Dianne and Sarah arrive after a long day of flying to the warmth of Costa Rica.
The tram car we traveled in going over the canopy of the rainforest. The tram car ahead of us is visible through the lush vegetation that surrounded us. We were 50-160 feet above the ground, yet we never felt like we were more than 15 feet high because the trees and vines were completely enveloping us. The four of us plus a guide were in the car, and it was fantastic.
Views from our tram car. We were riding above and through the canopy of the rain forest for over an hour!
The plants and trees grow to unbelievable sizes. We were at 160 feet above ground in some spots, and the trees, with vines growing on them, still towered above us!
There was also a butterfly garden which had many of the Blue Morpho variety of butterflies. You can see 3 of these which had hatched earlier in the day and were waiting for their wings to dry so they could take flight. A caterpillar on the right, beautiful in it’s own right, will eventually become a Blue Morpho. If you have never seen this species of butterfly, I suggest you find it on the internet. I won’t even try to describe it to you. It is stunning.
Two of the many toucans that the Toucan Rescue Ranch has saved from literally dying. This organization started out just helping and saving injured and sick toucans. Now they house toucans, macaws, falcons, parrots, owls, sloths, porcupines, ocelots and more that would never have survived without this wonderful organization. It is a non profit, and does extraordinary work to save these animals.
A pair of spectacled owls and a porcupine at the Toucan Rescue Ranch. The birds were injured and will never fly again, while the porcupine is blind after being hit by a car.
Lunch just outside of Manuel Antonio along the Pacific Ocean. We ate at Raphael’s Terraza, good food to go along with a wide open view of the ocean. This is the 3rd time Deb and I have eaten at this restaurant, and it won’t be the last.
Deb had fish tacos while I chose the chicken burrito. Yes, that is an egg on the plate with the fish tacos! Hungry?
An iguana sunning himself in Manuel Antonio. I promised Sarah and Dianne monkeys. The city of Manuel Antonio is known for having monkeys just “hanging around”, and it didn’t disappoint.
Deb and Sarah strolling and chatting while enjoying the warm water.
Ancient rock carvings found in the excavation at Guayabo National Monument.
The roots of a Ficus tree at Guayabo. The grass mounds are where the huts of the indigenous people were constructed. To my fellow golfers – no, those are not tee boxes!! This National Monument is near the city of Turrialba.
Dianne, myself, two very nice women from France, Deb and Sarah. Our guide through the National Monument was Elizabeth. Without her we would not have enjoyed this visit nearly as much as we did. Thank you Elizabeth.
Four Minnesotans, all volunteers at the Minnesota Zoo, reunited for seven days in the beauty of Costa Rica. Our ages ranged from 20 to, well, slightly more than 20! But we thoroughly enjoyed each day together. We packed a lot of fun and travel into 7 days, and it was bittersweet saying goodbye. Thanks to Dianne and Sarah for sharing this part of our adventure.
It has been a few weeks since we last published a new blog. We didn’t do much traveling during the holidays, just kept on enjoying living in this beautiful land.
Christmas here is celebrated mainly on Christmas Eve. Families get together for dinner, and going to Mass on Christmas morning is a must. But every Sunday the churches here are overflowing, so was not unusual.
New Year’s Eve is a time for huge celebrations here. We live up in the hills overlooking a few different cities. The view that night at midnight was “explosive” to say the least. We watched well over a dozen different firework displays going on in various parts of these cities, with most of them lasting about 30 minutes! That was fun.
On January 2nd we had visitors arrive for a week of fun. Dianne and Sarah are both volunteers at the Minnesota Zoo, as are Deb and I. That is how we got to know each other and share our love of animals and our planet. We traveled and did things every day they were here. We rode a tram over the canopy of the rain forest at Braulio Carrillo National Park, went on a tour at the Toucan Rescue Ranch, traveled to Manuel Antonio on the Pacific Ocean (7 hours round trip in the car!), and went to the Guayabo National Monument. Guayabo is the only excavation site that is open to the public in the entire country, so that was pretty special. We also drove to and through many towns and cities that Deb and I have seen before, including La Garita, Atenas, Grecia, and Sarchi. These cities are among our favorite cities to look for a house to rent for next winter. The four of us did go to look at a rental house in the city of Puriscal, but that didn’t work out as we had hoped. So the search continues. Oh yeah, somehow we found time to eat and sleep too.
Dianne and Sarah left for the warm sunny land of Minnesota early this morning. So all of this fun and touring was done between last Wednesday and yesterday. There are more guests on the horizon for us. Our wonderful friends Betty and Stuart will be arriving on Saturday for 15 days. Deb and I are going to get some rest this week in preparation for their visit. I know we will see some of the same places we have been before, along with some new experiences for us too. Another trip to Manuel Antonio is already on the calendar.
I’m not sure, but our next blog may not be posted until after Betty and Stu leave. If I find some time to put up some pics and a story or two before then I will.
Deb and I wish you all the best in this New Year, and hope for health and happiness to all of our family members and friends.
Pura Vida.
Deb & Tim.
Deb & Tim's Adventure 