My son Andrew and I headed into the Costa Rican Forest leaving the girls behind for spa day. We left at 08:15 in a minibus with 12 other people. Our guide seemed knowledgeable and some of the facts he related to us that I remembered were.
- Huge amount of Nicaraguan migrants are causing a strain on Costa Rican social system
- The cashew nut comes from a fruit. The nut is in the stem and you have to roast the stem to extract the nut
- There is income tax in Costa Rica
- Forest fires are a big problem in Guanacaste province
- There are over 150 species of tree frogs in Costa Rica
- At one time cattle in Guanacaste province supplied McDonalds with 70% of its beef
- The cattle industry is now in decline
Upon arrival we climbed up towards the mountain and the higher you climbed the greener the vegetation and by the time we arrived at the lodge we were in a sea of green. Brief bathroom break at a urinal tiled and sloped so it drained. Periodic streams of water swept away the pee. We had a three hour walk in the rain forest. Thousands of “leaf cutter ants” marching about carrying leaves. Howler monkeys followed us screaming saying this is our territory and what are you doing here. The three suspension bridges afforded a spectacular view but they were swaying. Mosquitos were well behaved until the end of the walk where they drilled right through your shirt. Bug spray was effective. After our walk we had a mundane late lunch and headed home.
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