Places to Paddle tm |
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Our Route Summary
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Entry
Exit
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What We SawMy daughter and I took the two day trip. The trip from San Jose took about 2 hours and we stopped at the rafting company's restaurant on the way for breakfast. All meals included fruit, cassava chips, and usually sandwiches. This first day was about 2 hours on the river with many stops to hike side creeks and waterfalls. We rafted up to class III rapids with calm pools in between. At the beginning, our guide reviewed commands and what to expect down the river. It was just the two of us with one guide. The river is pristine and naturally flowing from the mountains eventually to the Caribbean sea. There were many canyon like sections with rivulets streaming into the river. We stopped at the rafting company's rustic lodge (picture above) for lunch and hiking. The overnight stay at the lodge was breathtaking. We hiked in the afternoon. Exotic house plants that we have in the United States were all growing wild in the forest there. Orchid and heliconia blooms were everywhere. In the rustic kitchen, our guide made dinner of rice, beans, and salad. After sleeping in cabins and waking to breakfast, we got back into the raft. This second section was very dramatic with steep canyon walls and falls shooting out of the sides into the river where we could paddle under the water and get a rinse. The water was cold but refreshing. We stopped many times to hike side rivers, see other waterfalls (picture at left) and swim in pools. At one point where the canyon walls had flattened out again there was a family of Indians living on the river bank. Two small children were playing on the rocks. There were no roads or other signs of "civilization". This was a long day with many class IV rapids, and we didn't get to the take-out until about 5 in the afternoon (with sore arms). The river had flattened out by the take-out and we were told it continued for about 5 hours to the Caribbean. Our guide was very pleased with us because the water level was low and many other rafters were getting stuck on the boulders where the river flow was very narrow but we had a great run with no problems. The drive in a bus to and from the river went through the Braulo Carillo National Forest with breathtaking views of the mountains and forest. Yes, everything you've heard about drivers in Costa Rica is true; they are crazy! Blooming impatiens grow wild all along the road. The other parts of the drive were past pineapple, coconut, and other agriculture crops. The bus guide always pointed out what to expect, what we were seeing, and where we were. |