Home » Costa Rica » Costa Rica

What did I think of Costa Rica? Words cannot describe how spectacular it was, although the following might give you a rough idea:

Costa Rica

Domz
2004-04-06 19:35:06

Displayed times (last time: )

Pacuare River Whitewater Rafting

The first two days consist of a two-day whitewater rafting trip on the Pacuare River. It is me, a friend, the raft guide (who turns out to be an expert in steering a raft), and his girlfriend. Just as we start out, a black snake swims by in front of the raft. Not too big, but nevertheless an exciting way to start things off. After a few hours of negotiating rapids and enjoying the scenery, we stop at the newly-built camp of the company which provides the rafting trips. It has a two-story building with kitchen, dining, and hammock areas, and separate buildings housing restrooms/changing rooms, as well as 8 or 10 rustic cabins (complete with two beds, bathroom, front porch, and candles). Our cabin is within 30 feet of the river, which we can see from our beds. The grounds are manicured and dotted with exotic tropical vegetation such as papaya trees and banana trees (the country is a huge banana exporter, as you probably know). That afternoon, our guide treats us to drinks and finger foods as we lounge in the hammocks. We also hike on a tropical forest trail. For dinner, we are served an excellent vegetable stir-fry. Have you ever tasted heart of palm?? Delicious!!

The next day, we set off in a light drizzle (even in the dry season, certain parts of Costa Rica have at least a light rain on most days). It turns out to be a treat. The weather is warm enough to make the rain a non-problem. The treat was that the drizzle adds the stereotypical mist to the forested canyon walls that you so often see in movies set in tropical jungles. On the second day, the rapids are more challenging, although not as difficult as other rivers I've rafted (Deshutes in Oregon, Ocoee in Tennessee, Kennebec in Maine), primarily because the dry winter has brought the river down to low water levels.

On the way down, we stop at a waterfall where the guide shows me how to slide down a slippery natural ...