This forum has been WAY too quiet!

I've just gotten home and here are some pictures of my trip to Costa Rica. I think I will start with animals and this posts animal is the 3 toed sloth.

 

I was out looking for tree frogs one night and found this sloth mama and baby that came down from the trees for the weekly poop. Yep, they only come down from the trees about once a week to poop.







Check out those claws.

 

How about a silky anteater. When they are really curled-up they look like big peaches high up in the trees. It took a boat ride out into the Damas mangroves to find these.

 

Are there 6in. grasshoppers in Costa Rica? Yes.

 

Since I'm talking about insects...

How about a rainbow colored grasshopper.



And, a big fat bug that won a staring contest with me.



Can you spot the insect in this picture? It's a walking stick.



For some strange reason my wife, who does not like spiders, took a liking to this one near our cabana. We called it yellow butt. I'm sure that is not is scientific name.

 

This guy had a cool "I will eat you" profile.



And this guy does not look big enough to carry that beak around.



Another bird in the mangrove.

 

How about a few bats:





Oops. I almost forgot that there are plants in the rainforest. Some pretty flowers.

 

Thanks for posting that! I really enjoyed those pics. Never knew grasshoppers got so big. Yikes! Made me think of the time I was in St. Thomas, and there was a spider in the shower with me as big as my hand!

Wow, would love to go there one day.

 

Now for some boring scenery.

The entire time in Costa Rica and eating in 10 different restaurants not a single one had walls. Three were very nice places, but still no walls. Here is a view from Aqua Azul in Manuel Antonio which is on the west (Pacific) coast.





What led us to Manuel Antonio and the Quepos region whas when my wife found a article online about an old Iran Contra cargo plane that had been converted into a bar. The aircraft was used to smuggle weapons, was abandoned for many years and then bought for $5'000, disassembled and transported to Manuel Antonio to become a theme bar.



The view from inside the restaurant.



The hotel across the street has folowed a similar theme and placed much of a 737 on the side of the mountain and made it a hotel suite. One of the wings is a deck/balcony.

 

Now for some reptiles:

The eyelash viper. Do not touch!



This guy is thinking "just a little closer..."


I think it's a cayman.

How about a big fat marine toad. Check out those full poison sacks.

 

Yep. There were monkeys. All sorts of monkeys.

These are howlers. If you have ever heard them you will know how they got their name.



I think this is why they howl. Dragging them through the trees, rough bark & sharp leaves would make me howl.

 

The humming birds are so big, about 5 or 6 inches, that they do not humm. They are almost totally silent when they fly by.

 

Lizzards everywhere.



This is a Basilisk (nope not from Harry Potter) or a Jesus Christ lizard. Named because it runs across the water. When still on the ground they are down on all four legs like a normal lizard. When they want to GO they stand up on their hind legs (and look like a dinasaur from Jurrasic Park) and run at warp speed.



These guys liked to hang out on the beach though I never saw them surfing or parasailing.



Don't you just want to kiss this one.

 

The beaches are truly incredible and the surfing was great a couple days earlier.







Don't litter or it may cost you 100'000 Colones, about $200 US Dollars.

 

Can you say "possessed".





A rather interesting flower. I really should break down and buy a guide book.

 

Costa Rica is well known for it's tree frogs. I searched for three days before finding my first one.

Here is what the red eyed leaf frog looks like during the day. Notice the eyes retracted into the body and they appear to have a camo stripe pattern.

The first picture I used a flash to bring out more eye detail.


Here is a more natural look without the flash.


At night they look much more familiar. This is what they really look like at night with their eyes fully dialated, but not as pretty.



After shining the flashlight on him his eyes close down revealing the bright red that gives them their name.

 

I think this is the only woodpecker that we do not have in North America. Sort of looks like he is heading to a 1980's punk rock concert.

 

Cute little spider monkeys

 

White-faced capuchin monkeys





They were very wastefull. Only eating the ripe red berries and tossing the rest to the ground.

 

Can you spot the insect in this picture?



It's a walking stick.

One night it did not rain and there was a beautiful sunset.




OK, enough for today...

 

Anyone have pictues from your travels that you would like to share?