More from Costa Rica

After leaving Bahia Ballena we took the long trip (just over an hour) over to Isla Tortugas. It's a touristy place but we stayed on the boat out in the anchorage. We snorkeled in the afternoon and enjoyed a lazy dinner. There was another sailboat there who was in trouble. He had blown out his jib and was having motor problems. He had 6 paid customers on board and it was going to cost him $500 to get them back to port on other vessels...well Alan came to the rescue and had the oil he needed to get him up and running, boy did he appreciate Alan!




Plan was to snorkel the next morning but Al's ear was draining and bothering him so, as cruisers often due we altered the plan and we headed out for Bahia Herradura on the other side.

First stop was the Los Suenos marina for fuel. It was a very upscale place but they were very friendly and helpful.

It had been awhile since Effie has been tied up at a dock..............

Mac coming back to the boat after her shopping spree at Jimmy T's....they had real deli pastrami and pesto pasta salad....boy did we eat good that night.

The marina had beer and soda by the case (hard to find) so we stocked up, they also had ice but it was a huge bag. Of course we got one....I like ice in my drinks and for the next couple of days I had more ice than drink most of the time. We went out to the anchorage and spent the night before heading off to Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio the next day.

The plan changed, somewhat, once we got out we decided the swell was to high so we headed for Punta Quepos to spend the night before heading to the park the next morning (only 1 mile away from park). We were glad we did. It was a beautiful little bay. We had a nice swim and enjoyed the evening in a less swelly anchorage. Early the next morning we were off to Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio.

We were anchored in the park's bay just after 7:00 a.m. and boy were we glad we decided not to spend the night. The swell was huge........we got Effie settled and headed for the park.

If you look closely below in the picture you will see a sloth. They were hard to see and we were glad we had a guide to help us through the park.

The bamboo was huge in the park.

The raccoons, not sure of their official name in Costa Rica, had the tourist figured out. As soon as we were at the rest stop and picnic tables by the beach they were there looking for a handout or leftovers.
"The Fish Trap"...long ago they built fish traps by building up the rocks, as seen below, so when the high tide came in so did the fish. When the tide went down the fish were trapped in the cove and it made it easier to catch them.

There was the huge, and I mean huge, beehive in the park. This is a picture taken through the lense of a telescope....wow was it beautiful, you have to love Mother Nature.

Back at the beach.....although the picture doesn't do the swell justice, believe me there was a huge swell. After our group took pictures of us with Effie in the background we went and had lunch. Once lunch was over we had to face the swell. We had rowed in so Alan was all tucked away in the dinghy as I pushed him out.....well he made it fine but somehow I didn't make it in the dinghy....Oh well, I swam out to the dinghy, he pulled me in and off to Effie we went. It was an eventful day..... but fun and an adventure ..... the reason we are out here!

We left Manuel Antonio park in the afternoon and did an overnighter to Golfito. We're here at Land & Sea on a mooring ball right next to the little houseboat you see in the picture. It's great here....Tim and Katie are great and they have a wonderful setup here for cruisers. We're planning on staying here through Christmas. Sometime before Christmas we're planning a land trip. Probably up to see the Arenal Volcano and the rain forest area around Monteverde and La Fortuna. Right now just glad to be in a flat anchorage (we've had enough of swelly, rolly ones for awhile).