Day 5
Having lived for years a few miles from the Everglades and hosting many guests, means we’ve seen our fair share of croc-attractions. But below the bridge of one of the busiest highways in Costa Rica, we saw more crocodiles than we’ve ever seen in Florida.
On the edge of Carara National Park, in the Tarcoles River is one of the largest populations of American crocodiles in the world, a concentration of 25 per square km. Sure you can take a tour boat to see these big fellas or you can just take your life into your own hands, go to a bridge on the busy highway 34, and see them there.
The view of the Tarcoles River from the bridge was spectacular.
Curiously we drove past this spot on our first day while driving to the coast and saw people peering off the highway bridge. We even stopped here to grab some Cheetos, never knowing what was swimming a few yards away. We were a bit too travel weary and eager to get to our new digs.
Less than a week later, we returned to that same spot to peer over the bridge. From a distance they looked like a cluster of floating logs. Cali counted over 40 crocologs in the river below. It’s a little unnerving as the semi’s sail by you only a few feet away. Probably why these croc hang out in that location, the possibility of a yummy tourist buffet. I held onto the kid remembering how my mom held on to my brother’s belt loop at the Grand Canyon when we were little. Comparable on the danger scale.
Rumor has it that recently a group of young drunk men from Nicaragua were playing a game of dare involving walking through the crocs which didn’t end well, I’m guessing for the slowest one. I hope it’s pure folklore.
Costa Rica has been full of surprises. We stopped in the little pueblo of Tarcoles to have our picnic on the beach.
The day began with us behind a blue student mover and ended with us behind a blue cow mover. This truck had an extremely narrow wheel base carrying two large cows. With every turn of the windy road, the cows would do a little tap dance to keep their balance. I kept muttering, “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” with every unstable turn. A cow-tipper on wheels.
Good, unusual day, our favorite kind.