Getting some fresh air
Do you ever feel like just getting out of the office or your house for some fresh air? I know you do! We all do. There’s nothing like walking through nature to clear your mind. This weekend I took a walk with my wife, which has started to become an annual thing, through a regional park to see the fall colors and the Potomac river. I could stare out at the bright colored leaves next to the Potomac for a whole day.
Taking “nature walk” to the extreme
Thinking about these nature walks got me to thinking about the biggest nature walk I ever did – a 3 day hike through Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica. I’ve heard several times that Corcovado has the most concentrated biodiversity in one spot in the entire western hemisphere. National Geographic even called the Osa Peninsula, where Corcovado is located, the “most biologically intense place on Earth.”
We walked for three days in the muggy heat through the jungle, crossing several rivers along the way. We heard all kinds of birds and howler monkeys off in the distance, saw wild bores and a spotting of the rare danta (tapir in English – like a mini elephant), and several pizotes (not sure of the English translation, but I know I’ve never seen them in the U.S.). The most beautiful part for me was walking along the ocean and seeing dozens upon dozens of wild, bright red scarlet macaws flying along the coast. I think I was so enchanted that I didn’t even get a photo of it! I did get a few of them in the trees. Here are some photos!
(this hike was in 2008 near the end of my Peace Corps service in Costa Rica)
This reminds me of the time I went hiking from Mollepata, Perú to Machu Picchu with a 45 lb. hiking bag on my back. It was the most exhausting thing I have ever done in my entire life. I’m glad to say I’ve done it but will never do it again. I was thinking it would be a simple stroll from here to there. No, it turned out to be a hike climbing mountains that eventually lead up to the Salkantay Pass — 15,252 feet above sea level causing me to breathe like a horse. We trudged through snowy mountains, prairies, deserts, and jungle. The second to last 8 hour hike on the fourth day was walking along a railroad track in the pouring rain. It was the easiest day of them all. I felt super accomplished and miserable. I’ll never forget the beauty mixed with pure exhaustion.