Day 3 Costa Rica

Got to start our projects today, doing transects and setting up trail cameras. The field station biologist Rojo showed us how to identify the invasive ginger. The Ngabe  people also came with us and showed us some of the plants they use as medicines. It was long tiring day but also fun at the same time. Here are some random pics from my adventures. 

Day 2 Costa Rica

On my way to the dining hall for breakfast I discovered the agouti's. Little rodents that look like a cross between a rat and a bunny.

After breakfast Rojo gave us a tour of the Wilsons Botanical Garden. The diversity of plants here is crazy.

The best part of the day had to be are first hike into the jungle. I noticed shampoo ginger everywhere.

I also got to see a little brown frog, and had run in with an enormous serpent. The slithery beast crossed the trail and disappeared into the sea of green. There were also leaf cutter ants on the trail, which for me is fricking cool all my life I seen these little guys in documentaries. Never in my wildest dreams would I ever have imagined getting to watch them march on the ground in front of me, in real life.

After what seem like a short hike (mostly because it was down hill) we reached the stream. Cooling off in the water was like godsend after being roasted in this tropical climate. 

The hike back however was less thrilling as it was all up hill. However I did take a detour to check out the observation tower. It takes you high above the canopy offering you a birds eye view of the valley. Defiantly worth the stairs it takes to get to the top.

I made it back just in time for lunch. After that we got to meet with are mentors and discuss what we will be doing for the next 2 weeks. Later on in the evening time during our introductions we got to meet with the local indigenous peoples the Ngabe. That was truly a unique experience because of the fact that almost everyone introduced themselves in their tribes native tongue. To be able to hear that many different indigenous languages being spoken for the purpose of bring a group  of stranger together for science was Powerful!  

Costa Rica Day 1

I arrived late Sunday night and spent the night at Hotel Aeropuerto, a hotel with a big iron gate and a guard.

The next day we hoped on a charted bus and left the capital.

The buss driver had them wicked Dominick Toretto driving skills and zoomed through the mountain traffic like Muhamad Ali dodging punches in his prime. The scenery on the way to las cruces was amazing. The mountainous highway twisted its way along the mountain tops, providing spectacular views of lush rainforests and deep valley landscapes.

The road side stores offered an abundance of cantinas and restaurants. We stopped in the cloud forest and explored a mountain top, we even found some wild blue berries.

Fifteen minutes down the road we stopped at a local restaurant which offered a wide variety of the local cuisine, the beef empanadas were bomb. After a long ride we finally made are destination as the sun went down. After settling in at the bunk house we went to the chow hut and feasted like kings.