Still heading south or is it east?

During my trip south I wanted to make short hope since not only was I traveling with no other boats I was also still alone. The following are just a brief description of each anchorage. I have not uploaded any new picture but will do so when I have internet.

Punta Quepos very good anchorage. I anchored further into the bay because some of the rocks on Sarana guide seem to be miss placed. The main reason I went there was to avoid paying the anchorage fee for the first night I was there. Not much roll but some.

Manual Antonio park. One of the prettiest and clearest anchorages I have been to in Costa Rica. I was the only boat here for two nights and surrounded on three sides by jungle. It was quite rolly the second night. I got up at 5 and left for the next leg. I only paid one night and the ranger wanted to see my receipt to get back to the boat. He came after hours and looked out at me? I left at 6 that morning so no problem. The park was a very interesting place to walk around. They get hundreds of tourists a day but you still manage to see 2 and 3 toed sloths, monkeys, parrots, and the Jesus Crist Lizard was sort of a topper. I was told it is the only four legged animal that actually can walk on water. It walks on its hind legs so fast it actually walks on water. This is also the only area you can find Squirrel monkeys filling out my list of seeing all 4 types of monkeys.

Bahia Dominicalito it says it is a protected anchorage. Beautiful place right out of Napa Valley huge homes everything looks like Calif. Probably one of the top 5 worst nights of rock and rolling I have had. By far the worst since entering Mexico 2 yrs ago. Large swells and crosswave made for no sleep. I wanted to leave in the middle of the night but there were a lot of fishing nets I had seen them put out the evening before. I left at 4.45 when I could see the flags.

Bahia Drake I got there and I couldn't get off the boat. There was a 6+ ft swell coming through. Mystic Moon forwarded me the bouy weather report to verify what I already knew. I wanted to explore the park so I stayed. During anything but high tide the entrance to where you park the dingy had such huge breakers across it I didn't dare try to enter for three days. The swells were very steep and I would roll off the back side sideways. Bent part of my bow roller because of weird wave action. Once the swell calmed down I went to shore and had a great hike out to the point about 3 hrs away. Only saw green parrots and scarlet macaws. A lot of macaws. No Tucans I would have stayed longer but 5+ft swells were called for the next day. Don't know where they were coming from, but they were unusual.

I decided to go to Puerto Jeminez because the pirate surfer guys said I should. I love it here. It is a great town. As far as anyone can remember I am the first cruising sailboat to come here maybe since the new year. They can't remember the last one. I have been treated like a guest in the town by everyone. The Palms bar and motel has a two and a half little boy who is fluent in both Spanish and english. There is a little neighbor girl who is three, who isn't around right now, but she speaks enlish, spanish and some portugese. Really cool place. I was introduced to a Canadian who took me around the town to show me where to shop and then introduce me to the people she knew. I would definitely not pass this place up. I am going to spend a couple of days or more here then head up to Rincon. Everybody here says don't hurry to get to Golfito. There are a bunch of Tucans here. They are even just hanging out on the wires above the streets. One place I went the owner showed me two of the five thieves in town( really only five) and where not to go, bars on the left side of the road. While I was there one of them was trying to sell stolen DVDs he said were his brothers. Pretty entertaining. I even meet the ex ambassador to Tonga and Bolivia. He now owns a bar in town. Really cool older man. He owns an entire city block for his gardens and bar. He also has a bonsi collection back in Sausalito that has several 150 year old specimens that he has someone from Japan come over and take care of a couple of times a year.

Thats about it. I have not seen another cruiser since Ballena. Every anchorage I have had to myself. Actually a family on the beach in Manual Park were the only people I talked to since I left Panchita and Vida Libre. There is just no one down here. Both Equinox and Mystic Moon left Sunday for Panama. I wasn't here yet.

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Heading South

My overnight trip down to Bahia Bellena was pretty much uneventful. The only catch was I was by myself and I wasn't going to get there for about 20hrs. I stayed awake the whole trip except for four 15 minute timer naps. That is where I set the timer for 15 minutes and close my eyes. The timer goes off and I am awake, if I went to sleep at all. Once I arrive around noon I set the anchor and went to sleep. On the way in I had talked to friends on Mystic Moon and they had invited me to Isla Tortuga for Easter dinner and meet their son. I said I thought I would be too tired but thanks. I woke up 3 hours later and decided to make the six mile trip up to Tortuga. Had a great night and was very glad I went. They left for points south and I headed back to Bahia Bellena to be with Equinox and Lea Scotia . We went ashore and made a hike out to the point to look at rocky shoreline and a bunch of howler monkeys. Once we got back we had a great lunch at the Bar and Restaurant in the bay call Bahia Bellena Yacht Club. We spent two more days there pretty much enjoying the area and the food. Equinox headed south to Golfito and I headed to Isla San Lucas. the sight of an old prison. Somewhat like Alkatraz but a smaller scale. It was closed in 1997 but it looked like it had been closed for 30 yrs. The jungle had reclaimed its land. I only spent one night there and said good buy to Lea Scotia for a couple of weeks. I went back to Isla Tortuga to try and do some snorkeling and relaxing alone. I only spent on night because the wave action made in very uncomfortable. I was going back to Bahia Bellena. I wanted to be there for the Saturday organic market. It turned out to be a great find and bought a couple of weeks worth of veggies. While I was back there Panchita and Vida Libre were also at the anchorage so I went with them on the same hike as earlier to show them the monkeys, They were not disappointed, and again we had lunch at the yacht club. It would be the last, I was heading south the next day.

There was a lot of worrisome hype about thefts in Golfa de Nicoya. I had no problems and would recommend this are to everyone behind me. I had a great time, but I also always locked my dingy when I went ashore and put it up at night. I doesn't hurt to be cautious. I have updated picture file I sent to Picaso the link is on the side bar.

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Dolphins and Sunsets

It doesn't get much better that this. I have about 10 dolphins gliding through my bow wave while the sun slowly set to a beautiful orange hue. No green flash, I was hoping. The only thing better would be to have Helen here with me and not 3,000 mile away. Helen went home for a couple of weeks to see her mother and spend some time in Portland. Last year it was my turn this year hers.

I have been in Costa Rica for about 3 weeks and have spent most of my time around the Cocos area. Northern Costa Rica is not jungle green at this time of year that was one my big surprises. Most of it is brown until the winter rains begin in about a month or less. The low valleys are green with palm, mango and other ever green trees, but the hills are brown and bare. I have explored 4 different anchorages all having something a little different to offer. Playa de Coco is the hub of activity for the area. It has 3 grocery stores and two banks. Pretty much all that is important to me. Oh ya then there is Coconutz. One of the gringo hangouts. They have happy hour every day and beer and well drinks are only about a dollar and a half. Which for this area is a great deal. They also have Pizza and salad buffet with a movie on Wednesday. I made it there twice. Playa de Coco is also where you have to check in and out of Costa Rica. I then anchored in Playa de Panama. This is a very nice quite anchorage. A little more protection from the strong afternoon winds and waves. The only other attraction in Playa de Panama is a very nice small eco resort. Lea Scotia's relatives stayed there and had a fantastic time. I was able to make one inland trip with them to a Volcano Nation Park. Had a good time hiking through the true green jungle. We were very disappointed because we saw no wild animals, and hardly any birds. I then went back to reprovision (which is about double the cost of anywhere I have been)and meet up with Mystic Moon for a well deserved reunion, that lasted 3 days. Together we moved to Bahia Gaucayama a very small bay. Room for just a couple of boats. The snorkeling was supposed to be good, but the water clarity was not very good. There wasn't much to see. We did find a Sea Horse washed up on the beach giving us hope of seeing them in the water. They were too elusive. I then moved back to Coco for a couple of hrs to get a National Zarpe. This is a piece of paper letting me travel along Costa Rican waters for 90 days. When I was done with check out I moved out to Bahia Heuvos and meet up with Lea Scotia and Equinox the two boats I am traveling with right now. The water was a lot clearer but the temperature dropped to 72 degrees. I cleaned the boat bottom and that was pretty much my underwater adventures. We also had a power boat friend come into the anchorage Panchita. They will be there a few more days to check into the country then head our way. A schooner called R-Dreams share our anchorage very nice people coming up from Panama they share a wealth of information with us. After a short night stop back in Gaucamaya I am on my way heading south to Bahia Bellena. It is an overnight passage, the first I have done alone, but I am in the company of 2 other boats. The coolest thing about Costa Rica so far is the Monkeys. There are monkeys everywhere. Even in the town of Cocos. One night in Bahia Heuvos I watch 20 or more Howler monkeys play in the trees for about an hour about 15 minutes before sunset they all moved up the hill and sat there in about 5 trees looking west. I swear they were digging the sunset just like me. When the sun set they all dispersed down into the other trees. It was totally cool. So far I have seen three different types of monkeys. There are four types in Costa Rica so I am doing pretty good. That pretty much brings everything up to date for Jammin. Except for not having Helen here and what she, her family, and her mom are going through life is good down here in Costa Rica.

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