Back Where We Started

We are now back at the first hotel. We leave the hotel tomorrow at 4:00 A.M. for a 7:00 A.M. flight *yawn* So, what has happened since my last post? A Lot! LOL The coolest thing was at our first stop we met a couple from Holland on another tour. They had their door open and lights on which is an open invitation to bugs. We waned them about this and struck up a conversation. Then at Chachagua we saw them again and visited a couple of times. Saw them again at one of our ¨Pit Stops¨ or as our tour director says our "Do your best" stops. We have exchanged information and will keep in touch. Cool, huh? OK, after my last post we started out for the beach on the West side of the island. Hotel was a new one right ON the beach. We ate breakfast watching the waves come in about 200-300 feet away!! We got there that afternoon and did some walking on the beach and got some shells. Next morning, we saw a macaw and of course, got a cool picture. Thank goodness for zoom lens and picture cropping software! We headed off to the Manual Antonio park and after an hour´s walk ended up at one of the few white sand beaches and got in the water there too. Got a good look at a sloth and the white-faced capusian (sp) monkeys really put on a show for us. Almost close enough to touch! On the way out of the park we stopped to look at something and someone yelled ¨snake" and sure enough there was one (non-poisonous so they said) about 2 feet from us. We were warned to stay on the trail because there were poisonous snakes around. Next day, Saturday, we went to a Pacific Rainforest Conversation project where we walked around with a guide for a bit and then rode the ariel train on top of the canopy. We have now seen the Rain Forest from beneath and above. Words cannot express the beauty of seeing the rain forest from the bird´s point of view! Then right at the end we saw a Toucan!! Is this a great trip or what??? Oh, yes, and it rained in the rain forest. The neat thing about rain here is that it rains straight down and usually is fairly light. Although here in the hotel we have just had a terrific rain storm but it IS the rainy season!! Today we got up early to see the macaws which of course did not show up *sigh* We took off for the Crocodile tour. Saw a lot of birds and crodociles. There is one big crocodile that got in a fight and had his jaw broken. He is "tame" and comes with the boat comes - I think they feed him sometimes. When he got close to the bank, the guide got out of the boat and slapped a towel on the ground to draw the croc to land and the croc would grab for the towel! Then the guide walked to the tail and picked up the tail!! Oh, I almost forgot, the coolest thing. Ever hear of the lizard called the Jesus Christ lizard? It can walk on water and we got to see several of them do just that. TOO COOL!!! Tonight we have our farewell dinner. Most of you will appreciate this. On a couple of dinners we have to choose between a couple of entrees. Twice now, everyone has chosen fish except Ben who chooses chicken so all the restaurant has to know is who Ben is!! LOL It has been a magnificent trip. Seems like we just started and seems like we have been going for weeks! I have to admit I am ready to come home! Hope you have enjoyed our little trip-o-rama. I´ll see you all soon and will post pictures.....sometime. You know you have to rest up after you go on vacation!!