FRIDAY'S FOTO



Yes, these crocs are real.  We saw them up close and personal
on the Tarcolas River in Costa Rica. 
Amazing!



NEXT STOP--COSTA RICA

These days Costa Rica, nicknamed the “Switzerland of Central America” because of its tall mountains with slopes cradling lush vegetation, is a major sun destination, so it is with additional interest that Rob and I looked forward to the time here. We also booked a great shore excursion that included a 90 minute drive through the city and countryside, a gondola ride up through the forest canopy with commentary from a naturalist-guide, and a trip on an amazing jungle river. We were not disappointed.

Costa Rica is the second smallest republic in Central America. It’s narrow, and you can easily enjoy Pacific Ocean beaches as well as Caribbean beaches. It has magnificent rain forests. Only a few degrees from the Equator, the temperature throughout the year rarely moves more than 10° away from the norm of 89°. It has only two “seasons,” the rainy and the dry, and from what our naturalist-tour guide, Randall said, it can rain 15 days straight during the rainy season, and rainfall can reach 100 inches per year. On the other hand, when you think of the lush vegetation this climate engenders, you feel you’re traveling in a tropical paradise filled with magnificent, tall trees, brightly colored flowers, and jungle-rimmed rivers where crocodiles lazily sun themselves on the banks, iguanas gaze at the passing tourists with arrogant disinterest, and a plethora of birds fill the air with their sight and song.

Now through the Panama Canal and in the Pacific Ocean, our ship docked in Puntarenas, and for our tour we traveled in a Mercedes coach through the port village with its colorful shops and stands filled with all the souvenirs any tourist could desire. Randall gave us a running commentary on the history of Costa Rica and its democratic traditions including free education for all citizens. In school, English is mandatory. With these new opportunities for its citizens, Costa Rica has attracted businesses like Intel because there now exists a skilled workforce. Sounds a bit like Ireland, and look at their boom economy, the Celtic Tiger!

Our first stop was the Guacalilo Estuary where we boarded a covered shallow draft river cruiser to explore the ecological offerings of the Tárcoles River. In this country where the rain forests impact heavily on everything Costa Rican, there is a huge push at ecco-tourism so that visitors gain an understanding of the fragile interweaving of nature. The company Princess Cruises hires stresses the Save the Rainforest campaign, and their very knowledgeable guides point out changes in the ecological balance throughout their presentations.

The river cruise is extraordinary. We begin moving slowly along the shore of this brackish river, and our bus guide changes hats, slips on a field glass harness and we have a real expert on Costa Rican wildlife. BTW, guides are licensed in Costa Rica, and Randall is a college grad and extremely knowledgeable—and sharp eyed.

We see about 23 different species of birds, and Randall describes their habitats, unique qualities and notes if they are in any way endangered. He points out iguanas of all colors and shapes. He does the same with crocodiles and explains that of the many types of crocodiles that once existed, only about seven different types exist today. I loved seeing the birds, but I admit the crocs were incredibly exciting. They lie on shore almost camouflaged by the brown waters and sand.

They lie there, some absolutely mammoth and mean-looking, mouths open to breathe, and should they decide to stop posing for us and head to the water, they rise on their legs, looking quite ridiculous but still incredibly lethal. They move swiftly and smoothly—more swiftly than one would imagine of a reptile often more than eight feet in length can move—and they silently, stealthily, slip beneath the water leaving behind not so much as a ripple.

It’s utterly amazing. All we see are two bulging eyes and the end of a snout. We viewed this scene several times during the ride, but repetition did not diminish the dramatic spectacle.

Our boat went to the spot the river opens to the ocean, at which point we turned around and took another route back. We entered a man-made river carved out of the jungle years ago by a foreign corporation now long gone. The river has been maintained, and it offers a unique opportunity to travel into areas which would have been inaccessible to us. There we saw and heard the cries of howler monkeys high up in the trees. Their loud screeching echoed through the jungles as they leapt between trees. Seeing animals in their own habitats is incredibly exciting, and Rob and I have decided to investigate the possibilities of doing more eco-tourism.

After we returned to the dock, we boarded our coach for our journey to the Pacific Aerial Tram.

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COSTA RICA--PART 2

What a beautiful country is Costa Rica. We thought it wasn’t going to get any better than the fantastic voyage on the Tarcoles River, but we were wrong. We were slated for another incredible voyage, but this time through the air. We rode a gondola up through the thick jungle greenery through the canopy, all the time delighting in the abundantly lush foliage including ferns, lianas, orchids, and astoundingly different trees. There were huge termite hives nestled in the crotches of some trees. Absolutely awesome! The naturalist-guide spoke throughout, naming some of the species or pointing out animals and birds or their nests. It was incredibly beautiful. We watched some zipliners go down through the canopy, and I think I would love to try that. Well, maybe.

We also toured the botanical gardens at the base of the tram. The gardens contained flowers so beautifully and vibrantly colored that we wanted to touch them to make sure they were real. Our guide, however, warned us that often miniscule but potentially lethal snakes crawl into the flower’s recessed parts and touching the flower might cause a very unfavorable ending to the day. We heeded the warning!

There, too, we enjoyed a Costa Rican lunch—fresh fruits, including ripe and juicy papaya and wonderful bananas—the kinds we can never get in stores--chicken, rice, and beans among other things. We also had the opportunity to taste Costa Rican coffee which was so good that we bought several bags to bring home.

We are interested in returning to this very intriguingly beautiful country. We did not get a chance, of course, to see the Caribbean side or the resorts and beaches. There’s so much more to see and do here.

I have to tell you that Costa Rica has a serious garbage problem. There is garbage everywhere—in the streets as well as in and along the rivers. It was so evident that our guide felt he had to talk about it. Randall explained how the government is trying to deal with the problem and has a television advertising campaign to educate people about garbage disposal even as the government works on pickup problems, etc. It’s a cruel irony to see a country so ecologically involved yet struggling with a garbage problem. The crocodiles we saw, for instance, live among old tires and bottles thrown by the river up on the muddy banks. Again, I am only talking about the areas we saw. As Third Age Traveler is more than just a “travel diary,” in good conscience I must mention that. I also say that the problem would not keep us from returning.

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AWESOME TRAVELS THROUGH THE PANAMA CANAL

Cruising the Panama Canal is an absolute must! Here’s a perfect example of an engineering marvel and the extraordinary result of man’s persistence in overcoming monumental challenges. Charles I of Spain first proposed a canal through the Isthmus of Panama in 1534. Three centuries passed before it was attempted, and it was not until 1914 that the Panama Canal was completed at a cost of $387 million dollars. With this information in mind as we traveled through the locks we kept its wonders in perspective and felt it imperative to observe every phase of the operation.

In the evening prior to entering The Panama Canal, PBS documentaries and other information were available in our stateroom so we might truly appreciate experiencing this engineering marvel. The information was extremely helpful as the canal’s history and building is fraught with disease, disaster, international ramifications, and more than 27,000 deaths before ultimate triumph. Movie clips and photographs amply illustrate the dynamic scope of this undertaking, and the visuals are stunning. To truly appreciate the Panama Canal, it is necessary to forget that it is the 21st century and to imagine it is 100 years ago. With the photographs, that is easy to do.

The toll for our ship, the Coral Princess, to navigate the locks is a whopping $245,600. In addition to factoring in her net tonnage, Princess Cruise Lines pays the premium toll so her passengers get to experience the entire crossing. We begin early in the morning for the seven hour experience, and we can observe everything that happens. The lowest toll ever paid, by the way, was 36¢ paid in 1928 for a swim-through. Most ships average $35,000 based on net tonnage.

Sometime in the night, the crew prepared seating on the bow of the ship, and during the voyage cruisers who really got up early so as not to miss anything were generous in sharing their view. They made sure that those in the rear were able to go up to the front and take photos. Those taking pictures did so quickly and then cleared the improvised aisle for the next person. It was a wonderful and, sadly, unusual experience to have such consideration. It’s a shame I find it so unusual I am commenting on it. Anyway, the canal pilots board the Coral Princess around 5:15 AM as we approach the first set of locks, the Gatun locks. We are connected to eight “mules,” diesel-electric locomotives that guide us through and keep the ship centered.

As you can see in the photos, there is virtually no wiggle room here, and as ships get bigger, there’s talk of adding new, wider locks. Once through the lock, the mules release and we move on.

One view that really added to our amazement and perspective was watching a cargo ship move in the other direction. Many of the crew lounged on deck waving to us, but we could clearly see the water levels change and the ship smoothly readjust to the next level.

It was also intriguing to move to the stern and view the ships coming into the locks behind us, and, in fact, the line of ships waiting to enter. In 2005, more than 14,000 ships made this crossing, most of them commercial vessels. Many of the ships wait in line just as we might at a crowded Thruway tollbooth.

We crossed Gatun Lake, which at the time it was built between 1907 and 1913 was the largest man-made lake in the world. Rain filters down from Panama’s rain forests to fill the lake. The water is used in the locks and then flows out to the oceans.

After navigating Gatun Lake, we re-attach to mules at the single lock at Pedro Miguel, and later to the Miraflores Locks where we are lowered, in two stages, to sea level on the Pacific Ocean side. We are guided by tugboat toward the Bridge of Americas and then out to the Gulf of Panama.

A trip through the Canal is 6,000 miles from New York to San Francisco, less than half the 14,000 miles traveling the old way all the way to the tip of South America and rounding the treacherous Cape Horn. As expensive as the tolls seen, think of today’s oil crisis. Had the Canal not been built, think how much more expensive many of the goods carried by the cargo container ships might be.

There are many good books about the Canal, one by David McCullough which is now on my “to read” list, and some good documentaries, including the PBS presentation. Traveling through the Panama Canal is a bit like traveling through history. I highly recommend this excursion.

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