Costa Rica has no standing Army since 1948 security is maintained by a series of police forces, The OIJ and the National Police (Fuerza Pública) are Costa Rica’s two principal law enforcement bodies. Our guide claims some police are not too honest. Tourists in Costa Rica are those who stay more then 24 hours, the rest of us are classified as visitors who just participate in a day excursion.
Puerto Caldera is an island. It is one of the most important port cities in Costa Rica. Puerto Caldera often a host for cruise and industrial ships. It is set along the Gulf of Nicoya, Puerto Caldera is a residential area flanked by tropical dry forests down from the Guanacaste Mountains with stretches of sandy beaches.
Us visitors took a 90 minute bus ride to the Corobici River for a leisurely two hour lazy river float at the end of the dry season when the river is slow and low. The Corobici River flows through a tropical dry forest which origimates from the southern slopes of the Tenorio Volcano in the Guanacaste Mountains.
Most of us took the name of our excursion at its value; “Corobici River-Raft Float.” Ya the brochure said we might get wet. Every ride on water says you might get wet! We were told to sign a waver. OK, we’ll be floating on a uncontrolled river, assuming this was just an insurance regulation. Then we were told to put on a Life Preserver and Helmet, more insurance regulations. Then as we walk to the Rubber Rafts we are told to grab a paddle, “just for photos.”
Two hours later our Rubber Raft had six inches of water in it. We almost tipped over once and had an eight foot Crocodile dive under our raft! We were the second of eight rafts to enter the river and next to last to exit the river. Our raft was so heavy from all the water in our raft we were much heavier and therefore slower than other rafts.
WE ALL HAD A GREAT TIME! And what about those paddles; our raft pilot told us several times when to paddle hard for best route through the rapids! Great fun was had by all!
I have contacted the president of the Holland America Line and told him to change the wordage on this excursion to; “You will get wet!”
This was a very wet excursion. I had my phone and camera in plastic bags. I never had the opportunity to use my devices before I had to prepare for another white water rapid. The rafting service had a man with a camera along the river bank who took the following river photos. The lady behind me in the raft had her phone in a clear plastic case and took the photos of the eight foot Crocodile which dove under our raft, when we got too close for its comfort. OK, maybe the Crock may have only been six-and-a-half foot long! The consensus on our raft that the Crock was in the six to eight foot range!
Click to view the 18-Day Panama Canal Cruise blogs.
Copyright © 2023 JACK L. WINEGAR All Rights Reserve.
Jack's Travel Blog 