Tarantula!!

Yes, I actually HELD one. Don´t you wish you could see the picture? Day one was easy after we got started at 5:15 (yawn) - bed at 11:00 so we will be ready for an early night. The hitch is that we are sharing our thatch-roofed hut with some teenagers. Thank goodness for earplugs. We started with driving through San Jose with informational stops at the National Theater and the National Museum. Then on to a wonderful lunch at a coffee plantation followed by a tour. Very interesting. Of course I bought coffee and dark chocolate-covered coffee beans which I hope survive the tropical heat! Then we headed to a couple of fabulous waterfalls. At one stop which was actually a lady´s house she opens to the public to view the waterfall and lots of hummingbirds. She also had a tarantula which our guide took out for us to see and hold. So of course, I held it and made SURE Ben got a picture of it!! Saw a howler monkey in a tree but in the picture he just looks like a furball. Trying to put names to faces in our group. So far everyone is getting along great. Our hotel for two nights is fabulous - in the rainforest - VERY humid. Tomorrow is the white water rafting. I can´t wait!! Tune in tomorrow!! By the way I´m not checking email so just post a response if you need to tell us anything.