Having been way too busy and getting fat behind the keyboard, I am starting to hike now. I have always explored a lot around our reforestation projects - sometimes on horse, a lot of times on foot. A square kilometer is a lot of nooks and crannies!
However, both of these fincas were pretty much deforested when we bought them, and not growing up here in Costa Rica, I really don't have a very good feel for what a undisturbed rainforest looks like so have decided to explore some around us.
Thankfully, near us is a very large one, with many different ecosystems. It is called Juan Castro Blanco Parque de Agua (Juan Castro Blanco Water Park)
We noticed a new path one day just outside of Aquas Zarcas called Sendero El Nispero. I decided this week to go back and explore it.
The first thing I noticed, besides the fact that I don't go up elevations as well as I once did, is that they used the most beautiful wood for the steps - really just slabs of wood. I think they are nispero. Very hard, and a deep red. Very beautiful wood.
The trail is very well maintained but don't do it unless you are pretty physically fit - almost nothing is flat - it goes up and down. It follows a ridge line for a bit, and then drops down to a mountain stream which has a very nice waterfall. Really beautiful.
I returned back up from the waterfall and noticed another trail heading further up ridge. In just a short distance was a massive Nispero (I think it is a Nispero) - at least 7 feet in diameter.
Lots of very interesting trees. I didn't see many birds, but I heard many. I was looking for animal tracks, but didn't see as many as I would have liked - I see many more on our second finca down by the river. Probably if I walked the river I would see many more tracks.
I did see one snake on the trail - pretty small and black, and fleeing me which means that I liked it. 
With the excursions to the side it was about 2 1/2 hours going at a pretty good clip. My legs were feeling it when I finished, but for someone who hikes frequently for long distances it shouldn't be very bad.
One interesting thing to me in more mature rainforest is that you can pretty easily walk through them. Really remarkable. No bushwacking is necessary. It is the edges of the forest that are nearly impassable.
Last edited on Fri Feb 3rd, 2006 11:12 pm by Fred Morgan
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