Frank provided naturalist information regarding plants and animals as we rode, and we stopped several times so he could take our photos at the most picturesque locations like this immense tree...
We also broke out of the forest for a bit and enjoyed the panoramic views of the mountains in the background, and several times we got glimpses of the Gulf of Nicoya and the Pacific Ocean off in the distance.
Our second ride was out of Quepos which is on the Pacific coast near the town of Manuel Antonio. This guide had little interaction with us other than to inform us of the rules and what was expected of us, and our ride was not on forest trails but a gravel road (thankfully not heavily traveled) which though scenic, was not as interesting and flora/fauna laden as the forest trail.
Our "hour" ride was about half that length because the guide paced the horses at a trot on the hard road surface, giving us a jarring ride. We then hiked 10 minutes on a lush and lovely mountain trail up to this charming waterfall, and after enjoying the shade of the trees and cool of the water for a bit, we hiked back and then fast-rode the horses back to the van.
This excursion ended with a delicious Costa Rican meal at pavilion on a ranch. All in all, it was a nice ride through lovely countryside, but too rushed and certainly not as enjoyable as the forest ride a few days earlier.
Here's a movie of these two rides...
No comments:
Post a Comment