Last night we neared the second country of our trip, departing from the wonderful Panama and into the lovely Costa Rica. We came into Costa Rica via the Golfo Dulce, or “Sweet Gulf,” located at the southern province of Puntarenas. This inlet begins on the Pacific side of Costa Rica and extends northward before turning west. The area’s bay separates the Osa Peninsula from mainland Costa Rica.
This morning, guests explored the eastern side of the Gulf by Zodiac and kayak. Our group accessed a local river, floating beside the mangrove estuaries, which provided sightings of many shorebirds and magnificent mangrove trees. During the afternoon, we redirected to visit the McAllister’s, a US couple who decided 44 years ago to move to this wonderful part of the world and found the Casa Orquidea Botanical Garden, one we had the liberty (and privilege!) of visiting over the course of our afternoon. Up for viewing were toucans, hawks, lizards, scarlet macaws, giant palms, lobster-claws, and many more flora and fauna types. No doubt today was one for the books!
