Nighttime Jungle walk (near Santa Elena)

Our general impression of this was that it was not as good as the night tour we took in Belize to see the Howler monkeys. There were too many people here- and multiple tours criss-crossing the same areas, limiting the possibilitites of seeing some of the wildlife. There were many things that could have been seen better during the day. Having said that- there were some very interesting sights to see. The first animal we saw was a female orange-bellied trogan sleeping in a tree, her head tucked under her wing. We saw a couple of tarantulas, one living in a pipe in the ground and the other in a hole in the bank next to the path. The guide was able to use a twig to create vibrations to entice the tarantula out of the hole. It gave us a new sense of scale for a spider. It has a certain presence about it. 5-6 inches across. Black and orange and fuzzy. Very sensitive to vibrations, coming toward the vibration of the twig, and the skittering back into the hole when someone moved their foot on the ground.
2 sloths, one eating , one sleeping. Big furballs.
Strangler vines, encasing trees- killing them in 50-60 years- creating a wondeful playground for a troupe of coatimundi (plural of coati). Very curious, not at all afraid of the hoard of humans flashing cameras and bright lights.
Striped palm viper hanging out in a tree. About 3 feet long. waiting for a mouse to pounce upon. It might be waiting there for weeks.If it bites a human you have 2 hours to get to antivenin and 6 hours to get to a hospital. Do not walk under it or startle it- just stand and admire the beautiful lime green color!

Santa Elena Ziplines

Just plain fun! 13 different zip lines strung through the rainforest. Varying lengths and heighths. Beautiful views. Oregon-esque but tropical. Beginning with a shorter line to get people comfortable, and culminating in a kilometer long tandem ride, soaring over the treetops. Getting up to what felt like 70 but was actually 30 mph.
Quite a few people were quite fearful, and it appeared that those people did not have as much fun, feeling that this was something to endure rather than enjoy. To say that they had done it. We had a blast! The very last part was a Tarzan Swing. You climbed the tower, they clipped you into the harness, opened the gate and you stepped off the platform. Smallish drop before you began to swing high to the tops of the canopy. Swinging back and forth, like a wonderful big pendulum. It is an interesting and quick mental transition from ¨I´m falling¨ to ¨Whee- this is fun!

International Experience

Riding on a bus in Costa Rica, watching a Russian version of Toy Story 3, in English, listening to Buzz Lightyear talking in Spanish, with Russian subtitles, on an Ipod made in China.

Monteverde Cloud Forest

The cloud forest reminded us a lot of the Oregon Coast, only warmer. We hiked about 5 hours through different zones of the forest. The biggest difference was the diversity. Each tree would be suppporting a multitude of species of plants. A sign by  one large tree said that it supported over 400 types of orchids, bromeliads, and epiphytes.
 When we reached the spot called "La Ventana" the window, where you are supposed to be able to see both the Carribbean and the Pacific, but all we saw were clouds. We did not see  many animals. Several coatis were patrolling the area around the park headquarters, obviously owning the area. We did glimpse a female quetzal in an avocado tree- but it was just a glimpse.
We walked a large 3k loop around the park and then a smaller 1k loop inside. Lots of photographs of plants and waterfalls and vines and bugs. I hope to be able to post some pictures soon.

Right now I am struggling with this computer. Firstly, it is set up in Spanish, secondly almost all the letters have been rubbed off the keyboard, really showing the lack of skill I have in touch typing, and finally the connection is really slow, so everytime I make a mistake I have to wait for the computer to catch up so that I can fix the errors and attempt to move on!

First thoughts (Alejuela)

 Arriving at the airport it is hard to realize that I am really in a foreign country. Sure there are signs, but my brain takes a while to process it. Bob and Rivers met me at the airport so I didn't have to deal with changing money or any language issues. However, as I am in the hotel room, listening to the noises outside the window I am getting hints that I am not in Kansas anymore. Our room is right on the street and the traffic noises are very different from US traffic noises. Lots of airbrakes on trucks, lack of mufflers, horns sounding in an unfamiliar pitch and just a sense of reckless abandonment in the driving. Punctuated by brief moments of quiet when I can occasionally hear some unfamiliar bird sounds. Time to go explore this world and connect some sights to these sounds I am hearing.

Bob and Rivers have arrived

Bob and Rivers have arrived in Costa Rica and checked into the hotel. The report is that it is 70 degrees and breezy. Cooler than expected, but shorts and sandals weather nonetheless. Check below for a map. They are currently in Alejuela,  just NW of San Jose- the capital.

Costa Rica Bound

Bob and Rivers left this morning. I will join them in Costa Rica on Wednesday night. My hope is to access this blog in Costa Rica and keep anyone who is interested updated on our travels.

It is so hard to pack for a warm climate when you are sitting in a cold house. It is difficult to believe that I will really be OK without a sweater or a warm coat!

I am hoping that Bob and Rivers will send me an e-mail tomorrow from Costa Rica, telling me that it really is warm and wonderful (and that they are not having too much fun without me- they are supposed to wait for me to have fun!)