As planned, Steve and I made a trip to Costa Rica January 15 – 18, 2005 to check out the proposed work site at El Cornelio and evaluate logistical considerations.

To sum it up in one word….WOW! I’m happy to report that our trip was an overwhelming success, and we’re going forward with plans for a work trip with one major change to the original plan - the date. Instead of June 2005, we’re now looking at February 2006. The primary reason for the change is the weather. June is a transitional month into the rainy season, and access to the Reserve is extremely difficult, even under ideal conditions. I will elaborate on this point later in the text, but it warrants repeating here; getting into and out of the Reserve at El Cornelio IS NOT like driving to, and hiking in, Shenandoah National Park. It’s a 2 ½ hour jeep ride followed by a sometimes grueling 3 -4 hour trek, a good portion of which is an off-trail bushwhack through primary rainforest, down a continuous slope of about 30 degrees. No kidding. For you hearty souls who are still interested in a trip this year, I may return again in June or July for a few days. Let me know if you’re interested in this no-frills option, and I’ll give you the details.

The other reason for the date change is to allow time for our new friends at FUNDECOA to prepare for our visit, and to secure the required government approval for the projects we’re planning.

On to our report…

Saturday Jan 15th

After a restful and refreshing three hours sleep, we departed Alexandria for our 6:00 am flight from Washington to New York. A sleepy walk around JFK delivered us to our gate for the non-stop 5 hour flight to San Jose. Steve practiced his Spanish on the flight and I slept. San Jose has a surprisingly modern airport, and we cleared customs and immigration in short order. A quick stop at the ATM to exchange dollars for colones, and we hopped into a cab for the 20 minute ride to our hotel in the relatively quiet northern San Jose barrio of Otoyo. After checking in, we struck out to for food and beer. Finding tasty burritos and cold cervesa, both enjoyed in quantity, it was back to the hotel to meet Klaus, our initial in-country contact. Early evening was spent on a walking tour of San Jose.

Sunday Jan 16th

Up at 6:00 am with directions supplied the night before, we found our way to the public bus stop. For about 60 cents apiece, we left San Jose on a reasonably modern but very well worn bus for the hour long ride to the village of San Ignacio de Acosta. We were immediately met by our hosts Adilio and Ivan, volunteers representing FUNDECOA, and our guides for the next 48 hours. For those of you which may have forgotten, FUNDECOA is a volunteer conservation organization (Fundacion Ecologica del Cornelio de Acosta). After a stop at the village market for food (and stares from the locals as the presence of foreigners in Acosta is unusual), and a quick bite to eat at the village soda (fast food) we piled into an aging Toyota 4x4 driven by the comically non-verbose Gordo for a 2 ½ hour bounce-fest through the mountains. What Gordo lacked in the way of light conversation, he more than made up for with his driving skills. The road was at best similar to SNP fire roads, passing a number of progressively smaller villages, and ending on a high plateau at just under 8,000’.

Here we began our walk. At first on an irregularly maintained trail over ridges - steadily down hill but with fantastic views and interesting scenery, we descended through an area that had once been farmed and is now being allowed by the landowner to revert to its natural state. After an hour or so, we took a short break before entering the rainforest, and here the scenery changed dramatically. Gone was the trail, and I do mean any trace of a trail, with the route becoming precipitously steep and having the added bonus of wet leaves, foot-snagging vines, dense jungle growth and spine-bearing trees waiting to be grabbed for support. Also present was the most amazing profusion of natural growth I’ve ever seen. Things were growing ON other things, everywhere. Adilio informed us that this was primary rainforest, and as such, remained intact and without any sign of human interference. Amen to that. Crossing a small stream, Rio La Dicha (which Adilio assured us becomes a raging torrent in the rainy season) we entered the protected area of Reserva El Cornelio.

Progress slowed as we continued our descent down the unimproved 30 degree slope, and we stopped frequently to rest and observe the significant items of flora and fauna noticed by Adilio or Ivan which seemed to occur every 50 feet. As we rested, they explained the botanical significance and/or medical usage of whatever we had encountered; or strained to catch a glimpse of whatever our passage had disturbed in the forest. An hour and a half was spent covering the final mile or so, due primarily to the terrain, but also in no small part to our time spent observing the incredible biodiversity.

By mid-afternoon, after 3+ hours hiking downhill, we arrived at the base of FUNDECOA’s operations at El Cornelio; a medium sized wooden structure not unlike many PATC cabins, situated at the head of a meadow and surrounded by mountains rising all around. A tin roofed structure originally home to a small family farming in this remote area, it has a central dining/living room, two small bedrooms with bunk space for four, and a bathroom with cold shower. Cooking is done on a wood burning stove arrangement outside under a large connected overhang. There is plenty of room on the wooden floor inside for sleeping, as well as a small cleared tent site area outside.

We continued becoming acquainted with our new friends, discussing their work over the last 11 years protecting El Cornelio, and our work with PATC. Despite their basic English skills and our similarly basic Spanish skills, communication never seemed to be a problem. A very enjoyable afternoon was spent looking at maps and discussing trails projects and maintenance techniques.

As the afternoon progressed, we decided a short hike was called for. Just outside the front porch, a hill covered by tall grass rises sharply, and we began to climb. As the sun began to set, the forest came alive with the sounds of wildlife, most notably innumerable birds and howler monkeys. We sat on the side of the hill for a bit, watching backlit clouds over the Pacific Ocean in the distance, with the sun casting an orange glow on the forest canopy in front of us. In my opinion, the half hour or so we spent there made the whole trip worthwhile.

Returning to base camp, we made dinner - rice, noodles and a tomato sauce with tuna, washed down with a fresca Adilio made from naranjillo fruits he found on our evening hike. Followed immediately, of course, by the passing of a bottle of Cacique – a Costa Rican hooch made from sugarcane.

While the temperature during the day was warm, the evening temp was quite mild (bordering on cool – very nice). Having had a long day, we were in our sleeping bags by 10:30 or so. Numerous insects of the biting variety, made the night, um….interesting. NOTE: Steve’s plan of ignoring them doesn’t make them go away.

Monday Jan 17th

After achieving a somewhat restful, well, rest “state” at around 6:40AM, we arose at 7:00AM and packed. Breakfast was coffee, sausage and eggs. After sweeping up and doing the breakfast dishes, we set out around 8:30 on our hike out of El Cornelio. Immediately returning to the forest, we made a small climb up, followed by an hour-long bushwhack over moderate terrain following a ridge. Probably one of the more enjoyable parts of our walk from a pedestrian perspective, it was here we saw white-faced capuchin monkeys in the canopy, and a large variety of bird species.

Reaching the opposite boundary of the reserve, we continued to gradually descend through a secondary rainforest not quite as undisturbed as the day before, and here the forest changed again. As the terrain became steeper, again approaching a 30 degree slope, we eventually emerged from the forest into farmland, descending a steep hillside once covered in sugarcane, but now allowed by the landowner to be reclaimed by the adjoining forest. Although out of the forest, we were not at a loss for things to see. The view had opened all the way to the Pacific, with wildflowers lining our route. Passing a small sugarcane farm, we found a road of sorts and continued to descend. After a couple miles walking on the road and crossing numerous barbed wire stiles, we sighted Gordo and his Toyota waiting for our arrival, ending another 3+ hour descent. After a quick drink of water, we tossed our packs on top of the 4x4 for the ride back to Acosta.

While glad to be off our feet, the ride in Gordo’s 4x4 quickly became a literal pain in the ass as we bounced down the mountain road. The parts where the road is washed out on both sides - leaving the occupants in the back wondering only which side they’ll go careening down - were a little exciting. The 4x4 ride lasted a little over 2 hours this day, and we were once again back in San Ignacio de Acosta.

Upon our return to Acosta, and with typical heartfelt Costa Rican hospitality, Adilio invited us into his home for refreshments. After meeting his family (who provided an excellent meal), and pet squirrel, it was time to head back for San Jose. We were spared the bus ride, as Ivan generously offered to drive us back to our hotel. Arriving back at Hotel Vesuvio, we enjoyed hot showers and a chance to get cleaned up. Despite plans to the contrary, we were both falling asleep by 8:00pm.

Tuesday Jan 18th

Having a few hours to kill before our mid-day departure, we wandered back downtown to soak up the city scene and look for souvenirs on the bustling Avenida Central. Following the purchase of a wooden mask (barter!) and a lengthy hunt for elusive monkey earrings, we returned to the hotel to catch an airport-bound cab.

In summary, the 2006 trip will be a fantastic opportunity to do the following:

Experience the REAL Costa Rica, not the one that tourists see.
Work with friendly Costa Rican volunteers, and maybe learn a few words in Spanish.
Help a group of volunteers to establish the core of what may become a Costa Rican national park in the future if plans to expand the reserve succeed.
See an amazing array of interesting flora and fauna.
Get LOTS of exercise. Hiking in to the FUNDECOA base at El Cornelio with a full pack and trail tools will be a character-building experience. Considering the limited accommodations, we should plan to carry in our own tents (while daytime bugs were not bad at all on this trip, good protection from blood-sucking fauna at night is KEY).

The trail projects will focus on improving the existing “trails”. This will entail clearing vegetation, the establishment of level tread, and the installation of steps and waterbars for some of the steeper spots. Rock is limited, so we will likely use wood for much of the construction. Adilio has identified a species of tree that is somewhat rot-resistant (no small feat in the tropics) for this use. They will have a power saw(s) at the reserve, but we will need to provide hand tools such as picks and mcleods. We may be able to ship these items ahead, simplifying the logistics a bit. Adilio would also like to make some improvements to the refuge building itself, so we can help with that if people are interested. We will probably spend 3 full days in the reserve (4 nights), allowing time for relaxation, beer consumption, and touristy endeavors.

So, what’s next? We will continue to work with our FUNDECOA friends on the details. I hope to provide dates and a final itinerary in the next couple of months, after which I will need commitments from interested people by late summer. The cost of the trip will likely remain around $700.

We’ve uploaded over 100 pictures from our trip to the following website:

http://www.snapfish.com/share/p=312201106273091185/l=40931999/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

To view the album, Snapfish requires you register by providing your name, email address and selecting a password. It’s totally painless, and they don’t send spam. Plus, once you see the pictures, I’m sure you’ll agree it’s worth the effort!! A high speed internet connection is recommended.