Costa Rica Travels, Part 5, La Virgen to Los Chiles and Caño Negro
Why Los Chiles? We wanted to spend the remainder of our trip in Nicaragua. There are only two border crossings between Costa Rica and Nicaragua. One is located on the west coast at Peñas Blancas which is where the Central American Highway crosses. The other is located at Los Chiles. The Los Chilis crossing is mainly used by Costa Ricans and Nicaraguans but is increasingly being used by tourists. It used to be possible to enter Nicaragua at Trinidad, Sarapiqui but now no entry into Nicaragua is allowed there except for visiting old Grey Town also known as San Juan de Norte which is located where Rio San Juan empties into the Caribbean.
So the bottom line was the border crossing at Los Chiles best fitted our travel plans in Nicaragua. Also, it allowed travel through a very different countryside. And, most importantly for us, not too far from Los Chiles is an area full of shallow tropical lakes (Lagunas) which have perhaps the largest concentration of bird life in Central America. This area is known as Caño Negro and is a wildlife reserve. The only village in the center of Caño Negro wildlife reserve is also called Caño Negro.
* Thank you my lady of God for keeping the chauffeur: alert and watchful (and with) a firm hand, for being able to arrive at my destination, without causing harm - Amen
To see map showing travel in this portion of the trip, click here. The route followed in this portion of the trip is followed with a green line and yellow balloons at significant junctions. Previously traveled route is indicated by a black line and black balloons.
After a pizza breakfast at the guest house near La Virgen, we talked to the manager and she showed us where to catch a bus for Los Chilis. A short walk away was a small covered bus stop which had benches that were wet from the rain during the night. It was close to an hour before the bus arrived. Entering the bus we told the driver destino (destination) Los Chiles. He smiled and nodded his head.
The road headed south and then west on Hwy 140 to Aguas Zarcas then north and west on Hwy 4 to Muelle de San Carlos. (Muelle de San Carlos was once an important inland port used for transporting produce, bananas, to the Caribbean via Rio San Carlos and Rio San Juan) On the outer edge of the village of Muelle de San Carlos is an important road intersection. The bus stopped there and the driver had his assistant help us carry our back pack at a run to another bus that was waiting and we had hardly gotten in our seats before it headed northwest on the arrow-straight road (hwy 35) to Los Chiles. This show of kindness is not unusual in Costa Rica and was very much appreciated.
The good quality road to Los Chiles was mostly flat as well as straight but occasionally crossed low ridges. The road crosses a small bridge that is well known for huge "alligators" (crocodiles?) that bask below the bridge. Crocodiles are much larger than the Caiman and obtain lengths of 4.5 to 6 meters. The route passes through extensive plantations of sugar cane and sage-blue pineapple plants. I had always been a fan of the pineapple fruit until talking to several Costa Ricans. They warned about the heavy use of pesticides and fungicides on most fruits and vegetables in Costa Rica ("Growers typically use 20 kg of pesticides per hectare of pineapples in each growing cycle"... Source here ) This rate of application is absolutely diabolic. In addition to all the pesticides and fungicides, the pineapples are also treated with a chemical that promotes rapid, even growth and maturity, then it is treated with another product that stops further ripening. Need I say more?
Soon the bus rolled into Los Chiles stopping at a small bus stop adjacent to Soda Pamela (Soda=simple lunch counter). The bright pink and green Soda served excellent chicken plates. Romaine had a couple of empanadas and Bob the chicken plate. (Both Central and Latin America excel in their preparation of fried chicken and one rarely goes wrong with this specialty - which beats KFC hands down). The Soda was run by a woman and her son and a helper. The 20 + year old son was extremely friendly and spoke good English. He helped us with Spanish words and added to his cell phone list English words he had us help him with. He provided information on the bus to Caño Negro.
We waited nearly an hour for the afternoon bus (1000 Colons,) to Caño Negro. We joined people seeking shelter as a brief, heavy downpour swept through the area. The bus went a few km back on the road we came in on, turned right and westward toward our destiny. The road was graveled and in good condition. It is reported, however, that during the rainy season it may be only passable to 4-wheel drive vehicles.
After about one hour we passed Hotel de Campo on the left and then stopped at an intersection in front of a Soda just outside of the village of Caño Negro. The Kingfisher Lodge Cabinas are located a short distance south of the Soda and the operator has a house just north of the intersection. At the house, one of the friendly Sequera brothers indicated they had rooms available. The Cabina we stayed in (about 17,500 Colons, 35 dollars) was a very spacious timbered structure with good shower and bathroom facilities and window screens located in a wooded area. The only negative is that it was rather damp in the surrounding area with a few mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are supposed to be "Prehistoric" during the rainy season. (I wonder if the writers of such a extraordinary description have ever traveled to the northern territories of Canada where the mosquitoes are so thick in summer that caribou have trouble breathing due to mosquitoes around the nose and the pregnant females are constantly on the move and have trouble giving birth because of the onslaught?)
We also made arrangements with the manager for a tour the next morning through the wildlife reserve. We got settled in the Cabina and then searched out a nearby restaurant. The friendly family at the restaurant was about ready to close for the night but provided us with a very good meal.
Next morning we met our English speaking guide in front of the Soda. We walked the short distance through Caño Negro to a crude dock facility. It was very slippery and one had to pay attention where he put his feet. Two boats were available, one quite big and one much smaller which we opted for.
This wildlife tour was a highlight of our travel through Costa Rica. The surrounding area is a maze of canals, rivers and lagunas (lakes). We had never seen such a profusion of bird species concentrated in such a small area. Local tropical birds were present as well as northern species that migrated south for the winter.
We are not well versed in the names of local birds but it was a joy to see so many, so close.
Even Red-Winged Blackbirds which Bob remembered from when he was a boy near a lake. Some birds such as the Snowy Egret, so common in Florida, fed on river banks seemingly oblivious to waiting Caiman.
Numerous flowering plants lined the canal banks including the Candle Bush so named because of vertical spikes of yellow flowers.
Most of the canals are natural - formed over the years by flowing water. During the rainy season the canals, rivers and Lagunas
coalesce into one giant lake. Some trees showed flood level marks. The waters of the lake flow in the direction of the Rio Frio which eventually flows into Lago Nicaragua.
The canals and river were teeming with Caiman sunning on river banks or lying submerged in the water with only eyes and nostrils showing - waiting for dinner. We were surprised to see birds feeding on muddy banks close to and seemingly oblivious to nearby Caiman. The Caiman seem sluggish but are capable of amazing spurts of speed when pursuing dinner.
We had decided before leaving home to stay in Hotel el Campo for a few days as our wedding anniversary treat. Listed at 95 dollars a night we got a nice room for 70 dollars (35,000 Colon) the most we have ever spent in our travels. The rooms in the casitas were quite large with large bathroom and a hot shower. The rooms also had screened windows so mosquitoes were not a problem (plus it really was not the mosquito season).
They also had a very upscale restaurant on the premises. Local help and the Italian manager prepared excellent meals. They prepared
excellent sauces to go with meat dishes. The meals were always accompanied by a salad with a vinaigrette. They prepared their own vinegar from bananas which Romaine liked and Bob did not.
Their goal is to provide most of the food from their property. The Casitas were located in a large park-like area containing tropical fruit trees. On the other side of the graveled road they had small gardens, chickens and sometimes pigs. The pork was excellent but probably did not come from their own
livestock at that time. They raised Tilapia for food in the curved fish pond that surrounded the dining area. Altogether a very pleasant surrounding for a restaurant.
The first night we and another French couple were the only people staying at Hotel el Campo. Romaine was feeling under the weather and we just looked around and relaxed.
The next day we rented a kyak for half a day. Two of the staff took us to a mud landing next to the main river. The owners little boy proudly accompanied us to the launch site.
We had no map but they told us about where to go. We paddled a short distance up the river and then took a side channel to the first Laguna. The Laguna (tropical lake) was quite large and we paddled across the laguna to find an inlet that would take us to another laguna. We saw a few people in a boat who headed to a house on the lake shore.
Finding the inlet requires a little instinct. In this case a pole rammed into the mud indicated where the inlet was. A very narrow stream with a swift current took us to the next laguna. Wehad to paddle very fast against the current to make headway.
The second laguna was somewhat smaller and
hosted a profusion of flocks of birds feeding in
shallow water. Egrets and other herons and one pink flamingo searched the shallow water for food. We did not attempt to approach closer for fear of disturbing them. Other birds were present that we could not identify. It was very pleasant just watching the birds and exploring the reedy shoreline looking for another inlet. The water is host to many underwater weeds and some floating ones. The way to find the next inlet was to find a place where the underwater plants showed some sign of movement. By following the gently moving plants we eventually found the next inlet. The opening was so well camouflaged only people experienced with the area would find them easily.
Using this general method, we visited several more lagunas. There was no real danger of getting lost as the lagunas were essentially like a string of pearls connected by very narrow streams.
At one point we paddled into a heavily weeded area weaving in and around little hammocs (small islands). Several horses were wading in the water eating grasses. Once we got so close to the main river we considered dragging the kyak across the narrow band of land into the river. However, the thought of Caiman and other critters made us think we should leave such exploration to local people who knew the dangers.
Several places along the lagunas we saw evidence of the great flood of water that filled the area during rainy season. Water marks high up the trunks of the trees attested to the height of the water during the wet season.
The trip back was easy as we knew about where the well-camouflaged outlets were. It was great fun shooting through the couple of meter wide channels filled with fast flowing water.
We had seen a sign advertising beer at a small house near the river and not far from where we would end the trip. The beer was cold and good and the woman in charge said they could also prepare meals. We had great meals of river fish, potatoes and a salad. The fish had been caught there and frozen. While waiting for the lunch we wandered around and found a small tank with swimming fish. Several large Gar Pike were in the tank. The Gar is a very primitive fish belonging to the Lepisosteiformes and has huge armor-like scales, a very long snout and are ray-finned. Fossils from this order are known from the late Cretaceous on wards. The woman said that they were good eating. I expect they were very bony. She offered to prepare one but they were huge and we could never eat that much.
The hotel owner had given us a cell phone and we made arrangements to meet the truck at the place we had disembarked earlier. It was a short distance from the restaurant and we got there just as the truck pulled up.
We spent another day at the hotel just taking it easy and enjoying the swimming pool. The water was very cold a result of the unusual cold wave that had moved down from the north. That evening a group of "birders" arrived. They came in a large van and were loaded down with very expensive cameras. One of the first to leave the van was a fellow who looked like Icabod Crane in "the Legend of Sleep Hollow". He was so excited he took a photo of a bird on a power line while descending from the van and nearly fell on his face. It was evening when they arrived and they had dinner and drinks well into the night.
We have encountered birders while visiting Mayan ruins. They were always very friendly and anxious to point out the wonders of the wild live in the areas around the ruins. We appreciate them too for their promotion of preservation of choice wild life areas.
That evening we met hormigas de fuego or fire ants for the first time. These very small ants were stinging our feet while we sat on the tiny patio in front of the Cabina. You definitely know when you are stung but there was no after effect. Bob noticed where they were coming out of the ground. Gently slapping the cement with a flip flop caused and instant reaction. Hudreds streamed out of the tiny opening looking for the source of the disturbance. This is one of the characteristics of the fire ant, they fiercely defend their nests and attack en force. The can kill small animals with their stings (they inject a piperidine compound instead of formic acid like most ants) and some people are very allergic to the sting.
The next morning we planned on heading north through Los Chiles and up into Nicaragua.
Why Los Chiles? We wanted to spend the remainder of our trip in Nicaragua. There are only two border crossings between Costa Rica and Nicaragua. One is located on the west coast at Peñas Blancas which is where the Central American Highway crosses. The other is located at Los Chiles. The Los Chilis crossing is mainly used by Costa Ricans and Nicaraguans but is increasingly being used by tourists. It used to be possible to enter Nicaragua at Trinidad, Sarapiqui but now no entry into Nicaragua is allowed there except for visiting old Grey Town also known as San Juan de Norte which is located where Rio San Juan empties into the Caribbean.
So the bottom line was the border crossing at Los Chiles best fitted our travel plans in Nicaragua. Also, it allowed travel through a very different countryside. And, most importantly for us, not too far from Los Chiles is an area full of shallow tropical lakes (Lagunas) which have perhaps the largest concentration of bird life in Central America. This area is known as Caño Negro and is a wildlife reserve. The only village in the center of Caño Negro wildlife reserve is also called Caño Negro.
 |
| Bus Drivers Prayer*, Road from La Pavona To Cariari |
To see map showing travel in this portion of the trip, click here. The route followed in this portion of the trip is followed with a green line and yellow balloons at significant junctions. Previously traveled route is indicated by a black line and black balloons.
After a pizza breakfast at the guest house near La Virgen, we talked to the manager and she showed us where to catch a bus for Los Chilis. A short walk away was a small covered bus stop which had benches that were wet from the rain during the night. It was close to an hour before the bus arrived. Entering the bus we told the driver destino (destination) Los Chiles. He smiled and nodded his head.
The road headed south and then west on Hwy 140 to Aguas Zarcas then north and west on Hwy 4 to Muelle de San Carlos. (Muelle de San Carlos was once an important inland port used for transporting produce, bananas, to the Caribbean via Rio San Carlos and Rio San Juan) On the outer edge of the village of Muelle de San Carlos is an important road intersection. The bus stopped there and the driver had his assistant help us carry our back pack at a run to another bus that was waiting and we had hardly gotten in our seats before it headed northwest on the arrow-straight road (hwy 35) to Los Chiles. This show of kindness is not unusual in Costa Rica and was very much appreciated.
The good quality road to Los Chiles was mostly flat as well as straight but occasionally crossed low ridges. The road crosses a small bridge that is well known for huge "alligators" (crocodiles?) that bask below the bridge. Crocodiles are much larger than the Caiman and obtain lengths of 4.5 to 6 meters. The route passes through extensive plantations of sugar cane and sage-blue pineapple plants. I had always been a fan of the pineapple fruit until talking to several Costa Ricans. They warned about the heavy use of pesticides and fungicides on most fruits and vegetables in Costa Rica ("Growers typically use 20 kg of pesticides per hectare of pineapples in each growing cycle"... Source here ) This rate of application is absolutely diabolic. In addition to all the pesticides and fungicides, the pineapples are also treated with a chemical that promotes rapid, even growth and maturity, then it is treated with another product that stops further ripening. Need I say more?
Soon the bus rolled into Los Chiles stopping at a small bus stop adjacent to Soda Pamela (Soda=simple lunch counter). The bright pink and green Soda served excellent chicken plates. Romaine had a couple of empanadas and Bob the chicken plate. (Both Central and Latin America excel in their preparation of fried chicken and one rarely goes wrong with this specialty - which beats KFC hands down). The Soda was run by a woman and her son and a helper. The 20 + year old son was extremely friendly and spoke good English. He helped us with Spanish words and added to his cell phone list English words he had us help him with. He provided information on the bus to Caño Negro.
We waited nearly an hour for the afternoon bus (1000 Colons,) to Caño Negro. We joined people seeking shelter as a brief, heavy downpour swept through the area. The bus went a few km back on the road we came in on, turned right and westward toward our destiny. The road was graveled and in good condition. It is reported, however, that during the rainy season it may be only passable to 4-wheel drive vehicles.
After about one hour we passed Hotel de Campo on the left and then stopped at an intersection in front of a Soda just outside of the village of Caño Negro. The Kingfisher Lodge Cabinas are located a short distance south of the Soda and the operator has a house just north of the intersection. At the house, one of the friendly Sequera brothers indicated they had rooms available. The Cabina we stayed in (about 17,500 Colons, 35 dollars) was a very spacious timbered structure with good shower and bathroom facilities and window screens located in a wooded area. The only negative is that it was rather damp in the surrounding area with a few mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are supposed to be "Prehistoric" during the rainy season. (I wonder if the writers of such a extraordinary description have ever traveled to the northern territories of Canada where the mosquitoes are so thick in summer that caribou have trouble breathing due to mosquitoes around the nose and the pregnant females are constantly on the move and have trouble giving birth because of the onslaught?)
We also made arrangements with the manager for a tour the next morning through the wildlife reserve. We got settled in the Cabina and then searched out a nearby restaurant. The friendly family at the restaurant was about ready to close for the night but provided us with a very good meal.
Next morning we met our English speaking guide in front of the Soda. We walked the short distance through Caño Negro to a crude dock facility. It was very slippery and one had to pay attention where he put his feet. Two boats were available, one quite big and one much smaller which we opted for.
This wildlife tour was a highlight of our travel through Costa Rica. The surrounding area is a maze of canals, rivers and lagunas (lakes). We had never seen such a profusion of bird species concentrated in such a small area. Local tropical birds were present as well as northern species that migrated south for the winter.
 |
| Bird in Jungle |
We are not well versed in the names of local birds but it was a joy to see so many, so close.
Even Red-Winged Blackbirds which Bob remembered from when he was a boy near a lake. Some birds such as the Snowy Egret, so common in Florida, fed on river banks seemingly oblivious to waiting Caiman.
Numerous flowering plants lined the canal banks including the Candle Bush so named because of vertical spikes of yellow flowers.
 |
| Male Red-Winged Blackbird |
coalesce into one giant lake. Some trees showed flood level marks. The waters of the lake flow in the direction of the Rio Frio which eventually flows into Lago Nicaragua.
The canals and river were teeming with Caiman sunning on river banks or lying submerged in the water with only eyes and nostrils showing - waiting for dinner. We were surprised to see birds feeding on muddy banks close to and seemingly oblivious to nearby Caiman. The Caiman seem sluggish but are capable of amazing spurts of speed when pursuing dinner.
 |
| Snowy Egret Living Dangerously |
The guide was well versed in names of the animals and birds of the area. He would point out birds in foliage and it would take a few minutes for us to locate them. He clearly loved the area and wildlife and we were lucky to have him as guide.
At the end of the 3 hour tour we returned to the Cabina and got ready to leave Kingfisher Lodge and move in to Hotel el Campo.
Bob walked up road to Hotel el Campo and they said they would pick up Romaine and our backpack. The two Hotels were about a half km apart.
 |
| Candle Bush |
They also had a very upscale restaurant on the premises. Local help and the Italian manager prepared excellent meals. They prepared
 |
| Candle Bush Blossoms |
excellent sauces to go with meat dishes. The meals were always accompanied by a salad with a vinaigrette. They prepared their own vinegar from bananas which Romaine liked and Bob did not.
Their goal is to provide most of the food from their property. The Casitas were located in a large park-like area containing tropical fruit trees. On the other side of the graveled road they had small gardens, chickens and sometimes pigs. The pork was excellent but probably did not come from their own
 |
| Dining Area Surrounded by a Large, Narrow Fish Pond |
livestock at that time. They raised Tilapia for food in the curved fish pond that surrounded the dining area. Altogether a very pleasant surrounding for a restaurant.
The first night we and another French couple were the only people staying at Hotel el Campo. Romaine was feeling under the weather and we just looked around and relaxed.
The next day we rented a kyak for half a day. Two of the staff took us to a mud landing next to the main river. The owners little boy proudly accompanied us to the launch site.
 |
| Riverside Wild Life |
 |
| Snowy Egret |
The second laguna was somewhat smaller and
hosted a profusion of flocks of birds feeding in
 |
| Trees with High Water Marks |
Using this general method, we visited several more lagunas. There was no real danger of getting lost as the lagunas were essentially like a string of pearls connected by very narrow streams.
At one point we paddled into a heavily weeded area weaving in and around little hammocs (small islands). Several horses were wading in the water eating grasses. Once we got so close to the main river we considered dragging the kyak across the narrow band of land into the river. However, the thought of Caiman and other critters made us think we should leave such exploration to local people who knew the dangers.
Several places along the lagunas we saw evidence of the great flood of water that filled the area during rainy season. Water marks high up the trunks of the trees attested to the height of the water during the wet season.
The trip back was easy as we knew about where the well-camouflaged outlets were. It was great fun shooting through the couple of meter wide channels filled with fast flowing water.
We had seen a sign advertising beer at a small house near the river and not far from where we would end the trip. The beer was cold and good and the woman in charge said they could also prepare meals. We had great meals of river fish, potatoes and a salad. The fish had been caught there and frozen. While waiting for the lunch we wandered around and found a small tank with swimming fish. Several large Gar Pike were in the tank. The Gar is a very primitive fish belonging to the Lepisosteiformes and has huge armor-like scales, a very long snout and are ray-finned. Fossils from this order are known from the late Cretaceous on wards. The woman said that they were good eating. I expect they were very bony. She offered to prepare one but they were huge and we could never eat that much.
We spent another day at the hotel just taking it easy and enjoying the swimming pool. The water was very cold a result of the unusual cold wave that had moved down from the north. That evening a group of "birders" arrived. They came in a large van and were loaded down with very expensive cameras. One of the first to leave the van was a fellow who looked like Icabod Crane in "the Legend of Sleep Hollow". He was so excited he took a photo of a bird on a power line while descending from the van and nearly fell on his face. It was evening when they arrived and they had dinner and drinks well into the night.
We have encountered birders while visiting Mayan ruins. They were always very friendly and anxious to point out the wonders of the wild live in the areas around the ruins. We appreciate them too for their promotion of preservation of choice wild life areas.
That evening we met hormigas de fuego or fire ants for the first time. These very small ants were stinging our feet while we sat on the tiny patio in front of the Cabina. You definitely know when you are stung but there was no after effect. Bob noticed where they were coming out of the ground. Gently slapping the cement with a flip flop caused and instant reaction. Hudreds streamed out of the tiny opening looking for the source of the disturbance. This is one of the characteristics of the fire ant, they fiercely defend their nests and attack en force. The can kill small animals with their stings (they inject a piperidine compound instead of formic acid like most ants) and some people are very allergic to the sting.
The next morning we planned on heading north through Los Chiles and up into Nicaragua.
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