JUNGLES, BATS, CLOUD FORESTS, ALLIGATORS
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| January on a secluded beach in Manuel Antonio NP, Costa Rica |
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Despite Holly being 6 months pregnant, we decided to start the New Year with a bang and took off for a week of jungles, crocodiles, monkeys, cloud forests, birds and beaches in Costa Rica. Why Costa Rica? Three major reasons: We wanted sunshine in January, we didn't have time to adjust to a new time zone, and we wanted more adventure and freedom to roam than you get with a Carribean or Mexican resort destination. Because Costa Rica is only slightly east of Utah, the time zone is only one hour different. Rather than book a package vacation deal, which probably would have been cheaper, we decided to go for spontaneity and freedom. We purchased plane tickets, rented a car online, and booked only our first hotel, planning to make up the rest of the trip as we went. It worked out great and we thoroughly enjoyed a week of adventures, some among throngs of tourists, and others way off the beaten path.
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| Another secluded beach in Manuel Antonio NP |
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| The Costa Rican National Motto, the PURE LIFE |
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As with most destinations we have traveled to, we found more to do than we could possibly pack into a week. We promised ourselves we will return to this amazing country in Central America. Here is the introductory paragraph about Costa Rica from Wikipedia:
"Costa Rica, which means "Rich Coast", constitutionally
abolished its army permanently in 1949.
[6][7][8] It is the only
Latin American country included in the
list of the world's 22 older democracies.
[9] Costa Rica has consistently been among the top Latin American countries in the
Human Development Index (HDI), ranked 69th in the world in 2011.
[5] Also was cited by the
UNDP
in 2010 as one of the countries that have attained much higher human
development than other countries at the same income levels,
[10]
and in 2011 was highlighted by UNDP for being a good performer on
environmental sustainability, and better record on human development and
inequality than the median of their region. It was also the only
country to meet all five criteria established to measure environmental
sustainability.
[5] "
Here are a few photos from our amazing adventure:
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| Not quite Walmart, but it had everything-- at great prices!! |
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| Holly on a suspension bridge in the Cloud Forest NP at Monteverde |
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| The CASADO-- meat, fried sweet plantain, beans, rice, and salad, for $2-- this was our staple |
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| I probably took 300 photos at the hummingbird garden just outside the Cloud Forest NP |
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| Holly admires one of seven chicks being raised by six year old Jose. He keeps them warm in the family outhouse |
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Here is Jose's home. His grandmother, parents, aunts, uncles, and siblings all live here. They own a banana plantation and charge lost tourists for access to a local waterfall in the jungle.
On our second day in the country we drove about 10 km from Monteverde on a very steep mountain road. We found ourselves in a beautiful valley full of coffee plantations and home to the University of Georgia's Costa Rican campus. While driving along the road we passed a middle-aged man that looked American. We stopped to ask him what he was doing in the area. He explained that he was a biology professor from a small mid-western state college and had brought a group of undergraduate students to Costa Rica for a month-long study abroad. They were specializing in bat studies. He invited us to join them that night catching bats with mist nets and then studying their characteristics. We couldn't pass up that kind of offer and so after dinner we headed back to the UGA campus and joined the group. We caught 5 bats in 30 minutes and learned all kinds of fascinating stuff about the little mammals.
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| Our kind professor, examining a bat's wing for distinguishing features |
On our drive down the mountain from Monteverde, we came upon some fellow tourists who had lost a tire. It wasn't just flat, it was gone. They had watched it roll away from their car and off the side of a 500 foot cliff into a jungle-fill ravine below. They had splurged for the full-sized SUV at the rental agency, but somehow the car didn't come with a usable jack or extra lug nuts. We were the first folks to stop and help, but as you see below, within 30 minutes we had plenty of other willing hands. I felt bad for this young couple who had planned a tight itinerary and were now going to have to spend a full day waiting for a replacement vehicle to be driven from San Jose.
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| Holly with our unfortunate friends as a tour bus driver explains the options | | |
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We gave them a ride off the mountain so that they could wait in a restaraunt at the base of the mountain rather than sweat it out in 90 degree heat with their non-functional car on this rocky, dusty road to Monteverde.
En route from Monteverde to Manuel Antonio, we stopped and took a boat tour entitled "The Alligator Man Tour". I had to take some pictures of the locals fishing the waters that were infested with these monster gators. They were more than happy to pose for my shots and show me their catch.
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| Aptly named vessel "The Miracle" |
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| Some Interesting Bird |
Our tour was amazing for both the alligators and the birdlife that we got to see and photograph. I wish I could remember the names of these specimens, but I know I have never seen them north of the border.
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| American Pygmy Kingfisher |
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| Southern Crested Caracara |
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| That is a WILD ALLIGATOR.... Need I say more |
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| A recent hurricane had really wreaked havoc on the trails in Manuel Antonio NP, so we just ignored the signs and found lots of VERY secluded beaches. :) |
