San Jose to Drake Bay (Osa Peninsula)

I was standing outside the Tracopa bus station in San Jose at 4:20 this morning, tired and completely alone.  They didn't open the doors until 4:40 (they are supposed to open at 4), or start selling tickets until 4:50.  Ugh.  I read that it is better to get tickets the day before because it can get crowded and since I didn't arrive in San Jose until after the ticket office closed I was paranoid that there wouldn't be a seat for me and I wouldn't make it to Drake Bay today.  There was plenty of room on the bus.  But whatever, I wouldn't have been able to sleep anyway wondering if I would get a ticket.

After the 6 hour bus ride to Palmar Norte I got a taxi to Sierpe, and then it was just a short wait until the captain was ready to take us to Drake Bay (there are only two times a day when boats take tourists there, and I got the earliest one).  The hour boat ride was absolutely amazing.   

National Geographic magazine has said that Osa Peninsula is the most biologically intense place on earth, which is why I am here, and why the journey is totally worth the time and money. 

It was a smooth ride until we left the Sierpe river and headed into the Pacific ocean.  I was given a life jacket at this point.  You can see the waves in the distance to the right. 

We survived!  I managed to hide my fear well (not really).

Good thing that Cabinas Manolo has such great directions for getting here on their website.  I knew that we were going to get a little wet because there is no dock (others on the boat were not aware).

The owner of the hotel's brother picked us up at the beach (and pointed out his own hotel along the way in case we wanted to stay there instead).

Cabinas Manolo is perfect.  There are tours that leave directly from here, and you can pay with a credit card in an area that doesn't have an ATM (I am signed up for two already). 

Drake Bay is one of my favorite places that I have ever visited.  It is so tranquil; there are few vehicles, it is quiet, there is not an over abundance of tourists... it is simply incredible. 

Soon after I took this picture a pair of the loudest birds flew over, I looked up because of the noise to discover they were red parrots.  SO AWESOME!!!