We have been in Costa Rica for a few days now... what a green and luscious place... and it’s the dry season!

 

We heard that checking-in here was a bit of a nightmare, so used the services of Banana Bay marina, and are using one of their mooring balls. The check-in still took a few hours and cost $200 for the service, $60 for a quarantine clearance and another $60 for a notarized statement from Mike, saying that he is the owner of the boat. (Time2 is registered to a company).

 

But we are happy to be here. The people are very friendly and helpful and the town is big enough to get things we need - like oil and a few odd parts. Mike continues to be busy with maintenance - yesterday put in the new alternator and is currently replacing the gas bbq regulator. We also had a local guy do some repairs to our flybridge chairs.  The vegetables and fruits here are amazing ... the little market up the road has mountains of fresh produce at reasonable prices - so I am in salad heaven.  Golfito was the original shipping hub for the banana trade, but that industry has all but died here and the main income is from fishing (both local and sports fishing) as well as eco lodges - there are two large nature reserves close by.

 

This morning we went on a 20km dinghy trip to a wildlife sanctuary called Silvestre de Osa, which is inside one of the reserves. An American woman has been rescuing wild animals for years and here she rehabilitates those that can go back into the wild, or provides a safe sanctuary for those that can't. Sadly many of them can't, as they were were pets before they were confiscated or abandoned, and do not have the life skills to make it out in the jungle. She has a number of monkeys (Capuchin, Howler and Spider);  Sloths;  Kinkajou (racoon'ish);  Tayra (badger'ish);  Peccary (wild pig); Toucans and Macaws.  And for those of you who play "Wild Birds".. the macaws sound exactly like that!  There is a spider monkey called Sweety that follows the tour around, climbing on people's laps and pointing to exactly where she wants to be scratched. She lives outdoors and forages for food, but seems to be happier hanging around the humans, than finding her own troop.

 

In the next day or so, we will start heading up the Costa Rican coast.