Pura vida - in harmony with nature
- Marion Marquardt
- Mar 2
- 4 min read
Our destination while we wait for our car is set: Costa Rica. The RoRo ferry with our Hugo on board will take about seven days to reach Veracruz, Mexico. We can also leave it at the port for another seven days free of charge. And in between? Pura Vida! We're eager to experience things and see animals. After five relaxing hotel days in Cartagena, we're longing for a change of scenery, especially considering we'll be experiencing the same thing again in Veracruz.
Hasta luego, Colombia
A brief recap of how the first part of the shipping process in Cartagena went. We'd been in contact with Ana, our agent, for weeks – about four weeks beforehand. She was organizing everything for us on-site. Communication wasn't always easy; clear statements or even firm dates were rare. Difficult for us Germans :-) We finally found out our port entry date three (!) days in advance. At that point, we were in the middle of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, and Micha was laid up with a stomach bug. But a little bit of excitement now and then isn't a bad thing, and of course, we managed everything. In the end, the packing and cleaning operation was completed as efficiently as possible in a single day. The port entry, however, was anything but. We were "just" parking our car at the port; before that, it was weighed and scanned. But between each step, there were endless waiting times, all in the sweltering heat of Cartagena (over 40°C), on concrete and asphalt, surrounded by containers. We had to hand over the car keys, and the camper shell and everything else was securely wedged and locked. The day before the ship's departure, the drug inspection is scheduled. Only the vehicle owner—that's me—is allowed to be present. The port staff instructs me to empty the external compartments and make the interior accessible. After a while, the police arrive: five men in a pickup truck, plus the dog in the back. The mood seems good. Although one hand is usually on their weapon, the group strolls around the vehicles, accompanied by loud Colombian music from a cell phone. The inspection goes smoothly—the engine compartment and tires are thoroughly examined. The interior is given a quick, careful check with the utmost respect. Then the drug-sniffing dog is allowed to do its work. Done! Or so I thought. Now we wait for the clearance, meaning a signature on the inspection report... waiting, and waiting, and waiting. Is this our last experience of Colombian inefficiency? Of course not, since we're flying out of Cartagena.
Suddenly everything is running like clockwork.
We were all the more surprised when everything in Costa Rica went so smoothly. Picking up our luggage and rental car, as well as getting cash and a SIM card, was done in record time, and then we sped off to the hotel exactly within the travel time predicted by Google Maps. We quickly realized that Costa Rica is completely geared towards (well-paying) tourists. Our Spanish skills were superfluous. Here, contrary to our usual travel style, we planned and booked most things. After all, we wanted to make the most of our short time. And Micha was already looking forward to wildlife photography. Our first stop at a birding lodge in Tarcoles was mainly due to the fact that we wanted to limit Diego's driving time to 2-3 hours per day. And even here, we saw coatis, monkeys, and of course, countless colorful birds. The climate, however, knocked us off our feet; it was hot and tropically humid. No wind. I was incredibly relieved that we didn't have to sleep in the camper without air conditioning.
Many animals, even more people
The Manuel Antonio National Park is on the agenda for the next day – the second most visited national park in South and Central America (number one is Machu Picchu in Peru). We have Harold as our guide and set off early – as early as possible, anyway. After all, the park gates don't open until 7 a.m. Until then, the animals have their peace and quiet, as they do every Tuesday when the park is completely closed. Here, just as throughout Costa Rica, the animals and nature are truly protected. Eating is forbidden in the park. The only cafeteria inside is behind bars, meaning people have to go into the cage. I kind of like the idea :-)
Harold gives us a diverse overview of the local wildlife, from snakes and insects to sloths. It's always amazing what a trained eye can spot. The next day, we try our luck on our own... unsuccessfully, except for the sloth that almost falls out of a tree right in front of us. The beaches in the park are beautiful, but also hopelessly overcrowded, at least from 10 a.m. onwards, when the average tourist has finally woken up. We get up every day at 6 a.m., though sometimes only Micha does. Occasionally, when it doesn't make sense to get up early, Diego and I stay in bed a little longer. Getting up early is really worth it. Most animals are most active in the early morning, before the intense heat sets in. The sloth is an exception – born to sleep. Very difficult to find, as it hardly moves, but then an easy subject for a photo. Sloth motion is the superlative of slow motion :-)
A beautiful back can also be enchanting.
We continued south along the Pacific coast. Humpback whales were supposed to be passing through Marino Ballena National Park. We were once again shocked by the number of tourists. In addition to our boat with about 20 passengers, there were seven more. After a short time, we spotted our first humpback whales, a mother with her calf. Unfortunately, apart from the occasional glimpse of their backs, we saw nothing. A disappointment compared to the "show" we experienced in Peru. At least one male showed us his tail fluke at the end.
The beaches here are beautiful, no infrastructure, no trash. Just nature. You often see monkeys jumping around in the trees. And early in the morning you often have the beach all to yourself :-)
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