Interline Adventures....

SOFT ADVENTURE CRUISING,

COSTA RICAN-STYLE

As I travel through middle-age, I have to admit I’ve gone a bit soft when it comes to travel. Those adventurous days in the outdoors of some exotic land, followed by nights camping out, are generally a thing of the past. I still like adventurous days. However, at night, I definitely like the creature comforts of creative cooking, a hot shower, and a warm bed. I want to see more and do more in less time, but I don’t want to really rough it in the process.

That’s why Temptress Adventure Cruises and their M/V Temptress Explorer offered the ideal way to explore the natural wonders of Costa Rica, without getting too natural. After a quick flight down to the capital city of San Jose and a pretty two-hour drive along the Panamerican Highway to Puntarenas, my adventure began.

During the day, this 99-passenger small cruise ship anchored off some of Costa Rica’s finest parks, where I enjoyed all of the following: hiking, birdwatching, kayaking, swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, village visits, and horseback riding. The list is long and it made for busy, but enjoyable, days of seeing Costa Rica at its best. From rainforests to manta rays, I felt like I saw more of Costa Rica in a week than most people would see in a month or more. The sights, sounds, and smells remain with me long after the cruise ended.

More than 25% of this Central American country is protected as a national park, preserve, or other means of land conservation. As I cruised along the Pacific coast, I think I experienced most of it. After taking inflatable dinghies onto land, each day’s tours and activities offered new adventures and memories that, to me, define the beauty of soft adventure.

Some of my fondest memories include taking close-up pictures of a brightly-colored scarlet macaw; hiking through the rainforest to a dramatic waterfall; watching our Costa Rican guides get as excited about exotic animal spottings as the passengers; eating local foods; and learning more about the Costa Rican culture from the ship’s friendly staff. Of course, the hot showers and spacious cabins didn’t hurt either.

The M/V Temptress Explorer offers three different itineraries for Costa Rica adventures, depending on your interests, time, and budget. The three options are the seven-night Easter Cloud Journey (Saturday to Saturday), the four-night Profusion Voyage (Saturday to Wednesday), and the three-night Java Adventure (Wednesday to Saturday). I chose the seven-night cruise because it gave me the opportunity to see as much as possible.

The seven-day and four-day adventures start on Saturday, with the entertaining two-hour trip from the capital city of San Jose down to the Pacific coast port of Puntarenas. After boarding the ship, I was very surprised at the size of my cabin and the general facilities of the Explorer. Some of my favorite places became the observation lounge at the front of the ship, the topside bar, and, of course, the dining room.

The adventure started in earnest on Sunday morning at the Curu Wildlife Refuge, a 208-acre private protected area. I took one of the easier hikes as a warm-up and, within five minutes, saw (and heard) the first of many howler monkeys we would see during the week. After an afternoon of snorkeling and sunning on the stunning Tortuga Island beach, we got to enjoy a fun beach barbeque and sunset bonfire.

I then fell asleep to the motion of the Pacific Ocean as we made our way ten hours south to famed Corcovado National Park, which, due to its remoteness, is one of the least visited areas in Costa Rica’s vast national park system. Along with more stunning nature walks and birdwatching tours, a gourmet lunch was served directly on the beach.

After reboarding the ship, the Captain’s Dinner took place in the dining room. This is probably the only night during the cruise some of the passengers chose to wear long pants or a casual dress. The rest of the time, shorts and t-shirts were the order of the day (and night). Laundry service is even offered two times during the seven-day trip, so I had correctly packed lightly.

Tuesday morning, the Explorer anchored off famed Can^o Island, which is located just off the coast of Corcovado National Park. I had read about the island’s outstanding snorkeling and scuba diving, with frequent white-tipped reef shark and manta ray spottings. Though the Explorer doesn’t concentrate on scuba diving, it is offered on Can^o Island and the staff helps arrange it (as they did with almost anything I requested). A local guide picked me up at the boat and I wasn’t disappointed: in two dives, we saw several manta rays and white-tipped reef sharks in the crystal-clear waters.

Wednesday is devoted to Golfo Dulce, a large Pacific Ocean gulf just west of Panama. The morning hikes feature lots of rainforest foliage and bird sightings, as well as the opportunity to visit Can^a Blanca, a friendly family-owned reserve where I was able to get within just a few feet of a scarlet macaw. As I mentioned, it was definitely one of many colorful highlights of my cruise.

Wednesday afternoon, the ship took a short cruise over to Casa Orquideas Botanical Garden, another fun family-owned facility. They offer guided two-hour tours, providing a perfect opportunity to see, smell, taste, and touch a wide variety of beautiful ornamental plants, palms, cycads, and orchids, as well as fruit trees and other edible plants that thrive in the tropics. Wednesday is also the time when four-night passengers regrettably said goodbye and the three-night passengers were welcomed aboard. After talking to the four-night departees and given my own experience, I definitely recommend the seven-night cruise, if at all possible.

After a short overnight cruise, the boat anchored on Thursday morning in Drake Bay, off the small village of Agujitas. This coastal town is the home of about 1,500 people, who welcome Temptress visitors with open arms. I really enjoyed the organized village walk, where I learned about their unique lifestyles and visited the local store, small school, and even kicked a soccer ball around with kids on their playing field. After the walk, a jungle river tour provided some unique birdwatching not available on hikes.

On Thursday afternoon, the Explorer cruised over to Caletas Beach, which is part of the Corcovado Conservation Area, another Costa Rica environmental protection zone. Without a doubt, the horseback riding up into the rainforest provided one of the finest cruise memories for many passengers (including me).

Friday brought a visit to Manuel Antonio National Park, a 1,700-acre preserve that is a virtual microcosm of nature in Costa Rica. The tropical forest features common spottings of three-toed sloths, white-faced monkeys, and agoutis. Typical of my Temptress experience, I saw all three.

Back on the ship, Friday night passed quickly as I exchanged addresses with many new friends and honestly shed a few hugs and tears. This cruise and this country can do that to you.

After my Costa Rican cruise with Temptress, I’m convinced that small ship cruising is the best way to visit many of the world’s natural wonders. Now that Temptress offers similar cruises to Belize, Guatemala, and Panama, I’m definitely going to become a Central American expert.

The M/V Temptress Explorer offers three unique ways to see Costa Rica, depending on your interests, time, and budget. Cruises for 1997-1998 are available from November 1, 1997 to September 5, 1998, except for May 3, 1998 to June 5, 1998. Rates for seven-night cruises are $1,995-$2,195 per person, double occupancy. Rates for four-night cruises are $1,195-$1,295 per person, double occupancy. Three-night rates are $895-$995 per person, double occupancy. The cruise price includes all meals and beverages during your voyage. For further information, call (800) 3-ENTICE (336-8423).

For further information, call Kathy Hernandez, YP&B, (407) 875-1111, ext. 504.