Vivi's Orchid Corner

July 2001 - Volume 6, Issue 6

"Costa Rican Orchid Adventures, Part 1"

Dear Orchid Friends:

The air smells of the earth: rich, musty and aromatic. Green colors everywhere. My senses are bombarded; the Rainforest surrounds me. Costa Rica is about Mother Nature and I hoped to view wild orchids and plants on this adventure.

Plants grow in abundance in this magical place. The size and height of trees, foliage is awesome. Ginger, heliconias, flowers mesmerize. Initially it was difficult to discern and identify plants during my first encounter with the tropical Rainforest (yes, it rains!). I confess I am not a scientist or a botanist. I can identify the genus of an orchid, but have a little more difficulty labeling the exact species if the orchid is not in bloom. How exciting to see tree trunks smothered with orchids.

Back in the states, we pot, water, fertilize, nurture and attempt to talk our orchids into growing and blooming. In Costa Rica, cattleyas, epidendrums grow wild effortlessly. I was truly in awe of the power of Mother Nature.

Costa Rica is located in Central America. Nicaragua lies on the Northern border and Panama lies to the South. The East and West Coasts are bordered by the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans respectively. Costa Rica’s topography is diverse: lush mountains, rolling hills and plains, beaches, volcanoes. Twenty-six percent of Costa Rica is part of a protected National Park or a natural protected area. I hope the Costa Rican Government and her people maintain this philosophy. The vegetation, native orchids, natural resources and beauty of this county are what makes Costa Rica so unique. It is meant to be revered and appreciated. Costa Rica is home to so many animals: white faced and howler monkeys, Blue Morpho butterflies, sloths, coatimundis, hummingbirds.

Costa Rica is predominantly rainforest. It is moist and rainy. The Central Valley and Caribbean regions can get up to 300 inches of rain per year. The country is divided into six regions or zones: Central Valley, Caribbean Coast, North Pacific, Mid Pacific, Central Pacific and Southern Pacific. Each area has its own distinctiveness, mountain ranges, coastlines, fertile valleys.

The journey starts as we head Northeast from San Jose. After a scenic hour and a half drive, we ascend into the Braulio Carrilo National Park, a cloud forest. Lush covered mountains, tall trees, mist…Golden Rain Trees provide a spectacular dash of color among the varying shades of tropical green rain forest.

Outside the town of Guapiles, we were priviledged to stay with Costa Ricans during the first days of the trip. We stayed in the undisturbed rain forest in rustic cabinas. No phones or TV, limited lighting- the perfect place to become enraptured with the elements. Getting there was an adventure! Think rough boulder and gravel roads fraught with potholes jostling one’s body side to side. And finally, we reach our first destination.

Costa Rica is home to wonderful orchid species. There are well over 1000 species. Here are some better known Costa Rican orchids:

Our First Costa Rican Orchid Journey:
Rio Blanco Falls

Our first Costa Rican orchid journey is one of true adventure. The goal is to hike the eleven miles to the Rio Blanco Falls, which originate from the Irazu Volcano. Our Costa Rican friend is our guide. As we prepare our gear, our Tico guide advises us to leave the better camera equipment behind. But how would we photograph wild orchids? Despite our surprised protests, we wisely leave with only the disposable underwater camera. No close up shots!

This is not a journey intended for the weak of heart. Bamboo walking sticks in hand, we venture forth. A mild upward sloping trek through grassy fields with boulders . In the distance the forest canopy beckons; tall trees, green. We will climb to 1500 feet. We cross over small creek run offs, greet a few cattle and admire the swaths made by the cutter ants busily carting cargo.

An expanse of creamy white cattleyas are attached to tree trunks en masse. Oh, how I long to capture their fragrance. The grassland trees are dotted with white cattleyas. Flower petals and sepals are creamy white with yellow on lip. It is identified as Sobralia powellii. The flowers grow to approximately 15 cm across and the plant can spread to greater than 1 meter.

Crossing a wooden, suspension foot bridge over the Rio Blanco (built by our Tico friend) the journey continues. Pressing onward, we eventually cross a small finger of the Rio Blanco. A slip off the boulders will produce a wet foot. This is our first river crossing. The trees and jungle slowly envelopes us. The ascent was gradual. The farther one traverses inside the forest, one notices how the vegetation changes. The forest is beautiful.

Now our guide uses his machete to clear a path as we press deeper into the jungle. Over the river bed, I spot a red orchid hanging from the tree limb. It is shaped similarly to a Phragmipedium or a Lycaste. I wish it were closer so we could identify it. We see so many orchid plants everywhere, but they are not blooming, making it more difficult to identify them. I am thrilled to see some flowering orchids. Farther up the path we see what appears to be a Pleurothallis cardiothallis. Wild papaya, Guava trees, Eucalyptus, Golden Rain Trees are native to the Tropical Rain forests. Again, we pause to watch the cutter ants carry large leaf sections on their backs. Thousands of them were walking in formation - single file, working.

The air smells damp, earthy and fresh. The trek toward the falls becomes more rugged. The swoosh of the machete comes with more regularity as our guide cuts our path through the jungle. We are blazing a trail. The adventure involves climbing boulders and cliffs, walking through tangled tree roots and overgrown vegetation. The jungle floor is slippery and wet. We stop to admire more orchids and bromeliads high in the canopy on tree trunks. A short distance away, a Cochleanthes discolor (small flower, yellow with purple lip) has attached itself to a limb. The butterflies flit above our heads. The Blue Morpho Butterfly is truly a gorgeous sight. My husband and I had to catch up to the others a few times since we were always stopping to admire the scenery. Tiny red frogs, black and white butterflies, the calls of the birds and cicadas surround us. A Passerini’s Tanager warned other creatures of our approach (black bird with area of brilliant red on its back and wings). Encylias, oncidiums, cattleyas cling to the trunks like a heavy green coat. How magnificent.

We cross the river seven times. The river at the first crossing was knee high. Each crossing becomes deeper and more difficult as the river widens and becomes more forceful the closer we get to the falls. Extra caution is necessary; the force of the river makes it hard to find a foot hold. At some crossings the river is waist and chest high. We have no choice. We must cross. On two crossings, our guide had to extend his hand or bamboo stick as I did not have enough body weight to hold steadfast against the roaring current. Now I understood why the expensive cameras would prove worthless on our trek. Our bodies were totally submerged in the river.

As we near the falls, the mist becomes more pronounced and the roar grows louder and louder. The Rio Blanco Falls are magnificent. The river drops from 300 feet above from a hole in the mountain side. The sight is breathtaking. We climb to the bottom of the falls. I never imagined the force of the water falling would produce such high winds. Cold. Winds 20-30 miles per hour and the waves created at the river are incredible. More climbing to find a place to rest before we venture on the homeward trail.

The return trip was again filled with intense climbing and river crossings. Caterpillars, ants mosses, hummingbirds. A coatimundi suspiciously eyed us as we entered his territory. How lucky we were to see this unusual animal before he dashed away. On the descent, we saw two different Toucans. The first was a Collared Aracari; black with yellow/reddish belly, yellow and black beak; the second was a Keel-billed Toucan; a larger bird, black with yellow face and throat, green and red bill. Thrilling is how I would describe our good fortune.

This tropical Rainforest jungle invigorates and makes one especially cognizant of the beauty, force and frailty of nature. Costa Rica is blessed to have so much of their land protected, thus protecting thousands of native orchids, plants, wildlife. Although we didn’t see as many flowering orchids, having the opportunity to view orchids in the wild was meaningful. Out Tico friend made this trip unique. His knowledge of the various plants, orchids, trees, wildlife provided us with lesson after lesson about Costa Rica.

All of us emerged with scraped shins. It was well worth the experience that so few others have enjoyed. Now, the call of the Montezuma Oropendola greets us in celebratory song as our first orchid journey ends.

Vivi