Cruising from Costa Rican
wilderness to the Panama Canal
BY FRAN GOLDEN
It was the banana the monkey was
interested in, but I couldn't
take my eyes off the long
fingers of its dark hands as it
reached for a treat.
I was holding the monkey at
Canas Blancas animal sanctuary
on the Golfo Dulce (Sweet Gulf)
of Costa Rica, and it felt an
awful lot like I was holding a
toddler - I even found myself
rocking the animal on my hip.
I had come here to get up close
with nature, and this was about
as close as you can get.
My exploration of the coasts of
Costa Rica and Panama was on the
100-passenger expedition ship
Pacific Explorer. The ship took
us mostly to places where we did
not encounter other tourists -
there are few roads in these
parts.
But there were howler monkeys,
their cry deep and threatening,
and white-faced capuchin monkeys
swinging from trees. We saw tree
sloths that looked a lot like
women's wigs, their hairy bodies
high in trees; bright red
macaws; toucans with bright
yellow beaks, and more. We kept
our binoculars always at the
ready.
Aboard the ship, our routine was
quickly established. Cruise
mostly at night - the seas were
sometimes rough, and rocking in
bed felt a lot better than
standing - and hike during the
day, with most of the treks of
the easy variety.
At each stop, we used inflatable
Zodiac rafts to get to shore -
clumsy to get into and out of at
first, but by the end of the
trip, throwing our legs over the
side seemed routine.
Mud and wetness were factors in
our exploration - not
surprising, since we spent a lot
of time in the rain-forest. The
crew had developed a quirky
system to deal with muddy, wet
shoes: You leave them on deck,
where they are washed down with
a hose and then taken to the
engine room to dry.
Simplicity works best in a place
with no Internet access, no CNN,
no stores or even restaurants.
The one exception was Manuel
Antonio National Park in Costa
Rica, which has a small tourist
town nearby - those of us who
wanted to test our Spanish
ordering cerveza (beer) walked
over there after our hike.
One day, we were the only humans
on a tiny island in Panama's
Coiba National Park, home to the
richest waters in Central
America. Our naturalist guides
led snorkeling tours with
sightings that included sea
turtles and reef sharks (and
tiny, stinging jellyfish).
Kayaks were brought down from
the ship, and a friend and I
paddled around the island a
couple of times before settling
into one of the canvas chairs
the crew had set up along the
pretty, sandy beach.
Later, dolphins and a pair of
whales were spotted off the
ship, the captain maneuvering
the vessel to give everyone a
view.
The most remote stop on our
itinerary was in the Darien
jungle, the huge, protected
forest that separates Panama and
Colombia. Here we visited an
Embera village, where 100 people
or so live a traditional
rain-forest life for the most
part, complete with huts on
stilts (there is a limited
amount of electricity).
This wasn't a tourist trap where
they turn on satellite TV when
visitors leave, but the real
thing. The Pacific Explorer is
the only ship to visit, and the
villagers otherwise subsist
mostly on hunting with bows and
arrows and fishing.
The villagers greeted us on a
beach, the women clothed only in
skirts and beads, the men in
loincloths. All had tattoos.
Machine-gun-toting Panamanian
guards patrolled nearby, keeping
an eye out for drug smugglers,
who are known to pass through
the jungle.
The chief greeted us in Embera,
which was translated by a tribe
member into Spanish and then by
a crew member into English.
"The community of Embera people
are happy to see you arrive
here," he pronounced.
Dancing ensued to live music -
drums and wooden flutes - the
dancers more shy than exuberant
as they moved their feet to the
beat and invited passengers to
join in.
An impromptu market followed,
with the natives selling
handmade baskets and carved
wooden creations for U.S.
dollars (the money is used
mostly to support education).
The next day was completely
different: We found ourselves at
the man-made wonder that is the
Panama Canal. After touring the
excellent Miraflores Locks
Visitor Center and watching a
Princess cruise ship slowly
traverse the locks, we boarded a
small boat, the Isla Morada
(once owned by Al Capone, who
used it to smuggle booze on the
Great Lakes) for our own partial
crossing.
In a 1,000-foot lock, we were
lowered to the next level,
watching 26 million gallons of
water flow into the chamber at 3
million gallons per minute.
It was fascinating, but my mind
wandered back to the monkeys and
my time away from civilization.
Nature lovers find just enough
comfort for going coastal
The Pacific Explorer is the only
ship in the Cruise West fleet
not owned by Cruise West - it is
owned by Costa Rica-based
Temptress Cruises. As expedition
ships go, it's a comfortable
ship with several public rooms
done up in nice, tropical
colonial furnishings.
Cabins are tight but have
attractive dark-wood cabinets
and twin- or queen-size beds.
The small bathrooms have corner
showers. Deluxe cabins (there
are four) offer more space and
the addition of a sofa bed that
can sleep a third passenger.
All cabins boast picture windows
you can open. The problem is,
most on our cruise were stuck.
And there were other minor
faults including a shortage of
hot water for showers.
Most meals were served in the
open-seating dining room with
Costa Rican dishes, including
rice and beans and such
international favorites as
grilled fish and beef
tenderloin. Dinner is a
four-course affair.
Culinary highlights were the
three deckside buffets - one
with paella and gazpacho,
grilled chicken and chorizo
sausage.
The Costa Rican and Panamanian
crew was always friendly but not
always sharp - special requests
were met in the dining room, but
not promptly.
The ship is most appropriate for
those who want to see nature and
can get beyond minor
inconveniences. One passenger
enthused that the experience was
like "summer camp for grownups,"
and that attitude seems about
right.
Particularly impressive was the
presence of four naturalist
guides, each with his own
specialty: sharks, birds and so
forth. Their enthusiasm was
contagious as they recapped each
day's finds at a nightly
cocktail party in the ship's
pleasant, open-air lounge, high-fiving
each other after making their
presentations.
The ship also has a resident
massage therapist offering
inexpensive massages and early
morning yoga classes - a rarity
on this type of small vessel.
IF YOU GO ...
Cruising there: The Pacific
Explorer offers nine-night
itineraries, November through
April, between Los Sueños, Costa
Rica, and Colón, Panama
(including a pre- or post-cruise
overnight at the Courtyard by
Marriott in San José, Costa
Rica). The ship visits Manuel
Antonio National Park, Caletas
Beach and the Golfo Dulce in
Costa Rica, and Coiba National
Park, the Darien jungle, the
Panama Canal (partial crossing),
Portobelo and the San Blas
Islands in Panama. Cruise-only
fares run from $3,799 to $5,599
per person; two-week land/cruise
packages go from $5,299 to
$7,099 per person. Fares include
most excursions, as well as soft
drinks (alcohol is extra). In
the few cases where there are
additional excursion
opportunities, they are
reasonably priced - for
instance, a $55 zip-line tour of
the forest canopy. Passengers
receive an information-packed
folder before each trip,
including a "suggested reading"
list.
Special cruises: The March 26
and Dec. 8 sailings are
designated Pentax Photography
cruises. Photographer Kerrick
James will be onboard conducting
photo workshops and leading
field trips.
Getting there: Continental
Airlines (www.continental.com)
offers flights to San Jose,
Costa Rica, and Panama City,
Panama, through Newark.
For more information: Call a
travel agent or visit
www.cruisewest.com.
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The author makes a new
friend at Canas Blancas animal sanctuary on the Golfo
Dulce in Costa Rica. |
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