Day 7 Adventures in Paradise

A good deal of our day was spent in the beautiful Manuel Antonio National Park.  We hiked to a picturesque cove, protected by rocks and a coral reef.  Once there, Margel took us on a nature hike through the transitional rainforest.  The water was a crystal clear blue with little current.  We had to protect our bags from raccoon and white-faced monkeys, who were searching for food.  They were remarkably brave thieves, but a lot of fun to watch.  We also had black, spike-tailed iguanas bumming lunch.  It is illegal to feed the animals.  We all returned with a bit of equator sun.  That adventure was followed by either horseback riding for some or a crocodile boating trip for others.  Both proved to be exciting experiences.  Calley, Sarah and Victoria got to gallop on the beach.  The crocodiles were amazing.  The river we visited is famous for having the worlds highest concentration of crocodiles within a 20 mile stretch of the river.  This area is also a swampy mangrove, which is a very unique ecosystem.  The most exciting event was seeing a tree full of wild macaws at the boat landing.

Beach bandit looks innocent.  No lunch was safe on the beach.

The spike-tailed black iguana was also a bum for food.

The white-faced monkeys were also very bold and watched every visitor for a chance at their food.

The swimming BCC crew in Antonio Manuel National Parque.

A truly beautiful area of the Pacific Coast.

The crocodile boating tour on the Tarcoles River.

This about 16 foot crocodile is named Osama bin Laden, because he can be hard to find.
  

A tree full of wild macaws were at the boat landing.  A magnificent sight!

Victoria, Calley and Sarah on a second horseback ride.  This time in Jaco.