We planned to visit Manuel Antonio National Park because we read in the guidebook that it is possible to anchor in the bay near the beach of Manuel Antonio. When Dave swam ashore to pay the anchoring fee, he was told we had to pay in town. We went ashore in our dinghy to find the park entrance but after 4 different inquiries about the cost and the place to pay, we found one woman who seemed to know of a bank in town but little else. By now the tide had risen and getting off the beach in our dinghy provided entertainment for everyone on the beach. The breaking waves threatened to swamp the dinghy and thankfully Michael is a surfer who helped us time the breaks so the four of us could push the boat out. Dave skillfully started the dinghy motor quickly and we were safely out of the surf, even if we were quite wet. Eventually we left the anchorage for the Marina Pez Vela back in town and visited the park the following day by taxi for our early morning tour. We enjoyed seeing monkeys, sloths, minute grasshoppers, toucans, and other wildlife. There were two gorgeous beaches in the park where monkeys tried to swipe food from tourists and we tried to cool down from the oppressive heat. At the beginning of the guided tour, all of us were eager to spot monkeys. By the end of the day after being on the beaches where the monkeys are clever little scavengers, we understood why the guides didn't think that spotting a monkey was anything special. While Linda sat on the beach and took a photo of a nearby monkey, she heard a sound behind her. When she turned around, she spotted a monkey trying to open the zipper on our backpack. Clever group hunters!