Andrew Evans is currently traveling on board the National Geographic Sea Lion . Here, he recaps his recent visit to Costa Rica’s Corcovado National Park. The tropical rain forest is the exact opposite of Antarctica: it’s steamy hot, always wet, bright green, and crawling with life both day and night. This week, my journey south has taken me along the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. From my ship, I’ve watched the shore and noticed the vegetation growing taller and fuller as we move into the thick of the tropical rain forest. Lucky for me, the National Geographic Sea Lion made a two-day stop on the Osa Peninsula, allowing us passengers the freedom to explore the jungle. Four years ago, I traveled to this very spot on vacation and was utterly amazed by the wealth of wildlife all around me. In my opinion, Osa represents the best of the best of Costa Rica. I’m not the only one who feels this way: National Geographic Traveler listed the Osa Peninsula as one of their Places of a Lifetime in their October 2009 issue. Corcovado National Park is renowned for its biodiversity as well as its sheer inaccessibility. Arriving on a Lindblad ship was like parking my hotel room right next to one of the world’s most verdant and pristine rain forest preserves. The last time I came here required a two-hour flight from San Jos é , a five-hour ride in the back of a truck, followed by a 14-mile hike through the forest. This time it took a two-minute ride in a Zodiac.