My fingertips were spongy and surrendered to the constant humidity. My feet looked like they had aged 50 years, yet only 5 hours had passed since I started this trail, unaware of where it was leading. I was exhausted and sweaty. I was sweating from places I didn’t even know I could sweat. My legs were barely responding to my commands, regretting being part of my body.
In this story
Jump through the jungle.
But I finally arrived. Punta Mona, such a famous place in the area. A remote beach, so remote that it can only be reached by boat or through the jungle. I didn’t even know it existed until I arrived. I was alone, the sky was grey, the sea was angry and the jungle was jungleing. It felt like reaching the end of the world, just me and the unknown. I know I am dramatic, but that’s what I felt.
Anyway, I needed to cure my body from exhaustion, so I had a swim. As I was entering the angry sea, with a fairly strong current, I shit myself. Not literally, but psychologically. I didn’t go deep, I just needed to wash my sweat, and my anxiety.
When suddenly… a boat appeared, carrying tourists. All of them had their phones out, taking a video or a photograph. The guide told them the story of this place and how remote it was. And then, there was me, washing my shorts and my shoes, getting changed. When I saw them, I stopped. I stared at them; they stared at me. The guide finished his little speech and turned towards the so-much-remote beach just to find me there, alone. He looked at me, I smiled, he didn’t smile. No one did. They looked at me like they had just found a ghost. Like I shouldn’t be there. How did I even get here?
I will tell you how. With too much stupid confidence, zero plans, thinking it was a pleasant walk through the forest. How mistaken I was. Please, don’t think it’s not a good hike, it’s beautiful, but I wasn’t ready for it. And that’s why I must tell you how you can make this voyage and actually not suffer what I suffered.
BEFORE THE BAD DECISIONS
Before we even begin with how you should do this hike, let’s rewind to that first morning, when I started making my first mistakes.
The day prior to the hike was an excellent day. I was swimming in the turquoise water of Punta Uva. You can read about the best beaches in Puerto Viejo here. The sun was shining, the sky was clear, everything and everywhere was vivid, beautiful and full of that tropical joy with a Spanish-Jamaican background. I wanted some adventures, like I always do, so I decided, while I was swimming, that the next day I would go to the less visited and wildest national park in Costa Rica. Gandoca-Manzanillo National Park.
I believed I was ready for it. It’s a marked trail, right? It will be fine. I had an offline map, a power bank, a refillable water bottle, and I went and bought some munchies in the supermarket that same night.
I woke up to the sound of howler monkeys at 6 am in the morning. Usual in Casa Moabi. Check the accommodation here, it’s actually a little bit crazy, this place is one of the best places I have ever stayed in. Anyway, as I got ready for breakfast, I realised it was raining. Oh well, I thought, a bit of rain in the rainforest is ok, it’s normal. And it is, but not if you’re just wearing water shoes. I didn’t understand this until I was well inside the jungle. So, I decided, I am ready. I didn’t have a plan or anything, I was just going to follow whatever trail and see wagwan.
MANZANILLO: THE POINT OF NO RETURN
The Uber left me by the entrance. I paid a volunteer fee and signed my name and recorded the time of accessing inside. I was given a map that I lost soon after. I can’t remember when or how. The rain was almost not noticeable, but the day was grey and dark, very romantic. The smell of salt is what I remember more vividly. When it’s been raining, it’s even more noticeable.
There were many local families going in too, which I found comforting and strange, as I had read it was supposedly a wild place, and it is, I just didn’t understand it until I went further and further.
Apparently, people stop at a viewpoint just a 5-minute walk from the entrance. I learned this after. I still think, what a waste! Because when you venture in, the greenery, the sounds, the whole place just surrounds all your senses, the smell of green mixed with salt, sounds coming from everywhere, yet I couldn’t see anything but leaves and trees and mud, a lot of mud. That mud is the villain of this story, by the way. You’ll soon learn why.
So yeah, all looked fine, controlled, beautiful, so I kept going beyond the viewpoint where everyone gathered, stopped and returned. I followed a little trail that led me to a bigger trail. And this is how the madness began, because sometime after, I realised I hadn’t seen anyone for a long time, and the trail was becoming slightly difficult, the mud was a little bit deep and slippery, and I was wearing water shoes.
THE JUNGLE STARTS EATING THE TRAIL
Let me clarify why I thought water shoes were ideal. I am a light traveller, no matter where I go, how long and how far, I travel with a carry-on. Water shoes are ideal for many occasions, but not for all. As I discovered soon, the deeper into the jungle, the deeper the mud was getting.
The mud swallowed my feet completely, sometimes over my ankles. At that point, those shoes were like not having shoes at all. At some point, I even took them off, but then it was even more slippery on certain surfaces. I can’t count the number of times I fell down. My concentration was entirely focused on the trail, looking down. I could not look up at the trees until I heard howler monkeys. I love their sound.
I looked up. The trees were about 100 ft tall. I saw moving branches, and little brown creatures jumping from one branch to another. That. Just that, made me happy. Emotional. Maybe because of my suffering, I felt some kind of reward to see wild monkeys on top of me.
Until… things were falling down to the ground. I glanced at them, not paying too much attention. I was absorbed by that beautiful moment. I assumed that whatever was falling was residue from fruit they were eating, and perhaps some of it was. Then I saw something strange. They were actively throwing things at the ground, very close to where I was standing. When I looked down at the ground, I saw what looked like faeces.
I believe those monkeys were throwing shit at me actively. Was it a gift or a way of saying, “Leave us alone, human”? I don’t know, I am not an expert. I still remember that moment, and it was beautiful, with or without shit. Who cares, everyone shits.
THE “SHOULD I TURN BACK?” MOMENT
I kept going, with joy and optimism. I was tired, mosquitoes were trying to murder me. Colourful frogs everywhere, rainbow-coloured spiders and their web traps in every corner I put my eyes on. The jungle sounds got more and more intense, leaves moved all around me. I felt like the whole place was orchestrating a conspiracy against me and my poor preparation. I turned my head back countless times, believing something was behind me… nothing was there. Just moving branches.
Rain came and went. Mud got muddier, to the point where I surrendered to it. Fine, jungle, you want to give me mud, I heard it’s good for my skin, the rain is good for my hair and being afraid trains my anxiety. But then it got constant and my destination, Punta Mona, was not yet close. I was not sure how long it would take to get there.
I stopped in the middle, I looked back. “Should I go back?” I said out loud to myself. Then I looked forward and thought, “All this effort for nothing? I am sorry, legs; we are going to finish what we have started.”
THE SEA
I am not sure how much longer I had been walking for. I just kept going. Until I heard the sea. It was close, very close. I got my phone out, my offline maps located Punta Mona, so close to me, I almost cried.
I almost ran, but I didn’t because I would have injured myself, the path was still slippery. But I walked faster, with purpose, until I saw the blue horizon, the angry waves breaking against the solitary beach.
I continued. Taking off my useless shoes, walking barefoot. My sore feet sank into the wet sand, relieving the pain, it was almost orgasmic. I looked at the sea. Then to my right, and to my left. No one was to be seen, so I took my shorts off and my top. I wasn’t naked, I was wearing a swimsuit underneath. I went into the water. I was scared. The current was strong, but I needed to clean myself, I needed consolation.
I breathed deeply, admiring the beauty of it all. My isolation, until the boat broke it a few minutes later, but forget about it now. My isolation, the sea, the jungle and the howler monkeys. Then I looked back, I saw the trail I came from. I felt the pain in my body and I remembered something. I needed to go back and do it all again. I felt true desperation.
NOW THAT I'VE SURVIVED MY OWN PLANNING: THE ACTUAL GUIDE
How not to be like me guide. It’s simple, just be more prepared, especially if it’s raining. You can hire a guide, which is useful for insights, knowledge of the land, history and wildlife, and it’s safer. I will leave recommended guides down here, but you can do it solo like I did.
It’s important to have proper planning, bring enough water, food and painkillers. Just in case. Loads of mosquito repellent. I didn’t even wear that... I can’t believe how optimistic I am sometimes.
Wear long trousers and a T-shirt. I was wearing shorts, my legs were filled with mosquito bites. If you don’t mind that, then do whatever.
Most important of all, wear hiking boots. The mud is a serious antagonist, makes the whole trail exhausting, painful, it got me angry at some point. But I wasn’t going to start punching it. That would be pointless.
Power bank, phone signal, waterproof bag, everything waterproof. Sometimes it rains in the rainforest, surprisingly. Bring a towel if you plan to swim, which I recommend for refreshing your body and soul.
WHERE TO STAY FOR GANDOCA-MANZANILLO
I have written an article about where to stay in Puerto Viejo, which is useful if you will be travelling around the area. Depending on your travel objectives, some areas will serve you better than others, it may even surprise you.
To stay close to the wildest place on the whole Costa Rican Caribbean Coast, in my opinion, I will leave a little map with accommodations, ranging from economical to more comfortable. Take a little look.
My lack of planning can be disastrous sometimes, but I take the best memory from it and a great lesson. Monkeys sometimes throw shit at us, probably with a smile on their faces, and I can’t blame them.
If you’re a solo traveller, especially female, be careful, be ready, be prepared. It’s all fun and games until it isn’t. I am not saying it’s dangerous, I am just saying that enjoyment doesn’t have to cost us our safety.
I still make stupid decisions though, but I keep learning the art of travelling. The more I travel, the more stories I gather to tell someone one day, maybe that someone is you, right now.
