Costa Rica: Days 7-8

After my little Manzanilla scare, we went to church, and then went for a drive down the coast to Playa Dominical. It was a beautiful beach, but I don't have a single picture. The sand was black and super gloppy. The boys were covered from head to toe. There was a little freshwater river running into the ocean there, and we ended up wading in there to clean up. There were thousands of tadpoles in the river which was fun for L to see. He loved trying to catch them in his hands. After a picnic dinner, we headed back to the hotel for our last night in Manuel Antonio. 

The next morning we drove back to San Jose. We checked in at our hotel and then went exploring. We found the temple! It was a Monday, so the grounds were closed, but we took a few pictures outside the gate.

 

Here was the sunset view from our hotel room. Those white boxes are graves in a cemetery.

Random dinner in the hotel room.

The next day our flight didn't leave till 5 p.m., so we had some time. We decided to go see the Poas Volcano. We were so glad we did! These first photos have nothing to do with Poas, but they are kind of typical Costa Rican souvenirs. I don't know what the butterflies are made out of, but the macaws and toucans are old tires, and the frogs are recycled 2 liter bottles.

There was a little hike up to the rim of the volcano, and along the way we saw this amazing plant - "the poor man's umbrella". The leaves were huge! L is 42" tall, so you can see they're bigger than that!

L got a little tired... haha, no way I could have made it up there carrying both of them! J was my little passenger, and L just hopped up for the photo. Everything was so green and lush on the way up to the rim. 

And here's the volcano! Exciting, right? I think L was simultaneously relieved and disappointed that there was no lava. There was some gas escaping - poisonous gas, they told us, so that was cool to see! 

Far off in the distance, we could see the silhouette of the Arenal Volcano that we had been close to at the beginning of our trip.

After we finished looking at the volcano, we decided to take a path through the cloud forest. If you look closely at the picture below, L is looking at a little squirrel, and the squirrel is looking back at him!

This was the reward for our hike! Formerly and active volcano, this spot has become a pristine lake. Residual chemicals from the volcano keep it this gorgeous blue color. It was so beautiful!

After we gawked for a while, it was time to head off again, continuing through the could forest toward the car. L was a trooper on the longish hike.

We encountered all kinds of interesting plants and animals. It's much easier to take pictures of plants, so that's what we got!

J zonked out by the end :)

Our hike took longer than we expected, so when we got back to the car, we dashed back to the city, returned our car, took the shuttle to the airport, ran to our gate, heard our names being called over the loudspeaker, and boarded the plane! It was awesome!

The Forbidden Fruit

The day we went to Manuel Antonio National Park, we had a great time on the beach. We all had fun splashing in the water and playing in the sand. L was so excited about his Basilisk lizard spotting, and we just had a great time. While the boys were playing, they found these little green fruits on the beach and threw them in the water. They liked to watch them swirl around, and they'd try to catch them again as the waves came in. The little fruits were everywhere on the beach, and while I watched the boys play, I picked one up and split it open.

It had a familiar smell - like something I had tasted before - but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I briefly thought, "I probably shouldn't eat this, since I don't know what it is." But the serpent beguiled me the familiar smell quieted any worries, and I took a tiny bite. Sweet, juicy, still familiar, and still a mystery. I hung onto it, thinking I'd take it back to M and have him taste it. But before I got back to him, my mouth and throat were on fire. It wasn't like burning heat, or spicy heat, it was, "Oh my, I have just ingested something toxic!" heat. I told M what had happened, and I tried to eat and drink to wash that toxin away, but the burning continued. It was annoying, but I ignored it while we kept playing, thinking it would go away soon.

It did die down over the next couple of hours, but I was still feeling it when we left the beach. We left by a different path than we arrived, and all along this new path there were signs warning visitors not to eat the fruits of the tree. I hardly know any Spanish, but I could pick out enough to know that this fruit was called Manzanilla and it was poisonous. Perhaps I wasn't paying attention, but I don't recall any signs like that on the way in. Gee, thanks, national park! Could have used the warning earlier!

We drove back to the hotel and the burning had completely subsided by then, but I decided to Google this plant, anyway, just to be safe. Here's what I found: (all from Wikipedia)



"Hippomane mancinella (fruit)" by Hans Hillewaert - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

"A present-day Spanish name is in fact manzanilla de la muerte, "little apple of death". This refers to the fact that manchineel is one of the most poisonous trees in the world." (starting to get worried)

"The fruit is said to be possibly fatal if eaten, (seriously?) however, "fatalities from ingestion are not reported in the modern literature" (source 1991: Bygbjerg I.C. and H.K. Johansen: Manchineel poisoning complicated by streptococcal pharyngitis and impetigo. Ugeskr. Laeger 154(1), 27-28 (1991).) and "ingestion may produce severe gastroenteritis with bleeding, shock, bacterial superinfection, and the potential for airway compromise due to edema. Patients with a history of ingestion and either oropharyngeal burns or gastrointestinal symptoms should be evaluated for admission in hospital. Care is supportive." (source: Poisonous Plants: A Handbook for Doctors, Pharmacists, Toxicologists, Biologists and Veterinarians, by Dietrich Frohne and Hans Jürgen Pfänder. 2005).

The Caribs used the sap of this tree to poison their arrows and would tie captives to the trunk of the tree, ensuring a slow and painful death. (Are you kidding me, Wikipedia?) A poultice of arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea) was used by the Arawaks and Taíno as an antidote against such arrow poisons.^[5] The Caribs were known to poison the water supply of their enemies with the leaves.^{[citation needed]} Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León was struck by an arrow that had been poisoned with Manchineel sap during battle with the Calusa in Florida, dying shortly thereafter."

Other websites referring to this fruit were all yahoo answers type sites along these lines: "Help! I just ate this fruit and now I'm afraid I'm going to die! What should I do?" No answers. 

With an elevated heart rate, but a calm demeanor, I asked M to read up on the subject and propose a course of action. Should we go to the hospital? Or stay at the hotel and wait to die? We decided  to stop by the office of the hotel. Surely the people of Costa Rica know all about this most dangerous of all fruits that grows so plentifully on their beaches and they will know what to do. 

I poked my head in the office and found Marlene who speaks very little English. She asked if I wanted tea, and I said no, and explained again. But she was very confused, so she ran to get her husband, Bernard, who was napping. He was groggy and in his boxers and just as confused as his wife. Turns out the word Manzanilla also means Chamomile (that explains about the tea!). They had never heard of the poisonous fruit kind of Manzanilla, so he asked me to show him on the internet. I pulled up the Wikipedia page, and he read out loud, his words punctuated by his loud gasping. He didn't know what to do, but he wanted to help, if only by reading aloud every website he could find on the subject. And loudly gasping in horror! At the same time, he and his wife were having a disagreement about whether or not I should go to the hospital. She said I should and she'd be happy to take me. He said I shouldn't. It would cost $100 and the doctors were young and wouldn't even know what this thing was. He went on and on. She eventually decided to call a doctor friend of hers, who reassured her that if I wasn't feeling the burning sensation anymore, I was probably fine. Meanwhile, M had taken the boys to the car, and they were waiting for me. I knew they were hungry, and so eventually, I left the owners with an address of a pharmacy where she suggested I go. He was still busy on the computer, and I suspect he kept googling for quite a while after I left! 

We went to dinner, and everyone was so tired that I decided not to bother with the pharmacy. We went back to the hotel, settled in for the night, and THANKFULLY woke up the next morning! haha

We got ourselves ready for the day and then headed over to the breakfast which they provided each day (who knew I would love beans and rice for breakfast everyday, by the way?). M and L ran ahead, and J and I toddled along behind. When I rounded the corner into the dining area, Marlene and Bernard dropped everything and ran to hug me, shouting, "She's alive!" 

With the danger past, they thought I was very funny, and very stupid. Bernard told me he loved me, because everywhere he had traveled, he had encountered strange fruit and always had the urge to taste it, but he'd always passed up the opportunity because he didn't know if it was safe or not. He was wiser than I! :) I think I'm a guest they'll never forget!

Costa Rica: Days 4-6

The next few days of or trip are a bit of a blur to me. We went to Beizanz Beach, which is a beautiful little cove where the water was warm and calm and we all had a great time playing. One awesome thing about Costa Rican beaches: SHADE! It is awesome for pigment-challenged people like us to be able to play in the sand in the shade and then go out for a dip in the water. Especially when it's about 99*F and the Equatorial Sun is baking you like a cake!

The next day, we went to Manuel Antonio National Park, and walked with a guide through the park to the beach. We were so glad we had a guide to point out the animals - we'd never have spotted them! 

That fuzzy ball in the center of the photograph below is a three-toed sloth! 

The dark spot through the branches in the upper center of the photo below is a family of Howler monkeys. There was a mother and two or three babies. 

Another sloth.

A white-faced capuchin monkey. 

We finally reached the beach! Woohoo! It was a long, long hike through the heat and humidity! The breeze felt amazing, and we were wowed by the scenery. There were iguanas on the beach, and we kept our eyes peeled for more monkeys, but didn't see any. 

When we first planned our trip to Costa Rica, L was so excited that we were going to the home of the Basilisk Lizard! He knew about this lizard from the show Wild Kratts, which is his favorite, and the special thing about the Basilisk is that it can run on water. He REALLY wanted to see one on our trip, but the places that people go to see them (where they're more common) are so remote that we just couldn't make it happen with two little kids. We had prepared L for the possibility that we might never see a real Basilisk in the wild. 

While we were at the beach, we had a picnic, and M went off to throw some stuff in the garbage can nearby. He ran back, excited, shouting, "L! Come quick! A Basilisk!" I couldn't believe it! There in the brush just off the path was a real, live Basilisk, perched on a tree. L sat there and watched him for 15 minutes or so. He wished he could see him run on the water, but just seeing one in real life was a treat, and L was grateful. He had prayed that morning over breakfast that we'd see lots of animals, and he knew this was an answer to his prayer. I have lots of photos, because this was a real highlight! :) Can you spot the Basilisk? He's well camouflaged!

My kids love the sand, at least as much as they love the water! L loved to "build castles," which really meant making a big pile of sand, since we didn't have any buckets or anything. The waves would splash around, and he'd direct us, "Mom! It needs more sand over here! HURRY!" or "The foundation is crumbling! We have to do something!" What a happy boy, just playing in the sand!

J was pretty happy too! He loved throwing sticks and little green apples into the water, and he was remarkably brave bobbing in the water with Mom and Dad. He's always loved to swim!

Next up, a funny story! :)

Costa Rica: Day 3

On our third day in Costa Rica, we checked out of our cabin and made our way to Proyecto Asis, which is an animal rescue center near La Fortuna. L and I stumbled across a video of this place on National Geographic Kids before our trip, and we decided to work it into the itinerary. We are so glad we did! It was awesome! First, we took a tour and our guide Adriana told us about all the different animals. Then they gave us a snack and helped us prepare a snack for the animals. Then we made our way around the facility again, feeding the animals bananas, watermelon, carrots, broccoli, etc. This was definitely the highlight! You feel much more of a connection with an animal when you feed it than when you just walk by and listen to someone talk about it! L was in heaven. I have some awesomely cute videos that I haven't edited yet because I know I won't do a great job. Do I have any awesome video editing sisters-in-law who might like to help me out on this one? :)

First up was Perla the Peccary. We got to feel her bristles and watch her run around. We learned that peccary herds range in number from 100 to 500 animals in the wild, and if you ever see one in the wild, climb a tree and wait! They have several peccaries at Asis, but we only got to see Perla because the others are too mean. Adriana showed us Perla's special "creature power" - a little bump on her back which, when pressed, squirts out a stinky smelling fluid. Eww! The other kids smelled, but L wisely declined. J was literally shaking with fear the whole time we stood near Perla.

Next came a beautiful toucan. The animals at Asis are there because they can't survive in the wild, usually because they became pets and then were abandoned or confiscated. Many of the birds had wing injuries that hadn't healed correctly and couldn't fly. We loved seeing these beautiful birds up close! We got to hear the macaw below say, "Hola!"

Next, we saw spider monkeys. It was so fun to see them swinging all around their enclosure. We got to hold their hands. Who knew that spider monkeys only have four fingers (and no thumb) on their hands?! At Proyecto Asis, they say, "High four!" so you can be just like a spider monkey. :)

Holding hands with the monkeys was so fun! Their fingers are so soft. L says, "Their fingers felt like the softest rubber ever! Sort of tough, but sort of bendy."

More macaws.

White-faced (capuchin) monkeys. These guys were so cute! L and J both enjoyed holding their tiny hands.

More spider monkeys. This guy gave me a nice view of his teeth. :)

Besides the wildlife living in captivity, there were plenty of wild animals hanging around, like this blue heron sitting on her nest, below. The daddy was perched nearby keeping watch for her. We also saw some caimans (small crocodiles), cranes, and a huge colony of leaf-cutter ants, busily making their way back and forth between their favorite tree's leaves and their home.

After we washed up, we munched on watermelon and pineapple, and then prepped the food for the animals. We got to feed most (all?) of the animals we'd seen so far. It was really fun. J kept helping himself to the chunks of fruit, which everyone thought was so funny. Every time we'd turn around, he'd have a mouthful! We tried to help him feed a monkey, but he was devastated when the monkey stole his banana chunk, or so it seemed! Poor guy!

After we made the rounds, feeding the animals, it was time to get on the road. We had a long drive to Quepos ahead of us. Quepos is a town on the Pacific Ocean, so we drove through the mountains, through the rainforest, through more of a desert, and finally to the coast. Along the way, we made sure to stop at "Crocodile Bridge." Aptly named, if you ask me! Between the crocodiles on one side and the speeding cars on the other, it was quite a harrowing experience for the parents of two busy little boys! We counted 35 HUGE crocodiles in the water below. We just couldn't believe their size! This is also the place where J learned what a crocodile says (clap! clap! with his hands).

After we stretched our legs looking at the crocodiles, we went to the nearby fruit stand for smoothies and fresh coconut water (from the coconut!), and then went on our way. The boys were great little travelers. We arrived in Damas (close to Quepos) around 5:30 that night, shortly before dark, and checked into the Kayak Lodge.

It was in a sort of weird location - no other touristy stuff around, just drive through a Costa Rican neighborhood and some palm groves, and then you find yourself at a hotel and kayak tour place! The owners, Bernard and Marlene, were SO NICE! We found all the people of Costa Rica to be warm and helpful and hospitable, but Bernard and Marlene especially. When we arrived, Bernard exclaimed that we were staying for SO LONG (4 nights) and had such a nice family that he would give us the family suite, which had a living room, a kitchen, two bedrooms, and a fantastic view of the mangrove forest where every morning white-faced monkeys swung through the trees, parrots flew from tree to tree, and iguanas basked on the balcony! It was awesome!

That night, we got dinner at the Bohemia Cafe where we met a Costa Rican baby that J enjoyed playing with. They had this great wooden xylophone which I'm still a little sad we didn't buy. J and L loved it and it was so much nicer sounding than the plastic and metal variety! :)

What a great day! We are so blessed!