tully

My trip reports keep getting shorter and shorter over the years, but I thought I'd write up a quickie.

Spent 2 weeks down there end of June/early July. Another lost bag with AA, luckily found after 7 hours, got a voucher too so not too bad overall. Spent 1st night at The Alta Hotel. Was for the most part unimpressed. Beautiful building that needs some care, you're right on top of other surrounding homes and a staff that was very impersonal. Main positive was the proximity (about 50 meters) from the new Refugio Herpetologico, a nice way to spend an hour or so, cost about $7. Although I wasn't crazy that guests could touch the monkeys thru the cages.

Flew Nature Air down to Puerto Jimenez and spent first 2 nights on the Osa at El Remanso. Stayed in a garden side room which was very nice and private. Very open, you could close the doors and windows I guess but they are solid wood and it'd make it like a sauna. Nothing untoward showed up in my room except some moths. You are asked at breakfast your choice of 2 items for lunch and 2 items for dinner. The staff are all very friendly and always helpful. Took the guided hike with Gerardo, very good. We saw a juve fer de lance and a sock headed snake which had unfortunately been run over. Since my last stay there they have built 2 new overlook decks, very nice. All in all a very nice place to stay.

Next, over to Bosque del Cabo. This was my 10th trip there - do I need to say more?! I stayed the first 2 nights in Mariposa cabina, down at the end. Found the new surprise at the Vista overlook off the creek trail - a new deck with 2 loungers, heavenly! Then went into Puerto Jimenez for the night to meet up with mr & mrs shillmac, we all stayed at Cabinas Jimenez and had a great lunch at Carolina's and wonderful pizza at pizzamail.it for dinner. Had some laundry done at the little place up past Cabinas Thompson - 500 CRC per kilo, not bad! Next morning Bosque picked up the 3 of us before heading to the airstrip to pick up hipvirgochick. A quick shopping trip at BM and we were off again, back to Bosque for the next 7 nights at "home" aka Casa Miramar. Just like out last trip we quickly and easily moved in, and just as before had a hard time getting off that deck! We had a couple "friends" stop by, a couple of snakes, a scorpion and an incredible climbing very big crab. Couple of frogs as well, one decided to take a nap on my netting. We all raised a toast to Percy, who was with us in spirit if not in body.

Next week simply flew by. We did not do the Titi several times a day as planned, of course not! But we did do it a couple times, as well as the Pacific trail and waterfall, the Trogon, the Saino, Zapatero and Creek Trail (which we did twice sort of, the first trip was cut short to us not being able to figure out how to get down the first small waterfall). The Saino trail ended up being the most draining, each time we thought we were near the end we'd come to another ridge to go down - and of course go back up. That earned us a jump in the pool with clothes on once we dragged ourselves back to Miramar. Early one morning, hip spotted a Tayra in the tree right in front of the house, only there for a few moments but a thrill to see. Many more moments that involved laughing til crying, screaming, eating so well, hiking hard and sleeping good and impersonating a whirligig (that'd be me). We had perfect weather - hot and humid during the day and rains at night, couldn't have been better. So many great moments with great friends.

The staff, the grounds, the food, the astounding amount of wildlife, the owners, Philip the biologist and the beauty all come together in perfect harmony at Bosque. Which is why I'm planning #11 trip for Nov already!

The trip home was a little nerve-wracking. Don't want to say never but it is unlikely I will ever do the trip home from Puerto Jimenez back to the US all in the same day again. In the end I ended up making it to SJO with exactly 2 hours to spare but that had been closer to 4 hours in the beginning and was a little stressful way to end my trip. Since I was using FF miles I had to overnight in Miami and stayed at the nearby Hilton. Nice enough hotel although it was a shock to have left the Osa in the morning and walk into my room that night to find the ac set on 55!!

All in all a great trip, had such a wonderful time and this report ended up being much longer than I planned. Any questions please let me know. If I've mis-labeled any of my pics, please fill me in.



https://picasaweb.google.com/sheva07...eat=directlink

qwovadis

super nice report thanks for posting loved that owl...

artiejay

Enjoyed the report and pictures,especially all the frogs and snakes.Way cool on the snake eating the lizard-how wild is that!

Percy

Nice report .

Thanks for posting tully.

I think you are the Osa Expert now, 10 trips Wow !!!!

I loved the pictures, glad you managed to get a few of shillmac !!

trevorjoyce

Have been waiting for one of you to report! Spent a week in Puerto Viejo/Tortuguera and thought of you all! Can only imagine the fun you had and beauty you saw...Not to hijack this, but Percy, Oscar says "hello" so I hope you read this!

colibri

Enjoyed your report and love the photos - you took some very nice shots! Hoping to make my first visit there next May.

plumboy

Thanks, tully! Wow, a particularly snake-filled trip. Nice. Trip 12 in May, maybe??

Percy

trevorjoyce:

Thank you very much.

Gee,I did not think Oscar would still remember me !!!

Is he still as skinny as ever

Sorry tully, I do not mean to hijack.

I re-read your report again. The AC at 55 F, ( Brrr) I hope there were extra blankets in the room !

rivet

Nice report Tully! We met a few years ago when your group first stayed at Casa Miramar together. I was at BDC with my Mom, visiting my daughter who was interning at the Lodge at that time. Overlapped briefly with Cam who had brought along a friend from work. Glad you are all able to make the GTG each year. I am not surprised that your group is still booking Miramar. The view and the open air concept are amazing.

Sounds like things at BDC are just as lovely and relaxing as ever - I still think about that night hike with Philip - every time I get my hands on a flashlight now I am looking around for "eye shine."

Like you, we found Cabinas Jimenez a great place to visit, economical too, if extra days in the Osa are part of your plan. We stayed in room 7, quite small. Later moved to the separate bungalow, room 1 (?) which had really chilly air conditioning. A welcome relief!

tully

Thanks all, it was a great time and hope to rent the house again in 2013! Just booked my flights down for next trip, Thanksgiving will be spent on the Osa

Forgot to mention how much fun we had horseback riding. My horse thought it was a Derby runner and shillmac's was asleep the whole time I think.

Also, wish I'd had my camera handy when Maikol & Alan came to our rescue, removing a snake from the shillmac's room well after dinner time. We flagged them down in the road and they almost jumped at the chance to get the snake. I think hip got a pic though. It was quite the adventure that night.

Jaguarman

So glad you had a wonderful time. I was sad to have to change my plans to meet you for a hike. Perhaps next November when you return. Keep the Pura Vida alive in your heart!
Ballardo

Jaguarman

Oh, I think shillmac must have riden Tranquilo. That horse is s - l - o - w!

volcanogirl

Wonderful pics, t! Sounds like your usual amazing trip. Lots of good wildlife sightings!

tully

Yes Ballardo, I think that was her horse! I had a pretty dappled-gray one. We had a good gallop on the beach! Yeah maybe we can meet up when I'm down in Carate, will be there for 3 days.

parrmt

tully, I was hoping one of the group would post....I was so glad to see your post plus pics. Wonderful as usual. Beautiful pictures. I really hope to make it to the GTG one of these times. Toni

atdahl

Great report Tully. Glad that everyone had a great time. I loved all the pictures. The tayra and snake encounters looked awesome!

beachouse

I just loved your post..nice one

Dyer

I haven't been brave enuf to ask shillmac (but you just answered my fear - I mean - question). Shillmac said there was a snake, by the window, on some clothes. I was soooo hoping the clothes were on a table, OUTSIDE her room!!!!! Thanks for posting, tho. Tully

tully

Thanks again all.

Sorry Dyer, but yeah shillmac's chair was inside, as was the snake. It made itself quite comfy between some pillows and clothes. But on the bright side, it was "only" a boa It certainly made for an interesting night, emotions & spirits were high! At least my snake had the courtesy to settle on the balcony chair.

hipvirgochick

So glad you posted this tully! Sounds like you had a wonderful time and were hanging out with some really amazing people... ;-) So much fun we had! Love all the pics. Especially, our funky "albino" frog and Tayra. That Saino trail, whew! Wasn't that the third day of doing all hard trails. SO much fun though!

Plumboy -- Yes it was a very snaky and froggy trip! We visited the frog pond every night (you probably saw my pic of the snake approaching the little frog), found out a dinner a Ferdelance was spotted during the night tour right near the pond so Philip moved it. I also spotted an Allen's Coral Snake on the Pacific Trail. I think one night we came home to 10 frogs in our pool!

Percy -- Thank you so much for the generous donation to our booze fund! lol. I seem to have a rep here, but actually I think shillmac's hubby kept the lead the entire trip. We had a big toast to you my friend...maybe you'll make in 2013!