Casa Orquídeas, Golfo Dulce & Rio Esquinas
Arriving in Costa Rican waters, we were greeted with a beautiful sunrise after some refreshing rain and friendly customs officers! We then headed a short distance to a remarkable spot called Casa Orquideas, only accessible by waterway, owned by a delightful expatriate American couple, Ron and Trudy McAllister. Well maintained trails make this place very guest friendly, and all the gorgeous blooms and array of birds put smiles on faces, and camera shutters busy. Naturalists led guided walks through the various gardens of edible plants, spices, vegetables and the ornamentals, while numerous macaws were easily heard and seen overhead. Because of the size of the grounds, it is easy to wander off and take time to enjoy the beauty and sereneness alone, and perhaps see something that would not catch your eye with a group. This happened to a small group of us while meandering; we spotted a family of toucans on the edge of the grounds for grand viewing. Trudy and Ron are always generous with their time, answering questions of their adventure from arriving here in the 70’s and the evolution of their place from a small hut with candles, to a solar powered home, with a satellite dish and internet! And of course all the clearing and hours of labor it took to transform this thick tropical jungle into lovely the botanical garden that we experienced today.
Cruising on calm waters a few miles north landed us at Golfo Dulce, and the lee side of the Osa Peninsula near the Rio Esquinas. Kayakers and Zodiac tours explored this dense mangrove thicket and riverine forest along the river’s banks. The quiet sereneness of it all was a reward in itself to the kayakers, but also stirred up some good bird sightings, especially the white ibis and boat-billed heron. Zodiac cruisers also were rewarded with the same, plus the yellow-billed cotinga and a Northern tree boa. Mangroves or “manglar” provide important habitat for many kinds of insects, arthropods and nesting birds, as well as shelter and food for many fish and invertebrates. They are an essential component to the coastal ecology, and how fortunate we were to see them up close, the red, black and tea mangroves. A refreshing swim rounded off our adventure in the coastal waters of Costal Rica, as we made our way north for more fun and expedition.
