in a pool in the middle of the rainforest. As we got to the waterfall, a troop of capuchin monkeys was the welcome committee. We watched them interact as they moved along the river. After great pictures of the waterfall, the well-deserved swim was the perfect ending to a day in Osa Peninsula.   

The tropical rainforest is now more than just information in our brains, it’s a place in our hearts…