Hiking Osa: PART3: Sharks and crocs

dani hiking south ©Philipp

We had a comfortabe night at the river camp. Some rainy clouds hit us during the night, but we could rest and the pain because of the wasps was gone at the next morning. We wouldnt make it during hightide to next and biggest river, this was our estimation. So we took it really easy in the morning, had even a breakfast and didnt start hiking before 9am. The marsh was similar to that one from the day before. Endless, hot and heavy. Still so wonderful that there are pipa palms along the way.
We got to the river during high tide. I was a little bit infront of Philipp and checked the situation. And this was a little shock. I saw the first crocodil swimming around as soon as I got there. Ok, it wasnt THAT big, but big enough for me. The current got much stronger before the river entered the sea and above the rapids were the crocs. Okay, what about the sea. This was probably the most scary thing. Lots, and I really mean many, of sharks showed their fins in the little delta. And those were occasionally very big. I would guess that this place was crowded from sharks from 1-4 meters. And they were right beyond the river entrance to the sea. So, if the current would have dragged you out, you were seafood. Philipp was astonished too and we were thinking about how to cross it. Building a raft perhaps? But the current was probably to strong. We decided to wait for the very low tide and watch the situation then. There werent any palms for shade and we decided to get back without the stuff to some palm trees with pipas.
The hours past by again and we returned in the afternoon. The level was much lower, the river much smaller. So we decided to cross in the crocodil area. One of us was watching, and the other one passed it really quickly.
The next Ranger camp was just some few kms away. But as soon as we got there a ranger rushed out of his cabin telling us that this past hike was forbidden etc etc etc. He wanted to call even the police. Haha. I got really pissed and told him about this corrupt ranger up north, the pictures and the lack of information. He calmed down and we had a pleasent stay at the camp. There we met 2 young from woman from CA who were hiking on some different trails than us. 3 Canadians stayed there too and we had some funny dice games in the night. We shared our last bottle of rum too--- with cold coke.
We were hiking farther south at the next day, to the exit of the park. Carate was the destinations name. We met some people but the hike was still great. Lots of animals. Aras, monkeys, snakes, etc. The highlight was a Jagurundi, a similar cat to that I had encountered some days before up north in Monteverde.
What a great feeling when we got to Carate and to its little plan strip. Only a little pulperia (grocery store) is there. We were waiting for a collector taxi to get to the big town of Pt. Jimenez. This was another tuff 2 hour ride on the back of a pickup truck. And it started to rain heavy. But even a bad ride has an end, and we got to the town where the bus back to San Jose would leave at the next morning. A cheap hotel, new dry clothes from one of the cheap stores, and we were ready to go out for dinner. Oh, we were hungry, had everything in a Mexican restaurant. Starter, meal, desert, beers and cocktails. Mjamh...
The bus ride took 10 hours at the next day. Still, we were exhausted, but it was worth it. What a trip!