¡Corcovado ~ The Wild Border!
By Sergio Espinoza Alfaro - Ambientalist and writer
Observe a herd of peccaries running in the jungle, listen to the cacophony of the reddish macaws, watch tapirs botching on the banks of rivers and streams, white-faced monkeys emulating oriole nests (emulating oriole nests?) between the dome of the trees, or the movement of the anteater extracting its appetizing delicacy of ants from the trunks.
This is a daily scene that can be enjoyed with dilated pupils in the bowels of the Corcovado National Park in the South Pacific of Costa Rica. Due to its biodiversity, this fenceless zoo is a delicacy for nature scholars from five continents. It concentrates 2.5 percent of the flora and fauna of the planet on an extension of 42.560 hectares.
Tourists and scholars enjoy the wild world. In this tropical region, the shade of the corpulent and centennial trees is amalgamated with the fresh sea breeze inviting a journey through the heart of the Costa Rican jungle.
When boarding a boat with an outboard motor in Drake Bay, the guide carefully reviews the safety mechanisms including the floats on the navigators chests.In addition to being orderly and skilled sailors, the «baqueanos» demonstrate English, French and Teutonic language skills to introduce newcomers into the wild and exotic world.
At the entrance to the National Park, you can experience the cordiality of the «ticos». The nature guardians, uniformed in khaki with widebrimmed hats, respond amicably and use the iconic Costa Rican statement: “Pura Vida.” At each step, the eager tourists live magical and unforgettable experiences. Among the undergrowth, tepezcuintes, coatis, eagles, pheasants, sloths, raccoons, toucans and more than 25 types of wild birds bob without flinching,.
The green and exuberant landscape of the Corcovado Park, in the 16th century, impressed the English pirate and corsair Francis Drake. According to legend, treasures accumulated by these English sailors, are hidden under the sandstones of the Osa Peninsula. Dare to cross this wild border?
