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Published: August 7th 2007
Jenny and Poison Dart Frog
Jenny fell in love with this little guy, and it´s easy to see why. They´re so tiny! She said you could see his heart beating away.How can you put a price on this?
Central America Caribbean » Costa Rica » Jardins de la Catarata La Paz By TicoTime
May 8th 2007
Jenny and Poison Dart Frog
Jenny fell in love with this little guy, and it´s easy to see why. They´re so tiny! She said you could see his heart beating away.Pura Vida All!!!
I can honestly say that I am really starting to get used to this 5.30am get ups!!!
Today was THE most AMAZING day!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(This is Jenny by the way, I get to write first this time)
We started off the day with a breakfast that was included with our tour in the small town of Gatsuso. It was really good, I even had a cafe con leche. Their coffee here is amazing, the stuff at home tastes like a bunch of chemicals in comparison. Anyways, eggs beans and rice toast, cheese and the most wonderful sour cream ever!!! I really have to stop the dairy...ho hum. It is just so fresh here.
WE made it to the beginning of our hike to the Catarata La Paz on Rio Celeste. We entered into the jungle and soon
A day I´ll never forget.
You tell me what to say here... I still don´t know. learned the true meaning of cloud and rain forest! My lenses were wet and foggy, and the mud was something else. The green though, everything was so pure and brilliantly fresh!!
When we actually got up to the waterfall, WOW, it had stopped raining and I have never ever ever seen this colour of blue in my
A day I´ll never forget.
You tell me what to say here... I still don´t know.entire life, there is absolutely no way to describe the beauty or the noise. Paradise doesn´t even cut it! That is saying alot. Oh wait!!!
Check out the picture of me holding the little poisonus dart frog! Isn´t he cute!!!! Anyways, I will hand this over to Dustin now and he can fill you in to the rest as he is better at this whole blogging thing.
Adios for now!
Jenny.....oh yeah, we saw pineapple farms all over the place. After our hike, we had fresh picked pina...........to die for. I never want to leave!!!!
Ok, now I am done.
Hola amigos and amigas!
Today we experienced something I have the feeling will forever remain my favourite day on this earth yet.
Dustin & Jenny at Catarata La Paz
This place was so... not for words. They taint its magnificence, splendour... there I go again. Oops. After another breakfast of huevos pintos (this time with cornbread toast and undyed sour cream... wow I am ruined on sour cream forever now) we made our way for an hour on a pit-run gravel road. Well worth it. We saw a three toed sloth and her baby. So cute. Before our real destination we saw the largest (living?) tree in Costa Rica... not a redwood but gigantic nonetheless. On it were
Dustin & Jenny at Catarata La Paz
This place was so... not for words. They taint its magnificence, splendour... there I go again. Oops.at least two poison dart frogs, one of which Jenny had in her hand. Very cool. I had thought them to be much more insidious, but not so.
Just after we made it into the forest it started to rain, and thus out came the clouds and mud. But as soon as we made it to the Catarata (waterfall, gringo) my heart stopped. The beauty of the forest is unreal, but getting to that spot was like nothing else on this earth. I get tingles now, thinking of it.
There was a surreal sound of crashing water, a driving mist and the
Cleaning God´s Paintbrush
The intersection of two rivers, and the mixing point for the volcanic minerals (lots of copper and others) that turn the water blue. most erethral blue water you´ve ever seen in your life. The emerald lakes in Banff Nat. Park have nothing on this. Nothing. Nada.
We lingered for about a half hour while our guide happily snapped photos of us in this oasis and we enjoyed the swimming. It wasn´t nearly as cool as we´d expected, after dipping into Catarata Escondida, so with the colour and falls it was easy to stay.
Next was the point of interest was where the two rivers converge, and it was said that after God was finished painting the sky
Cleaning God´s Paintbrush
The intersection of two rivers, and the mixing point for the volcanic minerals (lots of copper and others) that turn the water blue.he cleaned his paint brushes in this spot hence the mixing. It is not hard to believe.
After we left there were a natural hotspring with our names all over it. It was my first hotspring experience ever, and really quite amazing. There was hot water on the top and cool below. Very neat. We soaked for about a half hour lounging on the rocks and then continued along.
From there we walked back along a different
Eyelash Viper
This is exactly why you don´t grab onto branches if you fall or slip. A bite can require a big human to get antivenin (sp?) or you´re gonzo. We tromped along and would have never noticed if not for our local guide. trail taking in the sights, sounds and mud. Wonderful. Again, we got lucky because the eyelash viper (very poisonous) was still asleep right where Jenny and I passed by him without noticing (earlier our guide had spotted him and remembered for the way back, better lighting for photos, he said). I was looking for an anaconda on the ground, but there he was, fist-sized, coiled up on a branch. I got about a foot away for a photo, can´t wait to see how my slides turn out.
Near the trailhead there was what must have been the world´s largest ant hill. Huge. Bigger than a large office desk. All those leafcutter ants, maintaining a huge mushroom for food inside. It
Eyelash Viper
This is exactly why you don´t grab onto branches if you fall or slip. A bite can require a big human to get antivenin (sp?) or you´re gonzo. We tromped along and would have never noticed if not for ... really is fascinating how they work together to maintain such a huge colony.
Then, just before the lodge there is a dual row of flowers that they have set up for hummingbirds. So I zapped off
Two Toed Sloth
They´re always smiling! I would too if I lived here. Really. For such a big beast they don´t stick out well and we didn´t see them until we were out of the van and nearly on top of them. about 20 shots and think some will turn out quite good. Time will tell. I didn´t linger because there was highly recommended fried chicken waiting for me. And boy does the Colonel have to come down here for some lessons. Free range chicken fried in a homestyle batter... on top of a casado style meal. And then the world´s freshest pineapple, from the plantation a stone´s throw away, for desert. Bueno.
On the drive home we took a different route, and passed an unbelievable amount of Fair Trade Pineapple farms... they nearly never seemed to end. They literally continued along the roadside for around 10 km. I watched the odometer.
Most importantly, we saw a pair (in different locations) of two toed slots. Our guide Geovani (He-oh-yanni) petted the first one who was asleep with his head tucked into his armpit. The sloth took a look with that perpetual smile and after another pet decided to warn him with a showing
Two Toed Sloth
They´re always smiling! I would too if I lived here. Really. For such a big beast they don´t stick out well and we didn´t see them until we were out of the van and
Dustin and the Two Toed Sloth
This guy was a little inquisitive, wondering what all the fuss was about. Not that he did anything about it... lazy bastard. nearly on top of them.of his teeth. Very cool... I was snapping away like mad. Then we saw a howler monkey on the roadside as well. And as another token of great luck we saw Volcan Arénal unshrouded and in all her glory. Very impressive. Geovani recommended we go up tonight and have our tour switched, but we´re tired, hungry and would also have nothing to do tomorrow, so we will take our chances.
For my last photo, I took a shot of our guide and his beautiful 3-year-old, Maria beside their home with the volcano in the background. He only speaks to her in Ingles as her mom only knows Espanol. She´s so cute.
Well, we need to eat so I´m going to upload the photos and vamous.
Cheers everyone, and can´t wait for our next adventure tomorrow. Lots of love.
PS. In keeping with my ennumeration of prices for other travellers, this was beyond money. We paid $70 US each, and even before the two-toed sloths and monkeys and stuff on the ride home, I decided that it would be a bargain at twice the price. Eagle Tours in La Fortuna provided me with a day beyond words.
Dustin and the Two Toed Sloth
This guy was a little inquisitive, wondering what all the fuss was about. Not that he did anything about it... lazy bastard.I can´t say it enough. And staying in their home at Hotel La Choza only adds to the experience. Bueno.
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Laurel Mom
non-member comment
Eager Anticipation
... is exactly what I have in looking forward to your blogs! It's so good to see your photos and hear of your adventures, in such exquisite detail. I am already planning a trip to Costa Rica (in my mind). I imagine this is what the Garden of Eden might have been like. Things are well here, we saw Monty on Sunday and he took us on a great tour of the beautiful homes his firm has been working on. Ed and I went for a "walk" in Canmore, which turned into a "hike" just trying to get from Pt A to Pt B and back. Me in my white sweather with fur collar, dress pants and sandals and not happy when I twisted my ankle and a bramble snuck into my sandle. He is a wise man, he took me directly to Tim Hortons for (chemical) coffee. All is well. I love seeing the pics of everything, esp the two of you, and the blogs from friends and family. Bye for now! xoxox Mom