Going to live off the grid requires energy. And river crossings in many instances. Sometimes a dozen a day. Crossings that need to be timed w rains. 8″ inches falling in a couple hours was not unusual on the Osa Peninsula during 2016’s rainy season, of an El Niño year to boot. I saw rivers rise by several feet in under an hour. Below the surface of a roiling river’s café au lait surface a rider can chance upon unseen unexpected obstacles, the likes of felled branches and entire trees beside rocks. It’s common to stumble, and then need to snorkel for both bike n biker.
National Geographic declared this “the most biologically intense place on Earth in terms of biodiversity.”