Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
beaches. A quarter of this country is national park or protected area,
and those parts teem with wildlife: although Costa Rica has just 0.5 per
cent of the world's land mass, it is home to 5 per cent of its wildlife,
including four species of monkey, big cats, turtles, tapirs, lizards, igua-
nas, rainbow-coloured toucans and two- and three-toed sloths. It's a
nature lover's Garden of Eden.
A lot of schools in Australia are teaching their classes about
the places where I've run by logging on to my website in class. The
messages of support that have been pouring in from Aussie school-
kids have been heartening. They'll know of my enthusiasm for Costa
Rica.
sePtember 9
Another arduous day in paradise. I'll never tire of the rivers or the
ocean. The jungle melds into suburbia, and the monkeys use the high
branches of trees as a superhighway far above my head as I run. There
is colour everywhere; even the squirrels here have a more vibrant tone.
The macaws seem puzzled by my journey.
As I ran along the roads lined with palm trees today, I passed
truck after truck lying on its side after careening out of control. Who'd
have thought it? I was worried about polar bears and bandits before I
started this trip, but it may turn out that the most terrifying thing I'll
face is out-of-control trucks.
sePtember 10
I heard from Greg Quail today. He is pulling every string he can to
round up some armed security for me when I am in the Darién Gap.
Whether he succeeds or not, I'll be running through it. The Darién and
the South Pole are the major (foreseeable) remaining obstacles.
The shoulder I damaged when I fell after I took that wrong turn
is not good. Every step I take, it hurts. I am no doctor, but I reckon it
will take two weeks to heal properly. I can add a sore shoulder to my
lengthening list of aches and pains.
I'm not the only patient. Katie had to go to a local hospital last
night to receive 2 litres of intravenous fluid. She had a migraine, was
badly dehydrated, and her blood pressure was low. For the past few
