On our fifth and last morning on the trail, Lewis tried to eat the rest of the food so we wouldn’t have to carry it. How noble a man!
I slept wonderfully last night, despite minimal padding between me and the ground. The ocean pounded and cicadas buzzed — a strange mix of forest and sea that drove away thoughts that might keep me awake. On the outside of my mossie net this morning I found a fat, three-inch caterpillar, a black beetle and a 1.5-inch spider, along with a peppering of ants.
We packed up and walked the final 3.5 kilometers in the usual brutal sun, and made it to Carate in half an hour.
Before we leave the rainforest, I’d like to say something about my experience there, if you don’t mind. I hope I don’t bore you.
A couple days ago Lewis encountered a birder who was disappointed in Sirena, saying it was “overrated.” I’ve been pondering that idea, relative to my own reactions to the place. I think the word “biodiversity” suggests a Disney landscape with multicolored serpents dangling from branches and exotic mammals peering from behind massive, glistening leaves — like nursery school wallpaper.
The reality is much more subtle. When I’d gaze into the woods I felt like I wasn’t seeing much at all, except a collage wet green shapes. But in fact, I was seeing too much for my brain to comprehend. In one eyeful I was probably looking at fifty plant species that were hiding dozens of bird species and hundreds of insect species and a few mammals… and all I saw was green.
And that’s just the visual part. The smells and sounds and sensations are just as complex and layered. It’s ironic that we notice a dearth — where are the anteaters and macaws and coral snakes? — rather than realize we’re on sensory overload.
Let’s play a game. Here are some pictures I took of jungle creatures. See which you can spot.
These guys are designed not to be seen. Another cool thing is that, though living things are abundant beyond comprehension, there’s no guarantee you’ll see any of them. Again, that may be disappointing if you’re expecting something else, and yet the uncertainty is ultimately more rewarding. I wouldn’t have been a fraction as thrilled at seeing the mountain lion if it was something everyone experienced. I wonder if, on reflection, that birder would agree.
I’ll bet you’re having a hard time with the photo on the left.
Anyhow, I’m done; that’s all I have to say about that. Now let’s talk about M&M’s. Because my cameras were still dead, I had nothing to do with my hands while we waited for the colectivo, so I bought and ate four packs. We discovered that in this climate, M&M’s do, in fact, melt in your hand.
Finally the colectivo arrived and we bounced our way back to Puerto Jiménez by 11:00 a.m.
We went right to Café la Onda (which means “vibe” in Spanish) whose chocolate chip cookies and lattés I’ve been craving for five days. For the first time all week, we were too tired to go on our nighttime reptile hunt. I endured a cold shower and retired early in the same room I had before at Oro Verde.
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