A place in the wild

JOURNEY ACROSS SOUTHERN COSTA RICA AND DISCOVER ONE OF THE MOST BIODIVERSE COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD. HOME TO EXTRAORDINARY WILDLIFE SPECIES AND SOME GROUNDBREAKING ECO-LODGES, IT IS A PLACE RIPE FOR ADVENTURE, FROM WHITEWATER RAFTING AND JUNGLE TREKS TO BOAT TRIPS ACROSS TROPICAL WATERS THAT GLOW IN THE DARK

- AMELIA DUGGAN

Precariously perched at the nose of the bucking raft, I stab my paddle into the foam of a rapid, as the soothing noises of the rainforest — just moments ago layered birdsong and sibilant river — are replaced by the frenzied roar of water meeting rocks. Behind me, an urgent shout: “Forw–ard! Forward!” I try to row but the inflatable boat pitches and I find myself aloft, sliding from my seat, feet slipping from their holds, my oar meeting nothing but air. What a terrible mistake this has been, I think, as the raft slams back into the water and I find I’m still on board: I am sure humans are not meant to contend with these forces, let alone sail them for sport. “Get down! Get down!” — another command from the guide at the stern. Our team of four rowers clumsily grab for the safety ropes, raise our oars, slither onto the cramped floor space and brace, all this in a second as the raft collides with a giant boulder and ricochets powerfully into calm, flat waters.

What grade had that rapid been? A fearsome IV? A death-defying V? “You survived your first grade II,” Marcello Delgado, calls out encouragingly. “Great work! Now, forward!” Despite a patter of well-tested jokes about this being his first day on the job, Cello (as we’re asked to call him) is a whitewater fanatic, passionate about spending his days instructing on the Pacuare River, the main artery of Costa Rica’s rafting scene. So too is the ‘safety kayaker’, Alex Cordero, a nimble scout who shoots down the rapids ahead of our raft to plot the route and scan for obstacles. It’s Alex, up in front, who models how to respect — not fear — the currents: he dances with the Pacuare, dipping, diving, twisting, turning and even floating backwards down her churning courses.