Costa Rica > Birthday in Caño Negro, ¡Pura Vida!

I was already awake at 5:30 this morning. It’s my birthday! What a strange feeling to have a birthday in Costa Rica. Fifteen minutes later, the alarm goes off. On the way to the bus, my fellow travelers already start congratulating me. I receive a Costa Rican hat and a T-shirt with “¡Pura Vida!”. When I’m the first to get on the bus, I notice that the bus itself is decorated with balloons. Very nice.

Costa Rica - A green iguana on a log on the Rio Frio

Today we are going on an excursion in the Caño Negro nature reserve. First, we have to drive two hours toward Los Chiles, near the border with Nicaragua. Along the way, we watch the photos from the rafting trip on the DVD player. In Los Chiles, breakfast is ready for us, with pineapple, watermelon, and a pancake. A few hundred meters later, we board a boat for a tour along the Río Frío (Cold River). In the Caño Negro nature reserve, there are mainly birds along the riverbanks. Right away, we spot a kingfisher, accompanied by a colony of howler monkeys in the trees. We slowly glide along the river, telephoto lenses at the ready.

Costa Rica - A flying toucan

I take photos of the American Anhinga, a white heron, a turtle, a kite, swallows, and many other beautiful animals. On the left, we spot a monitor lizard among the leaves; a little further on, there is a Jesus Christ lizard. When we get closer, it runs across the water with a rapid movement, hence its name. On the right are caimans, various herons on the left, and cormorants ahead. We continue to the border with Nicaragua—or rather, we cross about ten meters over it before turning back quickly. At the border marker, we stop briefly to observe the wildlife on land. On the return trip, we are caught in a heavy downpour. Fortunately, the boat is covered. When we return to the restaurant, it’s dry again, and lunch is ready. Afterwards, I am called inside. A large whipped cream cake is waiting. I blow out the candle and cut the cake into 26 slices (no easy task!). The cake is delicious, and it’s a wonderful surprise.