"I Caught an Armadillo With my Bare Hands"

Colorful Story About a Hike Through La Cangreja Biological Reserve

Cati and I stayed at Rancho Mastatal for 8 days. The ranch is located in the mountains outside of Parrita, Costa Rica. As we rose into the mountains on the motorcycle, we seemed to be going back in time to the days of the wild west. We passed a woman in the road herding cattle while picking wild herbs. We saw another woman and her three kids all smashed onto a single horse. Horses, motorcycles and feet are the only methods of transportation that work in this isolated region of the country. The road was so destroyed by the months of torrential rains that even the beer trucks can not get through. Cati had to get off and walk through some parts, and I nearly crashed the bike and fell face first into a mud hole deep enough to lose an entire car in. We luckily arrived at the ranch just in time to miss the afternoon rains.

While there, we went on many hikes to nearby waterfalls, waded through creeks and rivers, and strolled through pristince tropical rainforests checkered with cattle ranges. By far the most memorable and beatiful hike we went on was into the Cangreja Biological Reserve, a newly designated national conservation zone. We were led by Junior, a 18 year-old local guide and salsa dance teacher who works for Tim and Robin-the owners of the farm.

We departed from Rancho Mastatal at 7:00 AM and were driven up to the trail head by Tim. Although the hike was not particularly long, it was grueling, especially for Junior. He had to swing his machete so many times against the tropical foliage, that we found ourselves stopping regularly for him to rest and sharpen his blade. He knows the trail as well as his own backyard, because it literally is just that. He knew the names of several giant upper canopy trees I inquired about, such as Guanacaste and Lechoso. He had many interesting stories to tell us along the way about birds, mammals and insect species, including several species that are found only in La Cangreja and no where else in the world.

I was very impressed an grateful that Junior had the presence of mind to notice the nest of wasps that had to be carefully traversed around, as it was being built in grass 2 meters tall directly in the path. We were blessed with clouds that blocked the sun while we hiked through the old overgrown pastures that are being reclaimed by nature. The temperature drop was quite dramatic as we rose into the well established virgin forest tree canopy that provided cool shade at the higher elevations. There was a brook fortuitously located half way up so we could fill our water bottles with fresh mountain spring water.

Although the monkeys were hiding on this particular day we were elated by the amount of wildlife we saw on this hike including dozens of bird species, the most impressive of which was the giant tucans who like to sing in two tones and stay just out of photo range. At one point we saw the most comical and goofy looking creature bobbing and bouncing down the path at his maximum velocity of about 1 mile per hour. I had no idea what it was but I immediately gave chase and found it as easy to catch as a toddler running away from its mom.

I caught the poor little guy as he was trying to squeeze his stubby body down a hole it could never possibly have fit down. Junior informed me this was an armadillo, which I should have guessed even though its quite distinct from it North American cousin. I picked it up and looked at his cute antieater like face and vulnerable soft belly. It simply sat there patiently awaiting his fate without resistance. He was lucky on this day that I was not a local poacher looking to eat him. I released him and he happily hobbled off into the grass to root around in the dirt for grubs.