7-11Mar
We're pretty convinced we both have COVID, and so I have learned fist hand how COVID can suck the life right out of you. Not just energy for activities, but energy we need to focus. Hence the lack of writing and some of the screw-ups below.
So after Tue rest day and Wed snorkeling day, we went straight into Thu/Fri which was our Corcovado Park Overnight Tour. As with all tours here, they start very early on the beach: 5:50AM. After almost 90m of boat ride, we arrived at the beach. My unhappiest moment was when I stepped off the boat with my sandals in hand (as we tend to do for beach landings), but the person on the boat waited until that moment to mention I might want to have my sandals on, since this was a rocky shore with waves pounding. So after a few minutes of embarrassingly being pushed over by crashing waves, losing both sandals and a water bottle, and swearing up a storm ... with the help of nearby friendly faces retrieving my bits ... I walked onto the rocky beach with slashed feat and broken confidence.
There's a bit of a process at the entrance to the park, where you need to show that you have no food, no single-use bottles, no pocket knife, and no lighter (little of which was mentioned previously). but then we get right into it: being shown some amazing fauna/flora every few steps with full botanical background. The first walk was only 4.6km, but with great long viewing moments every few minutes (2h52m elapsed).
We got to rest until 2PM before heading out for another 4km/2hr walk. Kate asked our guide (Eriick) to cut it short because COVID was wearing very heavy on me (she could see me struggling). Apparently he cut 1-2 hours off for me, which was welcome.
The only other activities on Thu were eating and sleeping. We were provided lunch and dinner, and wonderful bed accommodation. Earplugs are a necessity between the howler monkeys and the milling tourists trying to settle for bed. I really felt like crap. Fever, aches, coughing, difficulty breathing, made worse by the extreme heat and humidity. I had fears of vomiting and diarrhea, but was somehow able to avoid them.
Another 5:20AM start on Friday: straight into a 3.8km/90m walk to the beach and back. Some breakfast, and then another 3.7km/2hr walk. We then got a little break before our final 3km/70m walk. Unfortunately, with my lack of focus, I didn't notice my missing sandals until we were due to get on the boat ... not enough time to go back and get them, so Eriick is still looking at locating those and getting them back to me.
We arrived home loaded with pictures and sweat, that we cleaned up and went to bed.
Saturday was a rest day again. We had a great meal (Red Snapper and 2x2 Rum Punch) and went back to bed.
Sunday was another booked activity that wasn't quite what we imagined. Up and boating at 6:20AM, it took us to the Sierpe River and town and beyond. We asked for the "Kayak Tour of the Mangroves", not the "Boat Tour of the Mangroves", but we got the latter. Just as well, but just as exhausting (for me). I can't sit on one seat for more than 2-3 hours, but this was a 5h epic boat ride up the Sierpe River past Sierpe and back. The sun was blazing again, and even though we were in a covered boat, it wasn't always possible to stay out of the sun. The only breaks were 10m and 5m at the dock in Sierpe. Enough to go pee, but not enough to buy a drink.
By this time, I had seen enough wildlife to last me a lifetime. I understand, that's what we're here for, but without any focus/retention, the botanical diatribe never seems to end.
Lunch was somehow left on the boat, so we went out to a meal, then home for some more rest.
Monday was an oops day. We had committed to scuba that day a month prior. We had not confirmed the scuba, or prepaid the scuba, but when we found ourselves sleeping in at 7:20AM, I guess we had missed our scheduled time. We had basically decided days before that we weren't physically up for it but we didn't let anyone know, so we paid the 2xUS$35 penalty and let it go. Instead, we went for a wonderful walk along the Drake Bay Trail.
It is an easy (but hot again) trail that goes past a few resorts and unclaimed beaches to the West of Drake Bay. It eventually will take you to San Pedrillo Station or Sirena Station in Corcovado Park, but those are many km away. So we turned back after about 3.5km. There are many potential stops (at your own private beach in some cases), including one at Aguila de Osa resort for a drink. In celebration of Kate's birthday, she had a Margarita.
Home to rest. COVID is still an overpowering problem.
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