Manuel Antonio National Park

Today I had breakfast at the hotel with just Werner and it was nice, which was surprising since the only person my age had been snide and confrontational to me. 

Then the group went to the Manuel Antonio National Park, the smallest of Costa Rican parks. The entrance was just a block away. Our park guide was Mauricio, who was good (though everything was, as usual, "guys" and "you guys"). 

Unfortunately,  I had put my phone in my other bag by habit and then left it and so I I couldn't take photos on the nature walk. But Mauricio had a tripod and scope so the photos taken by Carolin with Mauricio's help through the scope were much better than anything I could take. 

Casque or helmet headed lizard

Dutchman's pipe 

Central American Agouti  (20 in. long)

Tropical orb weaver

Charming hummingbird 

Giant red winged grasshopper

Two-toed sloth

Howler monkey looking a bit depressed 

Black Ctenosaur (24" long)

Green iguana

Wax tailed plant hopper

There were a lot of people (Daniel told me this was nothing compared to high season hordes where the line to enter goes all the way down the block), noise and the heat/humidity really got to me after 45 minutes (again, I hear it's nothing compared to March, for example). At the long-awaited bathroom I dumped water down my shirt and on my head (it didn't help).

I was eager to get into the warm ocean at the end of the tour though most everyone was distracted by the capuchin monkeys being cheeky. I watched one going through someone's bag. A woman brought food which is a violation of park rules; the four people inspecting our bags at the entrance had missed her food though they made Nuno get rid of his one-time use plastic bottle of water. The monkey got very close to this woman, much as I remember happened in Bali. Can people EVER behave themselves? Rarely.

The water was not that refreshing and I felt I was going to get sunburned so I left after a short time.

I went and got a papaya batido (smoothie) at a restaurant nearby called Buru and had a reunion with my phone shortly after that. 

A fun guest at the hotel pool

After showering I returned to the same restaurant and got great gazpacho and patacones (plantains) with beans and a Corona. Then a few folks from my group entered but they sat at a different table and I pretended not to know them. Or vice versa. I did eat dinner with them and it was pleasant enough but no stimulating conversation to me, as usual. 

Guess what! It was raining a lot today after 3:00.

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And who WAS Manuel Antonio? Daniel says no one seems to know even though the park was founded not that long ago.

 https://costa-rica-guide.com/nature/national-parks/manuel-antonio/