Costa Rica - 2007

In November 2007, we visited Costa Rica on an eco-tour sponsored by the Somerset County Environmental Education Center (EEC). It was a 10 day tour, including travel days. There were 16 of us, including Christa and Mary, employees of the EEC. Below is a pictorial record of our tour. The links below will take you to photo records of some of the flora and fauna we saw on the trip.

     
Click on the images above to go to the respective photos


The Buena Vista Hotel in Alajuela where we stayed the first and last nights.


Our transportation for the 10 days.


The group
Left to right - Front - Linda, Mary, Marlene, Gwen, Carlos (our driver)
Back - Christa, John, Lainie, Elise, Tom, Bob, Cindy, Pat, Iza, Gene, Margaret
Missing in action is Lee - she was visiting family during the photo.
Our guide, Jesus, is taking the photo.


A few days prior to our arrival, there were heavy rains with flooding. This bridge on the road coming down from Poas Volcano was partially washed out. We all had to walk across the bridge and Carlos carefully drove across. When we got to the bottom of the mountain, we saw that the road had been closed while we were on it.


Danny, a guide at the pineapple plantation, tells us everything we wanted to know about pineapples. We ate more pineapples than ever before while he kept us entertained with his jokes and patter.


Pat enjoys a complimentary pina colada after the tour.


Jesus, our guide, tells us about the flora and fauna of the rain forest at Velda Verde, a lodge and preserve for ecological studies. Jesus is an ornithologist, but he also has a very broad knowlege of entomology, horticulture, herpatology, history and just about anything you could ask him about.


Pat enjoys the hot springs at Baldi. The water is heated by the Arenal Volcano. We could see the red lava flowing down the mountain after dark when we drove to the far side of the volcano.


We took a safari raft trip down the San Carlos River where we saw howler monkeys, a crocodile, and numerous interesting birds, including the uncommon Great Potoo.


Pat enjoys the raft trip.


We met Don Pedro who is 95 years old and has lived in this house with his family since around 1920. He has 20 acres and is a subsistance farmer with no electricity or running water.


This is Don Pedro's kitchen. Notice the dirt floors and the chicken under the stove.


Bob, Cindy and Pat enjoy refreshments provided by Don Pedro's daughter.


Brahman seem to be the predominant type of cattle in Costa Rica.


A vaquero moving his herd. We saw a number of them on horseback during the trip.


We crossed 9 of these bridges above the canopy at Monteverde in the St. Elena Cloud Forest. Some of the bridges were up to 250 feet above the forest floor.


Here we are with Jesus on one of the bridges.


This young man is explaining the life of the owl butterfly during a tour of the butterfly house. He is standing in front of a host of various butterfly chrysalises in a case to protect them from predator insects.


Jesus explains our itinerary at Manuel Antonio National Park.


It is the 35th anniversary of the park and these children are performing a dance for the celebration.


Carlos arranged for a mariachi band at our farewell dinner.


Pat and Carlos dance to the mariachi music.


The sun sets on our last day in Costa Rica.

     
Click on the images above to see the respective photo sites

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