by Jason Bowles | May 29, 2021 | Jason, North America
One of the attractions of Drake Bay is its proximity to Corcovado National Park, on the Osa Penninsula in southwest Costa Rica. More than 20 years ago, Stacy and I backpacked into Corcovado from the south, an arduous journey in the heat and humidity, 20 kilometers from Carate to Sirena station. While hiking from Drake Bay is still a possibility, San Pedrillo station in the north of the park was only a 45-minute boat ride away. In the company of Randall, a local naturalist guide, we were only allowed 3 hours in the park–new COVID regulations.
Looking for wildlife in Corcovado National Park.
Our path took us mostly through the rain forest, but occasionally we would venture out from under the canopy onto the beach which was always nearby. Randall did an excellent job finding plants and animals in the rainforest that eluded Stacy and me when we were on our own, just trying to make it to our destination. In addition to leaf-cutter ants and various mushrooms, he was particularly passionate about bird life. With his spotting scope, he was able to get us in close to numerous birds, including a few scarlet macaws! We also saw numerous tent-making bats, roosting under the large leaves they were able to shape into a natural tent. Unfortunately, the new COVID regulations did not allow us enough time to hike up to a nearby waterfall.
by Jason Bowles | May 28, 2021 | Jason, North America
Love the La Paloma Beach House! Tropical seclusion is not so easy to find anymore, yet here we are with two private beaches tucked up against the rain forest near Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica. The house sits up above the beach, a 15-minute walk down the coastal trail that continues from the La Paloma Lodge all the way through Corcovado. In addition to modern conveniences like air-conditioning and drinkable water, it has a spectacular deck overlooking the ocean as well as the tools to enjoy the remote setting. Well equipped with a cooler full of drinks on ice, beach chairs, and boogie boards, it was easy to spend a day “marooned” on our private beaches.
Cousins on the beach
by Jason Bowles | May 22, 2021 | Jason, North America
While Stacy and I have hiked it before, May 22, 2022, would be the first Rim-to-Rim hike for Alex and Maile. We organized a large group of friends, most hiking North-to-South but a few were hiking in the opposite direction.
Starting the Rim-to-Rim hike.
Daunting statistics: North Rim-to-South Rim = 23.5 miles, 5761 feet of elevation loss followed by 4380 feet of elevation gain. Fortunately, it was unseasonably cool on May 22, 2021, which made conditions for the hike optimal. It was quite windy and cold on both rims, but in the canyon it was ideal. Near freezing at the top, it was low 90’s at Phantom Ranch, 10 – 15 degrees cooler than normal at this time of year.
Roaring Springs, May 22, 2021
Maile at Roaring Springs, Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim hike
Crossing the river on our Rim-to-Rim hike
We did it! Rim-to-Rim in a day, May 22, 2021.
by Jason Bowles | Mar 14, 2021 | Africa, Jason
I last dove the Red Sea 25 years ago. I recall clear, warm water with vibrant coral and fish life. Of course, that was in October. March is still considered winter in Egypt, and the water hasn’t started to warm up yet. Even in a wetsuit, the Red Sea in March is brisk. A full 5-mm wetsuit was just barely enough as the water temperature was only 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 C). Unfortunately for us, the wind was blowing constantly which made exiting the water and removing wetsuits a little chilly. Still, we had a great time with Aquarius Diving Club.
Maile and Megan posing with clownfish
Alex diving the Red Sea
by Jason Bowles | Mar 14, 2021 | Africa, Jason
We were originally scheduled to see the sights of Upper Egypt on a Nile Cruise. Stacy and I have traveled in Egypt twice before, and have experienced both cruising on the Nile and travel by local train. Cruising is the most popular, and on previous trips, it was common to see dozens of ships disembarking passengers at every site. Given the pandemic, we chose not to risk the close quarters of a river cruise and decided to make the journey overland.
We met our guide, Walid, in Cairo and he flew with us to Aswan. After the sights in and around Aswan, we drove north to Luxor, stopping along the way to see temples at Kom Ombo and Edfu. The Temple of Horus at Edfu is the best-preserved temple in Egypt as well as one of the largest. It is just over 200 kilometers from Aswan to Luxor, but traveling along the Nile with stops to enjoy the major temples, it took most of a day to reach Luxor. Here, we spent a day on the east bank (Karnak and Luxor temples) and a day on the west bank (balloon ride at sunrise, Valley of the Kings, and Hatshepsut’s temple). After these sights, we dropped Walid at the airport to fly home to Cairo and we drove the 300 kilometers to Hurghada.
