We woke to calm seas and very light winds. As our intention was to hike the trails at Curu we again set off early to avoid the eventual midday heat. We did not need to run the genset for the short trip to the anchorage at Playa Curu so the trip was gently done on the batteries only.
Soon after arriving we went ashore. It was low tide so we had quite a haul to get the dinghy above the water line – something that would have been very difficult for Helen and I to do alone. Some folks have wheels for their dinghy that make dragging the dinghy up beaches a lot easier. If we can get our hands on some of these we will.
Walking along the beach towards the park office we saw hundreds of red crabs hovering near to their holes in the sand. They all had a similar tolerance to distance and would dash into their holes when their nerves had had enough.
Around the park buildings we came upon a tame old spider monkey that seemed content to sit beside us and hold either your thigh or hand. Having bought the tickets for the park we headed off on the very well made trail.
We soon crossed a rickety wooden suspension bridge over the Rio Curu. We had been warned to stay on the track around this area due to the crocodiles living in the area. We did not see any which was the likely outcome as they can usually only be spotted at high tide.
Along our hike we came upon a troop of white faced monkeys and stayed a while to take pictures. At then end of our hike we came upon a compound where they were rehabilitating three spider monkeys that had previously been kept as pets.
On the way back we again came upon the troop of white faced monkeys. Further along we spotted some howler monkeys high up in the trees.
There was an additional loop to the trail on a path called ‘Killer’. John, Ben and I decided to take this path. It didn’t seem much of a path as it pretty soon descended into a dried river – essentially a rocky channel steeply climbing the hill filled with wood and brambles. John, being eaten by the critters, turned around leaving Ben and I to complete the hike. The path just got worse and soon we decided to try and find our way to the top away from the narrowing river course. In doing so we came upon the true trail, rugged as it was, which we must have missed somewhere early on. We had expected the trail to curve towards the park offices but instead it curved away. We figured we must have missed the other end of this trail which turned out to be the case.
We did eventually reach the top feeling very exhausted in the increasing heat. The view were pretty cool although they had to be seen through the foliage. We could see the bay in which we had anchored as well as another bay the other side. We could easily see Islas Tortugas where we had anchored the previous evening.
The descent was a challenge on our legs and stamina as the trail was littered with leaves and very dry. Our downward momentum continually threatened to slide us down the trail or, worse, off it. When we reached the park camp we learned that Helen, Jess and John had been entertained by another troup of white faced monkeys. They were still there when we arrived although the show had calmed down. They had been quite active running along wires, etc. and had been fed bananas by one of the park attendants.
Helen and I both felt that the park at Curu was more enjoyable than the more popular Manuel Antonio Park. This was because it was far more intimate, certainly much less crowded and generally more interesting.
We made our way back to the boat via the beach sending the crabs back into the holes a second time. After lunch we had our usual afternoon rest. John, Ben and I went for a late afternoon snorkel. It was hard to see much as the light levels were quite low but it was fun all the same.
Dinner was had and soon it was down to a few evening chores. Jess and Ben (mainly Jess) packed as we’ll be making our land trip soon. Helen managed a second wash of the day. During this time the sump pump for John’s shower stopped functioning making noises we weren’t used to. Removing the pump, with John’s help, and partially dismantling it revealed a nylon gear wheel (which was engaged with a worm gear) having lost all it’s teeth in one section. Our second shower in the starboard hull is being used as storage so we swapped the sump pumps over. The job was complicated by dropping a vital screw into the bilge which took time and nastiness to retrieve.
That was it for the evening. I was totally exhausted and slept easily.
This morning we’re off to Puntarenas. We’ll aim to arrive there around midday. High tide is not until after 3pm and we may not be able to enter the anchorage until around then. We’re arriving earlier in case our low draft permits us to enter earlier. We have quite a few things to do, not least of which to search for a spare for the sump pump, so it would be helpful to get settled early on. At 5pm we’ll be picking up the hire car ready for an early start tomorrow.
I can’t remember if I mentioned it before but I did upload pictures of our first trip to Los Tortugas. You’ll find them by clicking on the link for ‘Recently Updated’.
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By popular vote we decided to skip the hot springs and head back to the hostel to rest the afternoon. Helen and I, then later Jess and Ben, took a stroll on the hostels properties, walking trail. This entailed a steep descent into the secondary rainforest surrounding a couple of streams. The descent implied a muddy ascent on the other side which for us was rewarded by spotting some large birds exhibiting some interesting mating behaviour.
