José Marín Walks the Boundaries of Cerro El Peligro

From the foothills of Arenal to the summit of cerro El Peligro, José Marín — head of security for Fundación Loros — walked every stretch of the trail today and confirmed something worth putting on record: the entire route runs within the institution's own lands. Along the way he exchanged greetings with the campesinos linked to the Fundación — Daniel Otero Ríos, Vidal Galindo Ríos, and Efraín Almeida Castillo — and crossed paths with señor Juancito, who paused beside the Área Protegida sign just long enough to pose with a thumbs-up. The only one missing from his usual spot was Luis Emiro Ricardo García, whose rancho sat empty at dawn, as though he simply hadn't made his way out to those parts today. Upon reaching the upper reaches of the cerro, José came upon a lake that holds more promise than water: the liquid seeps in and slips away without staying, and reclaiming it will take some doing. From that vantage point, though, the view is the kind that stops a person cold — a sweeping panorama that draws the eye all the way down to the waters of Arenal threading along the hillside below. Among the stones of cerro El Peligro he also noted a scattering of cacti that the late afternoon sun had turned almost golden, an image one rarely conjures when thinking of this Caribbean reserve.