Costa Rica Day 4: March 27

Wednesday was our day to snorkel on the coral reef near Caño Island. This tour was shorter than the rainforest tour, so we didn’t need to be ready to go until 7:00. The previous day, Jess had briefed us on the trip. She recommended wearing a shirt in the water to prevent sunburn. She expressed doubts about even water-proof sunscreen in the water. We happened to be in Costa Rica during the spring tide—the highest high tide, which also comes with the neap tide---the lowest low tide. Because of the extreme tide levels, the water was going to be murky.

Our guide was Daniel (pronounced Danielle) or Danny, an ex-pat from Spain. Walter came along too. Danny was slim and handsome, and sported long dreadlocks. I didn’t bother taking my camera. Sorry. I was concerned about two things. First, I have trouble breathing with my face underwater. It’s a hard-wired adaptive response we all have, of course, but I hold my breath when I watch Jacques Cousteau films on TV. Secondly, I couldn't wear my glasses, and I’m really nearsighted. Neither turned out to be a problem.

Probably if a person had done a lot of snorkeling in crystal clear tropical waters before, it might have been disappointing. For a girl who grew up playing with a cheap mask and snorkel (which I never really got the hang of) in a kettle lake in Michigan, however, it was amazing and fascinating. I saw green and blue parrot fish, trigger fish, white tipped sharks, bright blue fish, yellow and blue fish, corals, and on and on. I’d never seen anything like it, even without my glasses. Actually, I saw more than I thought I would. Even though the shark was out of focus, there was no mistaking the form. The only disappointment was that we didn't see a turtle.

We snorkeled for an hour and 20 minutes. The park on Caño Island had closed because the human impact was getting to be too much for the fragile island ecosystem. We climbed in the boat and headed to a park on the mainland. On the way, dolphins played in the wake of the boat. We snorkeled again a little bit before lunch. The water near the shore was almost hot on the top layer yet cold a little farther out. The water here was murky also, and there wasn’t much to see except a mixed school of tiny blue and gold fish with vertical stripes and blue fish with horizontal stripes.

There wasn’t a table  at the picnic spot today. Our boat crew brought a folding table along for the lunch service. We sat on a log while we ate. I began to think I should have worn pants while snorkeling or at least applied sunscreen. The backs of my legs were hot and painful, especially the tops of my thighs, even though my legs had been submerged. I didn't know it was possible to get a sunburn through water. Sitting was becoming uncomfortable. The boat ride back to La Paloma was even worse.

We were back fairly early in the afternoon. Danny and Walter said it would be a perfect time to kayak up the river because the moon would be full tonight, and the river would be as high as it ever got. Diane, Tom, and I dropped our things off in the ranchero and requested kayaks in the lodge. Terry was not feeling well and stayed near the bathroom. Before we went back down to the river, I saw a scarlet-rumped tanager from the deck and felt a certain kinship. I too was scarlet-rumped.

Male scarlet-rumped tanager displaying his scarlet rump

I had never done much kayaking before. It was a hoot! I had to remember not to J-stroke, but other than that I got along pretty well. The forest along the river was beautiful. The water was clearer than the ocean had been. I saw juvenile Jesus Christ lizards on the banks, a damselfly on a plant above the water, and a big fish in the water. I got a pretty good look at a kingfisher when it rested between foraging flights

Self portrait of me kayaking

Costa Rican damselfly

Diane kayaking down the river

Kingfisher on its break

A flowering tabebuia tree with bromeliads near the boat landing

When we got back to the landing dock, La Paloma was receiving a shipment of supplies, including “agua tonique.” I could have a gin and tonic tonight if I wanted to.

I was just getting out of the shower and putting cortisone cream on my sunburn when Diane called downstairs that there were howler monkeys. Terry and I went upstairs to watch them forage leaves. We had a good view from up there.

Howler monkey eating leaves

I decided to have a mojito for happy hour even though tonic water was available. La Paloma makes mojitos with oranges rather than limes and uses more mint than I usually do. Theirs were better. We sat at the pool watching honeycreepers. Actually, they are tiny birds and were high up in the branches, so Diane watched them and I squinted in vain.

For dinner, we had a delicious pureed vegetable soup with cream cheese, a green salad with strawberries, walnuts, and balsamic vinaigrette, and filet mignon (beef! Must be delivery day…) with mashed potatoes, beets, and green beans. The plates for the main course were garnished with star fruit. I encouraged my companions to try it, but regretted the decision when it turned out the fruit wasn’t fully ripe. The beef was well-salted and marinated with thyme. Good thing, too, because the salt was never coming out of those shakers. Haven’t these people ever heard of putting rice in the salt to take out the moisture? Dessert was German chocolate cake. Yeah, baby! Chocolate!

Oh, what a beautiful night it was with the full moon over the ocean. 

Full moon