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Jan. 16th, 2004 10:46 pmThe day was highly successful. Unusually so. As a result, five days' plan is accomplished in two. And some unexpected fun was added to spice it all.
First, while the chosen route of entrance into Manuel Antonio NP proved impassable due to high tide, i found a place to climb over the rocky outcrop that separated a public beach from the park. I emerged from the bush only a few meters from the checkpost - but the guard was reading a newspaper and paid no attention to me (i always said newspapers are harmful for you). So i got in for free - what a silly idea to charge 7$ for entering a forest, anyway...
The next task i'll describe to you in 30 years (remind me, i'll probably forget) - the expiry term for first degree crimes is 25, right? Did it in 5 minutes, nice and easy.
Then i was out looking for sloths - previously, in Corcovado NP, apparently the richest in wildlife in CAm, i saw, and photographed, almost every other species of CAm mammals (except cats, but those are out of reach - they are better hunters than me). This was a difficult one, for the lazy beasts don't move and don't make a sound - how is one supposed to spot them in the canopies? Searching the forest, i encountered a white-tailed deer and a yellow crowned night heron. Both were good, possibly enough to justify a day of hiking, but they definitely weren't sloths. I resorted to "second-hand hunting" - asked every person i met (the reserve is small and it's high season now, so there were quite a lot of people in the park) whether they, by chance, saw a sloth. The first one turned out to be an American psychiatrist and spent an hour trying to help me - i didn't really get with what, but it must have had something to do with my personality. The next few were typical rich-stupid tourists and kept asking me in response what a sloth was. Finally, i was directed to a spot near the ranger station and - thanks gods for the creature's passivity - it was still there. Later the sloths just showered on my poor head - not literally, fortunately. In less than two hours i saw another three-toed one, and a Hoffman's two-toed one. The latter is considered the laziest mammal on Earth - maybe it's just constantly on "hoffman"? Another funny sighting was a Jesus Christ lizard - i nicknamed them thus for their ability to run on water (some object that Jesus walked on water; but then he was never charged by a lizard 20 times his size) and was surprised to find out it's their official name!
I had enough time left for a leisurely climb (and don't tell me such thing can't exist) to the top of Punta Catedral - just a good lookout - and was back in town exactly in time to catch the bus to San Jose.
If every day went like this, i would get to Galapagos on this trip!
First, while the chosen route of entrance into Manuel Antonio NP proved impassable due to high tide, i found a place to climb over the rocky outcrop that separated a public beach from the park. I emerged from the bush only a few meters from the checkpost - but the guard was reading a newspaper and paid no attention to me (i always said newspapers are harmful for you). So i got in for free - what a silly idea to charge 7$ for entering a forest, anyway...
The next task i'll describe to you in 30 years (remind me, i'll probably forget) - the expiry term for first degree crimes is 25, right? Did it in 5 minutes, nice and easy.
Then i was out looking for sloths - previously, in Corcovado NP, apparently the richest in wildlife in CAm, i saw, and photographed, almost every other species of CAm mammals (except cats, but those are out of reach - they are better hunters than me). This was a difficult one, for the lazy beasts don't move and don't make a sound - how is one supposed to spot them in the canopies? Searching the forest, i encountered a white-tailed deer and a yellow crowned night heron. Both were good, possibly enough to justify a day of hiking, but they definitely weren't sloths. I resorted to "second-hand hunting" - asked every person i met (the reserve is small and it's high season now, so there were quite a lot of people in the park) whether they, by chance, saw a sloth. The first one turned out to be an American psychiatrist and spent an hour trying to help me - i didn't really get with what, but it must have had something to do with my personality. The next few were typical rich-stupid tourists and kept asking me in response what a sloth was. Finally, i was directed to a spot near the ranger station and - thanks gods for the creature's passivity - it was still there. Later the sloths just showered on my poor head - not literally, fortunately. In less than two hours i saw another three-toed one, and a Hoffman's two-toed one. The latter is considered the laziest mammal on Earth - maybe it's just constantly on "hoffman"? Another funny sighting was a Jesus Christ lizard - i nicknamed them thus for their ability to run on water (some object that Jesus walked on water; but then he was never charged by a lizard 20 times his size) and was surprised to find out it's their official name!
I had enough time left for a leisurely climb (and don't tell me such thing can't exist) to the top of Punta Catedral - just a good lookout - and was back in town exactly in time to catch the bus to San Jose.
If every day went like this, i would get to Galapagos on this trip!
