Every time I think I know the subtle and not so subtle differences in the culture I am most accustomed to and that of the Costa Rican People, I find just one more difference.

This is the case in the shortcut which is approximately half way between the town of Sierpe and where the Sierpe River spills into the big blue Pacific Ocean.

There is a big oxbow (loop) in the river that is about two miles long from beginning to end. There is a tiny little passage through the mangrove which cuts off this oxbow tying the two ends of the loop together.

It is only accessible when the tide is between three quarters and high providing enough water to travel without hitting the mangrove roots and mud.

It is the favorite part of the trip made by hundreds of tourists on their way to the Osa Peninsula via the Sierpe River. Cameras come out at hyper speeds as soon as the shock of leaving the main river goes away. It is beautiful and very much like going through a cave.

The channel is tiny, winding, eerie almost spooky while the mangrove seems immense and non ending. When I have tourists on board and have penetrated the mangrove several hundred yards I’ll ask them for their money and watches. Once they realize I’m just kidding there is usually at least a courtesy laugh.

It is still possible to go from the mouth of the river to Sierpe with out seeing another boat. If the tide is high enough to take the short cut, you can be most assured that is where you will meet another boat. In many places it is not wide enough to allow two boats to pass.

It is easy to tell when some new gringo discovers the shortcut because they mark the hard to recognize corners with a plastic bottle on a string or a piece of orange surveyor’s tape. We don’t remove them, we just laugh and remember the times when we got lost in what is the largest mangrove reserve in Central America.

One day I was bringing the neighbor’s caretaker down the river and was about to go past the shortcut. He asked why I wasn’t taking the short cut. When I explained the water was too low he insisted I take it and said we could make it easily.

Here is the part about the culture differences: I said, typical of a Gringo: “we’ll likely not save any time as we’ll have to go so slow to avoid damage to the boat or motor”. As we pulled into the alluring entrance to the short cut through the mangrove he said: “It’s not about time, you’ll save money on gas”.

We took the shortcut.

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Written by VIP Member Jim Cameron who lives in the Sierpe River area of Costa Rica.

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Andrew Makarik

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Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.