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Chicago Magazine
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  • 1 / 29
    Portrait of David’s parents, Roma and Luda Gimelfarb, in Rosewood Park near their Highland Park home.
    Daniel Shea
  • 2 / 29
    The capital of Costa Rica, San Jose.
    Daniel Shea
  • 3 / 29
    The capital of Costa Rica, San Jose.
    Daniel Shea
  • 4 / 29
    San Jose from a distance, coming out of the city.
    Daniel Shea
  • 5 / 29
    The bar at Hacienda Guachipelín, where David stayed.
    Daniel Shea
  • 6 / 29
    A path from the room to the restaurant at Hacienda Guachipelín.
    Daniel Shea
  • 7 / 29
    The lobby at Hacienda Guachipelín.
    Daniel Shea
  • 8 / 29
    A landscape of the rooms at Hacienda Guachipelín.
    Daniel Shea
  • 9 / 29
    A room at Hacienda Guachipelín.
    Daniel Shea
  • 10 / 29
    On the road from Hacienda Guachipelín to Rincón de La Vieja National Park in the Province of Guanacaste.
    Daniel Shea
  • 11 / 29
    The Rincón de La Vieja National Park ranger station, where every hiker checks into before hiking the park trails.
    Daniel Shea
  • 12 / 29
    David’s signature in the park visitor log from 2009.
    Daniel Shea
  • 13 / 29
    The foot bridge leading Las Pailas, the short hike David signed in to take.
    Daniel Shea
  • 14 / 29
    Along Las Pailas, hikers can see bubbling hot mud pots that signal the park’s ongoing volcanic activity.
    Daniel Shea
  • 15 / 29
    Las Pailas trails.
    Daniel Shea
  • 16 / 29
    More geothermal mud pots along Las Pailas.
    Daniel Shea
  • 17 / 29
    The park’s signature attraction is an active volcano, seen in the distance.
    Daniel Shea
  • 18 / 29
    Another hiking trail in the sweeping Rincón de La Vieja National Park.
    Daniel Shea
  • 19 / 29
    Rincón de La Vieja National Park features beautiful rivers and waterfalls.
    Daniel Shea
  • 20 / 29
    More trails in the enormous park.
    Daniel Shea
  • 21 / 29
    Seen on the road from the park to a nearby beach that tourists often visit.
    Daniel Shea
  • 22 / 29
    Playa del Coco, a beach that David is believed to have visited while in Costa Rica.
    Daniel Shea
  • 23 / 29
    Playa del Coco, a beach that David is believed to have visited while in Costa Rica.
    Daniel Shea
  • 24 / 29
    Playa del Coco, a beach that David is believed to have visited while in Costa Rica.
    Daniel Shea
  • 25 / 29
    The town near Playa del Coco.
    Daniel Shea
  • 26 / 29
    View from another nearby beach, Playa Hermosa, which is much less commercial and more scenic.
    Daniel Shea
  • 27 / 29
    Playa Hermosa at night.
    Daniel Shea
  • 28 / 29
    On the road from the park back to San Jose.
    Daniel Shea
  • 29 / 29
    The Gimelfarbs near their home in Highland Park. They still believe that their son is alive.
    Daniel Shea
The Last Hike of David Gimelfarb: A Photo Essay

Chicago magazine sent the talented documentary photographer Daniel Shea to Costa Rica to retrace the missing Chicago hiker David Gimelfarb’s last known steps. The following 29 images capture a lush region known for its natural beauty and abundant greenery. But there hidden dangers lend an aura of mystery to this strange tale.

July 29, 2013, 1:00 pm

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