Costa Rica Day 10

The Final Full Day in Costa Rica.

The end is finally here. We checked out of our hotel in the morning, and headed off on a drive to Manuel Antonio, one of the most famous National Parks in Costa Rica. We stopped and got pictures of a Chestnut-Mandibled Toucan that was sitting in the trees near the entrance of the park, before taking the trek from the entrance to the beach front. While most of the others immediately went swimming, I instead chose to hike one of the trails surrounding the beach, in search for birds and wildlife. I was able to spot some Brown Boobies from the shore out on some rocks, along with some mammals including a raccoon during the hike. Once I walked back to the beach, I only went up to my knees in the water because the current was strong and I also didn’t have a towel to wear. Once we ate lunch at a beautiful little shop outside of the park, we began our long drive back to San Jose.

During this drive we hit some heavy traffic, which made it impossible for us to get to our hotel in time to change before dinner, so we instead headed straight to dinner, where we were still over an hour late. However, the other group and the performing people were more than generous in waiting for us to start the performance, a show of traditional Costa Rican dance. After we ate and watched the performance, we then said our thanks to our guide and bus driver, giving them some gifts to show our thanks. We then went back to our hotel, where some of us chose not to sleep at all in order to enjoy our final moments in Costa Rica.

Looking back, being able to visit Costa Rica was a dream come true. I made some amazing friends, witnessed a new culture, and laid eyes on some of the most beautiful landscapes I’ve ever seen in my life. The people of Costa Rica are the friendliest I have ever met, full of love and respect for nature. I would return here in a heartbeat, not waiting for any excuse other than to be with the people there. If you get the chance to visit, take it. Costa Rica is a country and a people we all could learn from. Pura Vida!

Happy Birding!