TRAVELS AROUND THE WORLD
( continued from page 7 ) and accommodating . Meals focused on regional cuisine and were fresh and tasty . Their cooks use food grown on-site or from local farms as much as possible . A tuna I caught during our fishing expedition was used for sashimi at dinner later that night . Each night at dinner , the staff would visit our table to plan the excursion for the next day . Two guides led all of our excursions , and we got to know them fairly well . One of them was also the bartender at the lodge for lunch and dinner . Most of our excursions included just the four in my group and were tailored to our specific interests .
Playa Nicuesa is surrounded on three sides by the Piedras Blancas National Park . There were numerous hiking trails into the dense rainforest , starting just behind the main lodge . The hikes can be guided or self-guided and range from easy to moderately difficult . One of the more strenuous hikes led to a beautiful waterfall with a swimming hole that preceded it . Getting to the swimming hole required a climb up the cliff of the waterfall . My husband ( who is a little on the heavy side ) did not want to climb the series of iron rungs hammered into the stone cliff to get to the swimming hole . He ’ s a pessimist who estimated there was a 50 % chance that he would slip and fall to his death . I , being the optimist , explained how that would give me a 50 % chance of receiving a big life insurance payout . Still , he could not be convinced and stayed at the base of the waterfall .
Our hiking guide , Steven , had a passion for nature . He was constantly on the lookout for wildlife with his binoculars , even when we weren ’ t on hikes . He had an uncanny ability to hike through the terrain while keeping his primary focus looking for movement in the trees . We saw an abundance of wildlife on these hikes , including Costa Rica ’ s four species of monkeys , scarlet macaws , toucans and ( yikes !) a boa constrictor . We even saw what I can only describe as a 10 inch version of a T-Rex scurrying in the path ahead of us . It was kind of sad to think how cruel evolution had been to this creature , but I suppose much less sad than the alternative of us scurrying in the path of his full-sized ancestors .
Along with hiking , we were offered several types of boating excursions . One of our favorites was boating along the shoreline in search of good snorkeling spots . One thing to watch out for in the gulf are tiny jellyfish . They are barely visible to the naked eye . Our boat captain / bartender was very helpful here . When we ’ d pull up to a potential snorkeling spot he would use himself as a human dipstick . He ’ d take off his shirt , jump in the water and bob around for a minute or two . If , during that time , he felt the sting of jellyfish , he would say “ Nope . Not here !” and hop back into the boat to take us to another spot . To me , that redefines the service standard for “ all inclusive .” ( Side note : The boat always had a spray bottle full of vinegar in case someone got stung . The stings were not overly painful ( more like a pin prick ), but this was an effective , practical and hygienic alternative to a certain jellyfish sting remedy that requires “ the buddy system .”)
While snorkeling , we saw a multitude of species of fish , starfish , stingrays and turtles that make Golfo Dulce their home . After snorkeling , we would take a leisurely trip through the bay where we would see schools of tuna and watch as pods of dolphins swam alongside our boat .
Another favorite excursion was a kayaking trip into the gulf . We explored many nearby densely forested mangroves and were able to see a wide variety of sea and jungle birds .
When not on a planned excursion , we always had access to the sand and pebble Playa Nicuesa beach . Here we could choose kayaking , paddle boarding , swimming , snorkeling or simply relaxing on lounge chairs on the shoreline . There was also a yoga platform overlooking the gulf . The resort offered yoga classes , but it was normally just open for individual use or quiet meditation . Therapeutic massage was also available .
I thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Costa Rica and can ’ t wait to travel there again . The Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge offers a unique experience for those interested in engaging with nature , sustainably , in a very personal and unplugged way .
Dr . Waring is a practicing physician with Baptist Health .
8 LOUISVILLE MEDICINE