Our cruise ship, the Coral Princess, arrived in Limon, Costa Rica on a, calm,peaceful morning.  We had explored the Panama Canal the previous day and were still talking about the incredible engineering of the area.  We were excited about our upcoming trip to the Veragua Rainforest.

     We disembarked from the ship and boarded an accessible bus that took us on a winding road that went 40 miles into the forest.  We enjoyed seeing the small well kept family farms along the route.  We arrived at the Veragua Rainforest Preserve and Adventure Park and were immediately impressed by it's accessible design. It was easy to navigate the paved paths and boardwalks as our knowledgeable guide described the area.  Our guide taught us how to observe the sights and it didn't take us long to develop an intimate understanding of the jungle.  We noticed insects, poison frogs, butterflies and numerous tropical birds.  We viewed an extensive nocturnal frog exhibit and we delighted as we strolled through the outdoor butterfly exhibit, where we we were surrounded by numerous colorful butterflies.

     We boarded an open air tram and headed down into the Victoria River Canyon.  The symphony of the sounds of the jungle surrounded us as we descended through the dense tropical forest. The calls of  toucans and howler monkeys echoed throughout the forest.  We spotted a family of howler monkeys playing in the trees as we neared the floor of jungle.  We strolled down the boardwalk and began to explore the valley. We both felt a little out of our comfort zone after listening to the guide describe encounters with poisonous snakes and other creatures of the jungle. We were relieved to get back to the visitor center, where we shopped for souvenirs and enjoyed a tasty lunch.

    The  bus took us to a large site near the ship, where local vendors displayed their beautiful arts and crafts.  We purchased some beautiful wood carvings and framed butterflies.  It was a nice way to end our great experience in Costa Rica.