CheTica to Cahuita - MyShadowProductions #150

HOLA!!

How is everyone doing?

Monday, day 3, it was time to leave CheTica and head east through Braulio Carrillo National Park to the outskirts of Limón and then South to Cahuita (Kah-wee-tuh) on the Caribbean Coast. As usual for me, I went back and forth in my mind about how to make the +/- 4 hour trip. Flying not an option for this, but Bus, Taxi/Driver and Shuttle Van were the options. In the end I worked out a plan with the Driver who took me to Bonsai Mundo.

We left CheTica around 8 am and I was at Cahuita Lodge around 11:30 am.

            He has a grandiose idea of what his Taxi looks like :)

The ride was interesting through the National Park but hard to photograph from the vehicle. After the Park they are widening the Carretera (highway) to 4 lanes to Limón and it got pretty confusing at times which lanes to drive in. Confusing not only for me, the passenger seat “driver” but for the experienced driver :)

              Using broken chunks of asphalt for delineators :)

After Limón the road South was 2 lanes and followed the coast with many, many, many banana tree fields (can you say Del Monte or Chiquita?)

Cahuita is about 20 minutes from Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, the more “popular” town for surfers, backpackers and partiers. Other towns include Punta Cocles, Punta Uva and Manzanillo.

My plan is for my room here in Cahuita to serve as a base and explore the other towns randomly with local buses/drivers, then walking/wandering around :)

I took some photos and walked around a little, late Monday afternoon and here is a movie/video to VIEW.

By the way, I knew it was a mistake to mention the weather in my previous Post, it looks like rain will be a part of the adventure for at least a week? It is supposed to be the end of their rainy season but it’s not over until it’s over :)

Tuesday I ignored the forecast and walked 10 minutes to the Cahuita National Park entrance for the 7 am opening time. Everything I read online said it opens at 8 am but I walked by the entrance on Monday and one of the workers said it opens at 7 am so I ended up being the first and only one to enter around 7:10 am. Too much information I know, but it happened :)

The admission is free with donations accepted. I acted like a big spender and handed over 10,000 colones ($20 US). At that time I thought it might be too much but just halfway through my hike I realized it was way less than the experience was worth!

This was the forecast:

Talamanca is a Cantón (like a county?)

Thankfully it wasn’t as dire as it looked, changing every 10 minutes or so from sprinkles to bright light to rain and at times it felt like I was “swimming while walking”, but it all added to the adventure and probably was more enjoyable than a partly sunny day which might be quite hot?

In case you are interested I made a movie/video from my many photos and if you would, PleaseTake a Look. I tried to cut some photos out of the video but just couldn’t do it :)

I did not pay extra for the raccoons, they were so polite, they acted like they didn’t know I was there :)

Trying to take photos of a flying butterfly is not easy :) You might have noticed in the video? When it landed it closed the wings and hid the color :) I believe it is called a Blue Morpho, a symbol of joy, purity, love, beauty, or a change in luck (that can go both ways, haha).

I considered it as a personal guide through the Park. I don’t know if one butterfly followed me or if I passed several, but it/they crossed my view many times :)

The adventure will continue as I get settled in and find a supermercado (super market) and a lavanderia (laundry) and a restaurant or two and some fresh fruit.

Pura Vida !!