Our first week was similar to our last night in the States, there were ups, downs, and periods of confusion. On the second day, Julie went to get a tour of her new facility and I was left with the task of picking up our rental car. Lacking familiarity with the area, I packed a backpack with my ipad (screen shot of map), water, and our GPS (to find my way back home). Locating Hertz proved to be easier than expected, however, the same cannot be said of the return trip. When reserving our car, Julie had asked if I have ever driven a manual - the short answer, "yes." Although, in hindsight, the long answer may have been more prudent. I should have divulged that my experience was singular and I drove for approximately 20 minutes.
A Hertz employee drove the car around to the front, he spoke German and pointed at things in the car that I should be aware of: the reflective vest, emergency kit, traffic triangle, and what type of gas to put in the car. The moment of truth finally arrived, I entered the car and I was ready to test my "skills," fully aware that I was likely to stall upon leaving the parking lot. As expected, I stalled just as I pulled out of the parking lot. Fortunately, I had awkwardly sat in the car for several minutes setting up the GPS and acting like I was typing in directions. Thus, allowing the Hertz employees to resume their normal duties, in hopes that my embarrassing escape would go unnoticed. Knowing the trip back was going to be painful, I found a parking lot down the road where I could spend my time refreshing my memory of what I learned for twenty minutes...fourteen years ago.
I spent a significant amount of time here and driving around the area, avoiding major roads, while passing the same people and buildings at least fifteen times - including the Hertz office. I must have looked crazy, it was obvious that there was a GPS on the dashboard of my Ford Fiesta (Fifi), but I drove in circles for an hour. Once I garnered the confidence to drive to the apartment, I entered the address and was ready to go, but a new adventure unfurled. The first direction dictated a right turn at the light and then proceed to make a U-turn. Much to my chagrin, this was a physical impossibility, the GPS had me turn onto the on-ramp for the Autobahn. While merging, I cursed the navigation system with every possible combination of profane phrases I knew and prayed that the Flying Spaghetti Monster would bless the car with his noodliness. Luckily, an exit was only a few kilometers away, I turned around and merged back onto the Autobahn and soon was back on my way. I finally reached the apartment parking lot and as I rolled into the spot, the car stalled one last time. The car was parked at a peculiar angle and realizing it took me 15 minutes to walk to Hertz and nearly an hour and a half to drive back, I was done driving for the day.
The rest of the week was far less exciting than driving on the Autobahn as your my first solo drive with a manual car. The majority of our first week was devoted to establishing a new routine and figuring out how to live in Germany. The single most important thing we learned was to get a German bank account - without one, getting a cell phone, apartment, or paying for any bills is a almost an impossibility. To our advantage, Dante's 8th circle of hell (BX/Exchange) has two branches and we went with the logical choice, the branch with the shorter line. Our next step, return to a semblance of normalcy and get cell phones, with limited options - choices range from; horrible coverage, poor coverage, or acceptable mediocrity. We now had a means of transportation and communication, next on the list, explore our surroundings.
We had the convenience of living in downtown Landstuhl and we had a 30-day per diem to take advantage of, therefore, maximizing this privilege is of the utmost importance. It didn't take long for us to establish our favorite lunch/dinner locations - Barbarosa for lunch, Garabaldi's for dinner. Barbarosa is similar to a Panera/Starbucks hybrid, but better, and Garabaldi's is a great Italian restaurant run by twin brothers who will quickly learn your orders when you eat there three times a week.
All in all, our first week was akin to an obligation to complete a ridiculous scavenger hunt; we really had to figure everything out on our own, yet our accomplishments were rewarding. We were starting to settle, however, we only had 23 days of per diem remaining and we were told our household goods were to arrive the following week. Now the pressure was on to find a permanent residence, a fun and frustrating process.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
New Day, New Country... Now What?
The next day... wait... the same day..?
Time travel sure is confusing.
After arriving "home," it was difficult to fight the urge to go directly to sleep after a long day of traveling. In order to adjust to our new timezone we would have to try and stay awake as long as possible. To do so, we hit the ground running and started some errands, unfortunately, the dogs couldn't help and we didn't trust them to have the run of our apartment - so we had to put them back into captivity, their crates. For the sake of brevity, our "handler," Steven, was a wealth of knowledge and helped make the early part of our move a smooth transition. Once we had our luggage and Haustiere in the apartment our first order of business was to get the proper identification to access the surrounding military bases.
Ramstein Air Base (RAB) was a ten minute drive from Landstuhl and as new arrivals we went to Building 134 located at the west gate. This is the visitors center and also issues CAC identification cards - to complete this process, we needed our passports and Julie's duty orders. Our experience went somewhat smoothly, the confounding issue was that customs didn't officially stamp our passports upon entry into Germany. Having arrived a few hours earlier, we still had our airline tickets and that seemed to suffice. Once we had our ID's we were free to enter the air base, where Steven had a mini-tour planned to get us acquainted with our surroundings.
Our tour started with a quick visit to the "any town USA mall," otherwise known as the eXchange/BX/PX/Mall (better known as Dante's 8th circle of hell). The mall comes complete with a movie theater, kiosk stands, two banks, the outdoor recreation facility, plenty of shops, and of course, a food court - complete with familiar franchises; Johnny Rockets, Taco Bell, Subway...and so forth. Our next stop wasn't really a stop, more of a fly-by - we drove past the Commissary (definitely Dante's 9th circle of hell) and the Lemon Lot adjacent to the North Chapel - a place to look for a cheap beater car. There were two more planned stops and other logistical obligations to tend to near the library. While waiting here, we picked up the ever important German Driver Licence Booklet (more on this later). Before heading off base, Julie and I requested that we walk across the street to see the library.
After we received our library cards we had one final stop, Steven's house in Ramstein-Miesenbach to gather some of our unaccompanied baggage. Before moving, we shipped five storage containers to Steven's APO address - an incredible way to get assorted necessities to Germany before we arrived. We returned to the apartment, unloaded the burdensome containers and departed ways - now it was just the four of us, zwei Haustiere und zwei Menschen. It was early evening and we were starving, our last meal was on the airplane and now it was time for dinner. A short walk from our apartment we stumbled upon Oscar's Irish Bar, there was outdoor seating and German beer beckoned both of us. We made our best efforts to order in German, however, we were greeted with English - the location is heavily American, so it was nice to have an easy night not worrying about speaking broken Deutsch.
Time travel sure is confusing.
After arriving "home," it was difficult to fight the urge to go directly to sleep after a long day of traveling. In order to adjust to our new timezone we would have to try and stay awake as long as possible. To do so, we hit the ground running and started some errands, unfortunately, the dogs couldn't help and we didn't trust them to have the run of our apartment - so we had to put them back into captivity, their crates. For the sake of brevity, our "handler," Steven, was a wealth of knowledge and helped make the early part of our move a smooth transition. Once we had our luggage and Haustiere in the apartment our first order of business was to get the proper identification to access the surrounding military bases.
Ramstein Air Base (RAB) was a ten minute drive from Landstuhl and as new arrivals we went to Building 134 located at the west gate. This is the visitors center and also issues CAC identification cards - to complete this process, we needed our passports and Julie's duty orders. Our experience went somewhat smoothly, the confounding issue was that customs didn't officially stamp our passports upon entry into Germany. Having arrived a few hours earlier, we still had our airline tickets and that seemed to suffice. Once we had our ID's we were free to enter the air base, where Steven had a mini-tour planned to get us acquainted with our surroundings.
Our tour started with a quick visit to the "any town USA mall," otherwise known as the eXchange/BX/PX/Mall (better known as Dante's 8th circle of hell). The mall comes complete with a movie theater, kiosk stands, two banks, the outdoor recreation facility, plenty of shops, and of course, a food court - complete with familiar franchises; Johnny Rockets, Taco Bell, Subway...and so forth. Our next stop wasn't really a stop, more of a fly-by - we drove past the Commissary (definitely Dante's 9th circle of hell) and the Lemon Lot adjacent to the North Chapel - a place to look for a cheap beater car. There were two more planned stops and other logistical obligations to tend to near the library. While waiting here, we picked up the ever important German Driver Licence Booklet (more on this later). Before heading off base, Julie and I requested that we walk across the street to see the library.
After we received our library cards we had one final stop, Steven's house in Ramstein-Miesenbach to gather some of our unaccompanied baggage. Before moving, we shipped five storage containers to Steven's APO address - an incredible way to get assorted necessities to Germany before we arrived. We returned to the apartment, unloaded the burdensome containers and departed ways - now it was just the four of us, zwei Haustiere und zwei Menschen. It was early evening and we were starving, our last meal was on the airplane and now it was time for dinner. A short walk from our apartment we stumbled upon Oscar's Irish Bar, there was outdoor seating and German beer beckoned both of us. We made our best efforts to order in German, however, we were greeted with English - the location is heavily American, so it was nice to have an easy night not worrying about speaking broken Deutsch.
 |
| View from our apartment |
 |
| Other side of Kaiserstrasse |
Monday, April 21, 2014
The Move
Fortunately, our flight from BWI was connecting in Atlanta, a dog friendly airport - or so we were told. The short trek down to Atlanta went very smoothly, but we arrived on the domestic side of the airport and would have to move to the international wing with about 40 minutes until takeoff while boarding started in 20 minutes. We quickly had to figure out what to do with our dogs since the next leg of the trip was going to be approximately ten hours. While making our connection, we asked an airport employee where we could find the "dog friendly" section - we needed to take Bella and Duffy out of their bags to stretch and relieve themselves. Well, as it turns out, there is no such place to take your dogs after passing through security - the pet friendly area is outside of the airport. What a frivolous misnomer, apparently, "pet friendly" depicts any area outside the airport (before security)- therefore, it seems to me, all airports are are pet friendly.
With the short time we had to get to our gate, exiting the airport for the dogs wasn't a remote possibility. However, we had a one-way ticket to Germany, therefore, we had no qualms about violating the "dogs must remain in their bags" rule - seems more of a suggestion than requirement, plus we could always claim ignorance to the fact. The dogs were freed, they stared at their puppy pads for a few minutes and nothing happened - a futile effort, but successful enough that we could get them one last dose of Xanax before boarding the long flight.
This flight went less smoothly than the first-leg, with a few minor inconveniences. The lady next to me requested to be moved due to the two dogs that were near her (seats 2-3-2, she moved four seats away). Then Duffy had a small "freakout" moment around hour seven when Julie got out of her seat to stretch her legs. We took him out of his bag and he slept in my lap for the next hour and half until a flight attendant said someone was allergic and he had to go back into his bag. As time passed, several whiskeys were imbibed, and our teleportation to Germany was complete.
So we moved to Deutschland, now what?
Fortunately, we had someone waiting at the airport to pick us up and drive us to our temporary housing. It was seven in the morning on April 22nd and we have been traveling for 15-hours - so our first priority was find a place for the dogs to christen their new land. After several attempts, there is now a place in the Frankfurt am Main Airport parking garage that is Bella and Duffy territory. A two hour car ride latter, we arrived at our apartment, above a vet in downtown Landstuhl. The drive was beautiful, from the autobahn you can see a plethora of small villages, all with a distinct church steeple near the town center. Off in the distance we could see Germany's dedication to green energy - there are windmills and solar farms everywhere. With open and tired red eyes we were both taking it all in, our new home, Deutschland.
 |
| Duffy and his short-lived freedom |
 |
| Bella confused about being in an airport |
With the short time we had to get to our gate, exiting the airport for the dogs wasn't a remote possibility. However, we had a one-way ticket to Germany, therefore, we had no qualms about violating the "dogs must remain in their bags" rule - seems more of a suggestion than requirement, plus we could always claim ignorance to the fact. The dogs were freed, they stared at their puppy pads for a few minutes and nothing happened - a futile effort, but successful enough that we could get them one last dose of Xanax before boarding the long flight.
 |
| The luxury of doggy travel |
This flight went less smoothly than the first-leg, with a few minor inconveniences. The lady next to me requested to be moved due to the two dogs that were near her (seats 2-3-2, she moved four seats away). Then Duffy had a small "freakout" moment around hour seven when Julie got out of her seat to stretch her legs. We took him out of his bag and he slept in my lap for the next hour and half until a flight attendant said someone was allergic and he had to go back into his bag. As time passed, several whiskeys were imbibed, and our teleportation to Germany was complete.
So we moved to Deutschland, now what?
Fortunately, we had someone waiting at the airport to pick us up and drive us to our temporary housing. It was seven in the morning on April 22nd and we have been traveling for 15-hours - so our first priority was find a place for the dogs to christen their new land. After several attempts, there is now a place in the Frankfurt am Main Airport parking garage that is Bella and Duffy territory. A two hour car ride latter, we arrived at our apartment, above a vet in downtown Landstuhl. The drive was beautiful, from the autobahn you can see a plethora of small villages, all with a distinct church steeple near the town center. Off in the distance we could see Germany's dedication to green energy - there are windmills and solar farms everywhere. With open and tired red eyes we were both taking it all in, our new home, Deutschland.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Another Day, Another Hike
Our vacation in Costa Rica has been anything but relaxing and our last day was going to be no different. Today's venture, explore Monteverde's Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve with our tour guide/hotel manager, Christian. While you can visit the park without a guide, it might be best to hike with one because wildlife is difficult to identify and the majority of the animals will go unseen unless you're traveling with a telescopic lens. Christian had extensive knowledge of the area, the history, the biodiversity, and shared all this information with us along the way. There are many guides with tour groups on the trails and they mostly work together in passing, sharing the locations of bird sightings and other discoveries of interest. One thing was sure, the goal of every guide was to find the Quetzal - a storied bird long associated with the area and both Aztec and Maya cultures.
Before entering the reserve, we stopped by the hummingbird garden - an area just outside the entrance and requires a $2 admission. The space is relatively small and can quickly become crowded later in the day as tours stop by on their way out of the reserve, fortunately, there was no one around during our visit. Hummingbirds zipped from feeder to feeder, their speed and precise flight patterns alone are impressive, but Christian allowed us to garner a closer look. He suggested we each grab a feeder and hold them in our hands with our arms extended - the goal, to get the birds to use our extended fingers as perches. While some of us were more successful than the others with this task, we each enjoyed being a temporary bird feeder. The garden soon became crowded with groups from tour buses and other private charters entered the grounds so we made our way towards the reserve.
Minutes into our hike, we could hear the calls of various birds, but struggled to find the source - using his telescopic lens, our guide was able to find the bird within an instant. For example, we would often hear the call of the "squeaky gate" bird echoing through the forest, but were never able to spot one ourselves. Christian on the other hand would have the bird sighted in his lens as the four of us aimlessly stared up at the trees. He was also very good at finding insect species that didn't want to be found, their camouflage perfectly mimicking the surrounding area. Later, he pointed at a tree trunk approximately 100 meters away and asked if we saw anything, to which our answer was a resounding, "no." Christian clearly spotted something, first hearing the call, then using his lens to get a closer look, he identified a bird peacefully relaxing in a nest. Christian was also very knowledgeable of the plant biodiversity - most interesting among the flora, the Ficus tree (specifically, F. Citrifolia), a parasitic tree that strangles its host for decades, eventually becoming a free standing tree. Our guided tour was almost over and Christian's goal to find a Quetzal continued to be unsuccessful and none of the other guides had spotted one all day. These sightings are relatively rare and it takes an equal amount of skill and luck - thus proving to be a very challenging adventure.
With approximately one kilometer left on our hike, Christian picked up the pace when he saw something colorful shake the tree branches on the right side of the path. He darted ahead to a clearing and urged that we catch up - he had finally spotted a Quetzal, and it just so happened to place itself in a perfect viewing area. While enjoying our view of this adored bird, an elderly Costa Rican couple was passing by and Christian stopped and spoke with them briefly. We later found out, in all their years spent in Costa Rica, the couple had never seen a Quetzal, Christian insisted they each look through the telescopic lens for a closer look. The four of us are nearly defunct Spanish speakers, however, we can all read emotions - after seeing the couple react to witnessing their first Quetzel, we knew we had just seen something special.
We made our way back to the main entrance, thanked Christian for his time and expertise - then departed our separate ways. The four of us took a short break and planned to hike towards the continental divide on the opposite side of the reserve. Within the first ten meters of the trail we found a small troop of howler monkeys leisurely bounding across the tree canopy. Unfortunately, this was to be the most exciting part of the next three hours - we spotted a handful of birds along the way and then we continued to hike to a "lookout point" that didn't exist. This hike may have been a disappointment, however, with the breadth of highlights on our vacation, it really didn't matter.
We had one final dinner together and recounted memories from the week - the GPS dictating, "turn on road," or "unpaved road," how everyone managed to get sick at least once, poor hiking decisions, broken car keys, and turbulent car rides. Above all, everyone seemed to love our time spent at the Jaguar Rescue Center (sans an undisclosed bout of sickness). Reality beckoned us, and we would soon depart ways again, our friends back to the normal routine in Maryland - for Julie and myself, another adventure awaited.
Before entering the reserve, we stopped by the hummingbird garden - an area just outside the entrance and requires a $2 admission. The space is relatively small and can quickly become crowded later in the day as tours stop by on their way out of the reserve, fortunately, there was no one around during our visit. Hummingbirds zipped from feeder to feeder, their speed and precise flight patterns alone are impressive, but Christian allowed us to garner a closer look. He suggested we each grab a feeder and hold them in our hands with our arms extended - the goal, to get the birds to use our extended fingers as perches. While some of us were more successful than the others with this task, we each enjoyed being a temporary bird feeder. The garden soon became crowded with groups from tour buses and other private charters entered the grounds so we made our way towards the reserve.
 |
| One of many hummingbirds |
 |
| Temporary bird feeder |
 |
| More feeding |
 |
| Guess what...? another hummingbird |
Minutes into our hike, we could hear the calls of various birds, but struggled to find the source - using his telescopic lens, our guide was able to find the bird within an instant. For example, we would often hear the call of the "squeaky gate" bird echoing through the forest, but were never able to spot one ourselves. Christian on the other hand would have the bird sighted in his lens as the four of us aimlessly stared up at the trees. He was also very good at finding insect species that didn't want to be found, their camouflage perfectly mimicking the surrounding area. Later, he pointed at a tree trunk approximately 100 meters away and asked if we saw anything, to which our answer was a resounding, "no." Christian clearly spotted something, first hearing the call, then using his lens to get a closer look, he identified a bird peacefully relaxing in a nest. Christian was also very knowledgeable of the plant biodiversity - most interesting among the flora, the Ficus tree (specifically, F. Citrifolia), a parasitic tree that strangles its host for decades, eventually becoming a free standing tree. Our guided tour was almost over and Christian's goal to find a Quetzal continued to be unsuccessful and none of the other guides had spotted one all day. These sightings are relatively rare and it takes an equal amount of skill and luck - thus proving to be a very challenging adventure.
 |
| Ficus Citrifolia |
 |
| Bird in nest that we couldn't spt |
 |
| Camouflaged moth along the trail |
 |
| Male Resplendent Quetzal |
 |
| Species is "Near threatened" status |
 |
| Revered "god of the air" according to Aztec and Maya cultures |
We made our way back to the main entrance, thanked Christian for his time and expertise - then departed our separate ways. The four of us took a short break and planned to hike towards the continental divide on the opposite side of the reserve. Within the first ten meters of the trail we found a small troop of howler monkeys leisurely bounding across the tree canopy. Unfortunately, this was to be the most exciting part of the next three hours - we spotted a handful of birds along the way and then we continued to hike to a "lookout point" that didn't exist. This hike may have been a disappointment, however, with the breadth of highlights on our vacation, it really didn't matter.
 |
| Howler Monkey |
 |
| On the move |
 |
| La Ventura |
 |
| Ah whaaaa? clouds in the cloud forest...so damn literal |
 |
| Continental Divide |
We had one final dinner together and recounted memories from the week - the GPS dictating, "turn on road," or "unpaved road," how everyone managed to get sick at least once, poor hiking decisions, broken car keys, and turbulent car rides. Above all, everyone seemed to love our time spent at the Jaguar Rescue Center (sans an undisclosed bout of sickness). Reality beckoned us, and we would soon depart ways again, our friends back to the normal routine in Maryland - for Julie and myself, another adventure awaited.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Onward: Monteverde, a Night Hike, and the ever Elusive Two-Lipped Katydid
The end of our Costa Rician vacation was drawing near and we had one more city to discover, Monteverde. With a late start to the day we quickly became famished and would have to make two stops along the way - one to forage, the other, spontaneous. Needing a place for sustenance we looked for a sign, any sign, or roughly 300 of them - we passed countless signs for the "World Famous" Toad Hall. We arrived as the restaurant was preparing a large table reserved for a tour group. We perused the grounds and much to our delight Toad Hall has a small wildlife refuge; complete with a rescued toucan, several parrots, and a terrarium. While I am inclined to doubt the worldwide recognition of this establishment, we nonetheless left pleasantly satiated. The second impromptu stop caught us by surprise - no car trouble this time, rather, a wildlife crossing.
When writing about the Jaguar Rescue Center in Puerto Viejo, I spoke of monkeys mistaking power lines as vines or branches. Fortunately, many parts of the country are becoming proactive on the issue and Costa Ricans have been tying ropes between trees as a safer means of travel. While driving to Monteverde, we stumbled upon one of these ropes. Julie spotted a howler monkey in the tree and immediately requested that I stop the car - obligingly, I pulled over and we all got out of the car and witnessed a whole troop of howler monkeys crossing the road. For fifteen minutes we carefully observed our first monkey crossing, but the monkeys became bored with their spectators and departed, mirroring the monkeys and were back on our way.
We arrived at Rainbow Valley Lodge late in the afternoon and we checked-in with our guide/concierge, Christian. After quickly settling ourselves, we went out to walk the town of Santa Elena, Monteverde searching potential restaurants for dinner - ultimately, we ended up at Restaurante Tree House. We enjoyed the food, beer, and ambiance while discussing plans for our short stay in Monteverde. The next day we scheduled to hike the Cloud Forest, but we felt the need to add an activity into this evening - and what's better than a night hike (Christian helped make the arrangements). We arrived at the reserve shortly before the first group's night hike had ended, a very popular tour as two tour buses filled half the parking lot.
Members of our group who didn't have a flashlight were provided one, the guide expressed the importance of staying on the trail and talking should be no louder than a whisper. Our hike started around 21:00 and in the hour-plus of our trek we saw a grey fox, bats, sleeping birds, and even copulating eyelash vipers. Although, as time progressed, our group grew restless with our tour guide and his quirky ineptness. He meant well and did the best he could given the circumstances, however, our guide became hopelessly devoted to finding a two-lipped katydid. So much so, he would sprint off the trail at odd intervals, digging through the brush - attempting to audibly sift through the multitude of noises. This happened on multiple occasions and to no avail, the closest any of us would get to a two-lipped katydid would be a quick Google image search*. The most interesting sighting of the tour was a solitary eyelash viper delicately wrapped around the low lying flora in a striking position. It was evident that the next rodent to pass by this snake would surely be dinner, only, dinner almost came in the form of a young Swiss tourist. This teenager decided to get within a foot of the pit viper to take a picture of the snake while using the flash on his camera...the sheer stupidity. No one got hurt and the tour ended anticlimactically - suffice it to say this wasn't our most thrilling experience, but was still something fun to do on a night without any plans.
*Strangely enough, the first image provided by Google when searching "two lip katydid" is a picture of Katy Perry. I am unsure as to the relationship between the musician and the insect, however, it is assumed that the artist's music and the chirping cacophony of the katydid are one in the same.
When writing about the Jaguar Rescue Center in Puerto Viejo, I spoke of monkeys mistaking power lines as vines or branches. Fortunately, many parts of the country are becoming proactive on the issue and Costa Ricans have been tying ropes between trees as a safer means of travel. While driving to Monteverde, we stumbled upon one of these ropes. Julie spotted a howler monkey in the tree and immediately requested that I stop the car - obligingly, I pulled over and we all got out of the car and witnessed a whole troop of howler monkeys crossing the road. For fifteen minutes we carefully observed our first monkey crossing, but the monkeys became bored with their spectators and departed, mirroring the monkeys and were back on our way.
 |
| The first to go |
 |
| Mother and baby came later |
 |
| Reached the other side |
 |
| This tree looks a lot like the last tree |
 |
| Another member |
 |
| Mother and baby again |
We arrived at Rainbow Valley Lodge late in the afternoon and we checked-in with our guide/concierge, Christian. After quickly settling ourselves, we went out to walk the town of Santa Elena, Monteverde searching potential restaurants for dinner - ultimately, we ended up at Restaurante Tree House. We enjoyed the food, beer, and ambiance while discussing plans for our short stay in Monteverde. The next day we scheduled to hike the Cloud Forest, but we felt the need to add an activity into this evening - and what's better than a night hike (Christian helped make the arrangements). We arrived at the reserve shortly before the first group's night hike had ended, a very popular tour as two tour buses filled half the parking lot.
Members of our group who didn't have a flashlight were provided one, the guide expressed the importance of staying on the trail and talking should be no louder than a whisper. Our hike started around 21:00 and in the hour-plus of our trek we saw a grey fox, bats, sleeping birds, and even copulating eyelash vipers. Although, as time progressed, our group grew restless with our tour guide and his quirky ineptness. He meant well and did the best he could given the circumstances, however, our guide became hopelessly devoted to finding a two-lipped katydid. So much so, he would sprint off the trail at odd intervals, digging through the brush - attempting to audibly sift through the multitude of noises. This happened on multiple occasions and to no avail, the closest any of us would get to a two-lipped katydid would be a quick Google image search*. The most interesting sighting of the tour was a solitary eyelash viper delicately wrapped around the low lying flora in a striking position. It was evident that the next rodent to pass by this snake would surely be dinner, only, dinner almost came in the form of a young Swiss tourist. This teenager decided to get within a foot of the pit viper to take a picture of the snake while using the flash on his camera...the sheer stupidity. No one got hurt and the tour ended anticlimactically - suffice it to say this wasn't our most thrilling experience, but was still something fun to do on a night without any plans.
*Strangely enough, the first image provided by Google when searching "two lip katydid" is a picture of Katy Perry. I am unsure as to the relationship between the musician and the insect, however, it is assumed that the artist's music and the chirping cacophony of the katydid are one in the same.
 |
| Dog eating corn comes in at number six, almost beating out the katydid. |
Monday, April 14, 2014
Ill-advised Influence of Trip Advisor
Like many travelers, we used Trip Advisor to help coordinate activities on our vacation throughout Costa Rica. Craving exploration and wildlife, we preferred self-guided hikes rather than bus tours and museums. During our research, one of the top-five attractions in Arenal was to hike Cerro Chato (it has since dropped) in the Arenal Volcano National Park. Cerro Chato is a dormant volcano adjacent to the Arenal Volcano amd it promises a challenging hike with a rewarding view. None of us had ever scaled a dormant volcano before and we had an insatiable appetite for adventure that morning.
We drove to the Arenal Observatory Lodge, paid the $8 admission and were provided a trail map of the park. Plotting our course, we traveled through open fields and passed old farms littered with cattle, finally, we reached the base of Cerro Chato after traversing a few kilometers. The ascent is nice and easy the first 200 meters, however, the path quickly becomes muddier as you progress and the obstacles more difficult. I am not sure what was worse, the steepening hike or the oppressive blanket of humidity - surely, a combination of both.
There were very few hikers on the dormant volcano, we may have seen 15 people in passing the entire time we spent on the trail. Our friends were feeling very spry this morning, they pressed on while Julie and I took a break. While resting, we came across a lone hiker on his descent, looking for reassurance, we asked if we were close to the top - only to be dismayed by the reality that we were about halfway. The rest of the hike was miserable, we saw no wildlife and the heat was overbearing. After two hours, we finally made it to the top, enjoyed the view, but I don't think any of us would categorize the experience as "rewarding." Now, if getting to the top came with a free admission to Tabacon thermal springs, I would consider that a reward. We spent plenty of time enjoying the view and planning our hike back towards civilization, but the last sequence of our strange coincidences was to unfurl.
To back track a little, before our trip to Costa Rica, Julie and I had been living out of suitcases for a week and a half. We were moving to Germany on the twenty-first of April and our household goods were packed up and shipped off at the beginning of the month. The day previous to our hike of Cerro Chato we had the inconvenience of our car key breaking, however, we made the most of the situation by enjoying the thermal springs of Tabacon. While sitting in one of the many thermal pools in the resort, we just so happened to sit next to a couple from our soon to be former hometown. The following day, we encountered a limited number of people as we hiked Cerro Chato. While at the top of the dormant volcano, we were joined by a family of three which we overheard speaking a foreign language. It sounded like German, but I was still in the nascent stages of learning the language and wasn't sure, so I asked where they were from. As it turns out, the family lived in Mannheim, a town approximately 45 minutes from where Julie and I were moving. The adage, "small world" is and obvious oxymoron, although, the phrase has never been more surreal than it was during this moment atop Cerro Chato. For Julie and me, it was as if the memories of our past and the memories of our future were put into this perfect perspective in the present. As we made our way back to the Observatory Lodge, all I could think about was the statistical likelihood of the events that had transpired in the past twenty hours. Starting with breaking a rental car key, ending up in a thermal spring resort, then meeting a family from our hometown, hiking a dormant volcano, and to top it all off, meet a family that lives near our future home. My best guess, the odds of these events would be equal to, 0.0016180339887% (yes, number specifically chosen if first three zeros removed and relocate decimal point).
We finished our visit to Arenal with our best dinner of the trip at Essence, here, patrons help prepare the meal with the chef using fresh ingredients. The experience was great and the food excellent, their menu is strictly vegetarian, but should not discourage carnivores - it will surprise you. Our trip was drawing to a close and we had one more city to, Monteverde.
Photo Dump:
 |
| Didn't look so bad from the gazebo |
 |
| The beginning of the trail |
There were very few hikers on the dormant volcano, we may have seen 15 people in passing the entire time we spent on the trail. Our friends were feeling very spry this morning, they pressed on while Julie and I took a break. While resting, we came across a lone hiker on his descent, looking for reassurance, we asked if we were close to the top - only to be dismayed by the reality that we were about halfway. The rest of the hike was miserable, we saw no wildlife and the heat was overbearing. After two hours, we finally made it to the top, enjoyed the view, but I don't think any of us would categorize the experience as "rewarding." Now, if getting to the top came with a free admission to Tabacon thermal springs, I would consider that a reward. We spent plenty of time enjoying the view and planning our hike back towards civilization, but the last sequence of our strange coincidences was to unfurl.
 |
| View from the top of Cerro Chato |
To back track a little, before our trip to Costa Rica, Julie and I had been living out of suitcases for a week and a half. We were moving to Germany on the twenty-first of April and our household goods were packed up and shipped off at the beginning of the month. The day previous to our hike of Cerro Chato we had the inconvenience of our car key breaking, however, we made the most of the situation by enjoying the thermal springs of Tabacon. While sitting in one of the many thermal pools in the resort, we just so happened to sit next to a couple from our soon to be former hometown. The following day, we encountered a limited number of people as we hiked Cerro Chato. While at the top of the dormant volcano, we were joined by a family of three which we overheard speaking a foreign language. It sounded like German, but I was still in the nascent stages of learning the language and wasn't sure, so I asked where they were from. As it turns out, the family lived in Mannheim, a town approximately 45 minutes from where Julie and I were moving. The adage, "small world" is and obvious oxymoron, although, the phrase has never been more surreal than it was during this moment atop Cerro Chato. For Julie and me, it was as if the memories of our past and the memories of our future were put into this perfect perspective in the present. As we made our way back to the Observatory Lodge, all I could think about was the statistical likelihood of the events that had transpired in the past twenty hours. Starting with breaking a rental car key, ending up in a thermal spring resort, then meeting a family from our hometown, hiking a dormant volcano, and to top it all off, meet a family that lives near our future home. My best guess, the odds of these events would be equal to, 0.0016180339887% (yes, number specifically chosen if first three zeros removed and relocate decimal point).
We finished our visit to Arenal with our best dinner of the trip at Essence, here, patrons help prepare the meal with the chef using fresh ingredients. The experience was great and the food excellent, their menu is strictly vegetarian, but should not discourage carnivores - it will surprise you. Our trip was drawing to a close and we had one more city to, Monteverde.
Photo Dump:
 |
| Moo-ve it, coming through, atop El Castillo |
 |
| Mom and baby getting herded by a neighboring farmer |
 |
| Bird watching after a long day |
 |
| Some of the nice landscaping at our home |
 |
| More bird watching |
 |
| A tree full of toucans |
 |
| Toucan |
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Arenal: A Volcano, a Waterfall, and a Cascade of Car Trouble
The drive from Cahuita to Arenal was a typical drive in Costa Rica, long, slow, serene, occasional rain showers, and extremely bumpy. A few hours had passed and lunchtime was fast approaching, we stopped to eat in the town of La Fortuna, just 6.4 km from the volcano. The city is within sight of the Arenal Volcano (weather permitting) and is a great place to stop to eat at one of the many restaurants, purchase souvenirs, or to walk around and window shop. Be warned, the tour operators are seemingly omnipresent, therefore; be prepared to decline countless burdensome offers.
After finishing lunch, we explored La Fortuna, perusing the local shops and we were even followed by a street vendor playing a wooden recorder. Wanting to get settled, we picked up some groceries, got back in the car and headed towards our destination. Our rental was only a few kilometers away, however, the home was located up a mountain overlooking the volcano and Lake Arenal. From the base of the mountain to our humble abode was another turbulent 30 minutes. It was early evening when we arrived and after seeing our amazing house, we called it a night to relax and prepare for the next two days.
The following morning, we set out to visit the La Fortuna Waterfall and made tentative plans to visit one of the local hot springs. The waterfall is situated inside the Arenal Volcano National Park and has an $8 admission. The descent is fairly easy and the path is aided with the convenience of stairs, lots and lots of stairs. The worst part of getting down is knowing that you will end your visit by going back up. Within a few minutes of the hike the roar of the waterfall could be heard in the distance and we even got a glimpse from the trail.
Once reaching the bottom, there is a viewing deck off to the side and the main area situated directly in front of the waterfall. Families gather here for picnics or sit and observe the waterfall from the benches. We decided to brave the slippery rocks for a closer look - while our friends took it a step further and went for a ice cold swim under the falls. If risking a sprained ankle is a concern, there is a wadding area off to the side of the viewing area, a much more accessible place to take a dip or another spot to picnic.
Having got our fill of the La Fortuna waterfall, we planned to visit one of the local hot springs. We had limited internet access, therefore, we couldn't do sufficient research as to which location - so we drove to the closest one, Tabacon thermal springs. We were fortunate enough to find a parking spot across the street, however, when Julie was using the car key to lock the glove compartment (where we kept the GPS) our key bent 90 degrees like it was the spoon in the Matrix**. We tried to bend the key back and were able straighten it out, however, the damage was done, the key wouldn't go into the ignition. In this exact moment, everyone had the same thought, "Oh sh*t!!!" It was Palm Sunday, in the middle of Costa Rica (Easter Week is a pretty big deal there), and who knows how far we were from the closest Vamos location. Julie went to the front desk of Tabacon and explained our dilemma, they were nice enough to let her borrow the phone to call Vamos.
If being stuck on the side of the road with no way of getting to our rental home wasn't stressful enough, Vamos surely did their best to stoke the flames of frustration. They asked all the stupid questions, "Are you sure the key is broken?" "Have you tried starting the car?" "Can you wait until tomorrow?" The decreasing logic to Vamos costumer service reached its nadir when they gave us our first option, call a locksmith. That is, assuming we could even find a local locksmith, on Palm Sunday afternoon no less, and then expect them to know how to make a copy of a car key from a broken key. Even if we were successful with this venture, Vamos confirmed that the locksmith key may or may not work. The other option, wait 4-6 hours while an employee delivers us the other key from the office.
Being four logical humans, we went with the non-ridiculous option, but now the dilemma was to either sit and wait, or pony up the cash and pay the expensive thermal spring admission. For the sake of our sanity, the prudent decision needed no convincing - we would spend the extra $180 per couple and enjoy ourselves as we waited for our new key. Tabacon is as advertised, a beautifully landscaped oasis with several picturesque thermal pools of varying temperatures. The grounds are pristine, the pools refreshing, and the poolside bar can help you forget about your car troubles. Oddly enough, when ordering a round of libations we sat next to a couple that hail from the same city in Maryland the four of us call home. We spoke of Old Bay, tourist attractions, and traveling tribulations - we currently had the trump card here as we were currently in vacation purgatory.
After spending five hours at the resort, Julie and I headed to the front desk to see if they had seen or heard anything from Vamos. The sequence of seemingly strange coincidences continued and a Vamos employee literally appeared as we arrived at the front desk. Suffice it to say, the key worked, the glovebox would never be locked again, and everyone was ready to call it a night.
** It is not the Vamos car key that bends, only ourselves.
After finishing lunch, we explored La Fortuna, perusing the local shops and we were even followed by a street vendor playing a wooden recorder. Wanting to get settled, we picked up some groceries, got back in the car and headed towards our destination. Our rental was only a few kilometers away, however, the home was located up a mountain overlooking the volcano and Lake Arenal. From the base of the mountain to our humble abode was another turbulent 30 minutes. It was early evening when we arrived and after seeing our amazing house, we called it a night to relax and prepare for the next two days.
 |
| Volcano view from our rental |
 |
| View of Lake from the terrace |
The following morning, we set out to visit the La Fortuna Waterfall and made tentative plans to visit one of the local hot springs. The waterfall is situated inside the Arenal Volcano National Park and has an $8 admission. The descent is fairly easy and the path is aided with the convenience of stairs, lots and lots of stairs. The worst part of getting down is knowing that you will end your visit by going back up. Within a few minutes of the hike the roar of the waterfall could be heard in the distance and we even got a glimpse from the trail.
 |
| View near the start of the hike |
Once reaching the bottom, there is a viewing deck off to the side and the main area situated directly in front of the waterfall. Families gather here for picnics or sit and observe the waterfall from the benches. We decided to brave the slippery rocks for a closer look - while our friends took it a step further and went for a ice cold swim under the falls. If risking a sprained ankle is a concern, there is a wadding area off to the side of the viewing area, a much more accessible place to take a dip or another spot to picnic.
 |
| La Fortuna Waterfall |
 |
| Wadding area downstream |
 |
| First sighting of Volcano apex while driving to Tabacon |
Having got our fill of the La Fortuna waterfall, we planned to visit one of the local hot springs. We had limited internet access, therefore, we couldn't do sufficient research as to which location - so we drove to the closest one, Tabacon thermal springs. We were fortunate enough to find a parking spot across the street, however, when Julie was using the car key to lock the glove compartment (where we kept the GPS) our key bent 90 degrees like it was the spoon in the Matrix**. We tried to bend the key back and were able straighten it out, however, the damage was done, the key wouldn't go into the ignition. In this exact moment, everyone had the same thought, "Oh sh*t!!!" It was Palm Sunday, in the middle of Costa Rica (Easter Week is a pretty big deal there), and who knows how far we were from the closest Vamos location. Julie went to the front desk of Tabacon and explained our dilemma, they were nice enough to let her borrow the phone to call Vamos.
If being stuck on the side of the road with no way of getting to our rental home wasn't stressful enough, Vamos surely did their best to stoke the flames of frustration. They asked all the stupid questions, "Are you sure the key is broken?" "Have you tried starting the car?" "Can you wait until tomorrow?" The decreasing logic to Vamos costumer service reached its nadir when they gave us our first option, call a locksmith. That is, assuming we could even find a local locksmith, on Palm Sunday afternoon no less, and then expect them to know how to make a copy of a car key from a broken key. Even if we were successful with this venture, Vamos confirmed that the locksmith key may or may not work. The other option, wait 4-6 hours while an employee delivers us the other key from the office.
Being four logical humans, we went with the non-ridiculous option, but now the dilemma was to either sit and wait, or pony up the cash and pay the expensive thermal spring admission. For the sake of our sanity, the prudent decision needed no convincing - we would spend the extra $180 per couple and enjoy ourselves as we waited for our new key. Tabacon is as advertised, a beautifully landscaped oasis with several picturesque thermal pools of varying temperatures. The grounds are pristine, the pools refreshing, and the poolside bar can help you forget about your car troubles. Oddly enough, when ordering a round of libations we sat next to a couple that hail from the same city in Maryland the four of us call home. We spoke of Old Bay, tourist attractions, and traveling tribulations - we currently had the trump card here as we were currently in vacation purgatory.
After spending five hours at the resort, Julie and I headed to the front desk to see if they had seen or heard anything from Vamos. The sequence of seemingly strange coincidences continued and a Vamos employee literally appeared as we arrived at the front desk. Suffice it to say, the key worked, the glovebox would never be locked again, and everyone was ready to call it a night.
** It is not the Vamos car key that bends, only ourselves.
Friday, April 11, 2014
Day Two: Cahuita
Our hike through Cahuita National Park was a wonderful introduction to the expansive wildlife found in Costa Rica, however, there were a few species we were desperate to see, most notably, a sloth. On our second and final day in Cahuita, we scheduled a private tour of the Jaguar Rescue Center in Puerto Viejo. The center is a facility specializing in the care and conservation of local wildlife who have been abandoned, injured, or are victims of forced relocation.
In 2004, founders Encar and Sandro opened the center as a rescue for reptiles and has continued to grow into a rehabilitating refuge. Numerous species suffer from the perpetual development of this tourist destination and have not adapted to the ever-changing environment - struggling to survive, many are displaced after losing their habitat. Often, monkeys are the victims of the new environmental constructs and mistake power lines as branches or vines and are electrocuted. Several of the species taking shelter at Jaguar Rescue Center were found alongside the road, on farms, in the forest, or are brought to the facility by a concerned individual. The center has a staff composed of local and international volunteers, all of which contribute to the daily care and rehabilitation of the animals. The continued support and maintenance of this sanctuary is dependent on donations and tours.
There are two types of tours offered here, a regularly guided tour and a private tour. The guided tour takes approximately an hour and a half and the admission/donation will set you back $15 (Monday-Friday 9:30-11:30). The private tour is offered in English, Spanish, Dutch, and German - requires a reservation and costs $50 (Monday-Friday 8:00 and 14:00, reservation at least 24 hours in advance). Traveling to Costa Rica is expensive and the extra $35 per admission pales in comparison to the money spent on the flight and accommodations. The two and a half hour experience not only justifies the donation, it will easily top the list of memories while visiting Costa Rica.
The drive from our hotel was quick, passing through Puerto Viejo along the way. The main street of this quaint town is lined with restaurants, hotels, souvenir shops, and lots and lots of people - tourist and locals alike. The main strip is sandwiched by black sand beaches teeming with beach-goers, surfers, tourist, and even some wild horses. A few minutes after Puerto Viejo a sign on our right indicated we were close to the Jaguar Rescue Center.
When we arrived, the center was closing to the public and we were soon greeted by Dexter, our tour guide for the afternoon. After welcoming us, he started with the story of how the center came to be, how long he has worked there, and spoke of their continued mission. The tour started with terrariums housing numerous varieties of venomous and non-venomous snakes. Here, we learned that the eyelash viper we encountered the day before was just one of many varieties found in the area.
Around the corner we came to the other side of the main building, the area where the volunteers had gathered to delineate their closing duties. This hub was a total sensory overload, there were animals all around us - a toucan flapping about, parrots fluttering ahead, and a one-week old foal and her mother off to the side.
Our guide walked us through the entire facility, pinpointing species we would have never noticed, specifically, tree frogs and poison dart frogs. These amphibians were either too small or effectively camouflaged for the untrained eye to locate - hiding under palms or disguised in the detritus.
As we progressed, Dexter would periodically stop to describe the wildlife, how they care for the species, and the story of how they arrived at the center. Not all of the animals had stories, however, they had all suffered a tragedy that resulted in their stay at the center. There was a keel-billed toucan who will never be released due to an unknown injury that broke the tip of his beak - a tool required for survival in the wild. Many birds of prey had suffered at the hands of framers who harass these animals if they feel their crops or livestock are threatened. An owl win a lone eye, a falcon with a broken wing, and others that had been abandoned when their parents fled the nest after deforestation. These animals that would otherwise have no chance of survival in the wild have found sanctuary at the Jaguar Rescue Center. Some may never leave because of impairments that prevent their natural ability to survive, although, others are fortunate enough to recover and one day return to the wild.
We finished the private tour and could have left feeling satisfied, but, there was more than a guided walk-through. In the time it took us to walk the grounds, the volunteers had completed their duties and had congregated by the main building - only this time three howler monkeys were jumping form volunteer to volunteer. For a few minutes, we were able to feed the monkeys hibiscus flowers the volunteers had handed us, but we had to move on to our next stop, feeding toucans and sloths.
The tour was a continuous crescendo of surprises and they save the best for last. Before the facility closes for the day, we got to enter the monkey cage, where we bottle fed howler monkeys, spider monkeys, and a white-faced capuchin. Along with the volunteers, the four of us entered the cage after a briefing, each of us with a bottle of goat's milk in hand. The Pavlovian frenzy at the sight of the bottles was instantly overwhelming and equally gratifying. Some monkeys would take turns, but more often than not, the bigger monkeys would reap the benefits of their dominant size. Of all the "behind the scenes" experiences on the tour, this is easily the most memorable. Encar later joined us in our moment of serenity, she thanked us for our visit and our donation. However, before we left, Dexter had one last surprise for us.
After a few minutes, Dexter returned with a blanket in his arms - from a distance, we had no idea what he was carrying. When he came closer, we finally saw the big reveal, he was carrying a baby sloth. Each of us had a chance to hold the delicate life in our arms, and this unexpected capstone was the perfect end to a perfect day.
In 2004, founders Encar and Sandro opened the center as a rescue for reptiles and has continued to grow into a rehabilitating refuge. Numerous species suffer from the perpetual development of this tourist destination and have not adapted to the ever-changing environment - struggling to survive, many are displaced after losing their habitat. Often, monkeys are the victims of the new environmental constructs and mistake power lines as branches or vines and are electrocuted. Several of the species taking shelter at Jaguar Rescue Center were found alongside the road, on farms, in the forest, or are brought to the facility by a concerned individual. The center has a staff composed of local and international volunteers, all of which contribute to the daily care and rehabilitation of the animals. The continued support and maintenance of this sanctuary is dependent on donations and tours.
There are two types of tours offered here, a regularly guided tour and a private tour. The guided tour takes approximately an hour and a half and the admission/donation will set you back $15 (Monday-Friday 9:30-11:30). The private tour is offered in English, Spanish, Dutch, and German - requires a reservation and costs $50 (Monday-Friday 8:00 and 14:00, reservation at least 24 hours in advance). Traveling to Costa Rica is expensive and the extra $35 per admission pales in comparison to the money spent on the flight and accommodations. The two and a half hour experience not only justifies the donation, it will easily top the list of memories while visiting Costa Rica.
The drive from our hotel was quick, passing through Puerto Viejo along the way. The main street of this quaint town is lined with restaurants, hotels, souvenir shops, and lots and lots of people - tourist and locals alike. The main strip is sandwiched by black sand beaches teeming with beach-goers, surfers, tourist, and even some wild horses. A few minutes after Puerto Viejo a sign on our right indicated we were close to the Jaguar Rescue Center.
When we arrived, the center was closing to the public and we were soon greeted by Dexter, our tour guide for the afternoon. After welcoming us, he started with the story of how the center came to be, how long he has worked there, and spoke of their continued mission. The tour started with terrariums housing numerous varieties of venomous and non-venomous snakes. Here, we learned that the eyelash viper we encountered the day before was just one of many varieties found in the area.
 |
| Eyelash Viper |
 |
| Another Eyelash Viper |
Around the corner we came to the other side of the main building, the area where the volunteers had gathered to delineate their closing duties. This hub was a total sensory overload, there were animals all around us - a toucan flapping about, parrots fluttering ahead, and a one-week old foal and her mother off to the side.
 |
| Chestnut-mandibled Toucan |
 |
| White Crowned Parrot |
Our guide walked us through the entire facility, pinpointing species we would have never noticed, specifically, tree frogs and poison dart frogs. These amphibians were either too small or effectively camouflaged for the untrained eye to locate - hiding under palms or disguised in the detritus.
 |
| Red-Eyed Tree Frog |
 |
| Green and Black Poison Dart Frog |
We finished the private tour and could have left feeling satisfied, but, there was more than a guided walk-through. In the time it took us to walk the grounds, the volunteers had completed their duties and had congregated by the main building - only this time three howler monkeys were jumping form volunteer to volunteer. For a few minutes, we were able to feed the monkeys hibiscus flowers the volunteers had handed us, but we had to move on to our next stop, feeding toucans and sloths.
 |
| Black Howler Monkey eating hibiscus |
 |
| Another Howler Monkey enjoying some hibiscus |
 |
| Keel-Billed Toucan |
 |
| Inside the sloth cage |
 |
| Feeding sloth some hibiscus |
The tour was a continuous crescendo of surprises and they save the best for last. Before the facility closes for the day, we got to enter the monkey cage, where we bottle fed howler monkeys, spider monkeys, and a white-faced capuchin. Along with the volunteers, the four of us entered the cage after a briefing, each of us with a bottle of goat's milk in hand. The Pavlovian frenzy at the sight of the bottles was instantly overwhelming and equally gratifying. Some monkeys would take turns, but more often than not, the bigger monkeys would reap the benefits of their dominant size. Of all the "behind the scenes" experiences on the tour, this is easily the most memorable. Encar later joined us in our moment of serenity, she thanked us for our visit and our donation. However, before we left, Dexter had one last surprise for us.
 |
| Let the fun begin... |
 |
| Bottle feeding time |
 |
| So drunk from all that goat's milk |
 |
| Time to look for fleas and ticks |
 |
| Seemingly pensive White-Faced Capuchin |
 |
| Howler Monkey |
 |
| Spider Monkey |
 |
| Howler and Capuchin at the feeding area |
After a few minutes, Dexter returned with a blanket in his arms - from a distance, we had no idea what he was carrying. When he came closer, we finally saw the big reveal, he was carrying a baby sloth. Each of us had a chance to hold the delicate life in our arms, and this unexpected capstone was the perfect end to a perfect day.
 |
| Baby Sloth in a warm blanket |
 |
| A closer look |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)