Sorry, this is the best picture I have at the moment. We'll get you in more embarassing ones later, anyway...
Jim and Kristine joined us in Manuel Antonio to share some of the beauties of Costa Rica for themselves. I guess reading about it just isn't enough for some people...
Anyway, Manuel Antonio Park is a protected area that basically sits on 2 of the coolest natural things on earth: junle and beach. If you had to pick a really nice place to be shipwrecked, this would definately be it. (Well, except maybe a deserted island with pizza trees and beer waterfalls...but that's not very realisitc.)
While Manuel Antonio is seen by thousands of tourists a day, the wildlife has stuck around for us to see. With the untrained eye, it really looks like a collection of trees with the occasional sloth or monkey. With the aide of a guide and a telescope, though, the jungle unfolds and you are able to see all the little things that make nature so wonderful.
I mean, check out some of the odd bugs to be found:
Some sort of spider about the size of Delaware
Ummm...green flying bug thing?
Do you see the green bugs with orange eyes? No? Me neither.
Praying Mantis - Note to male mantises everywhere: do not mate!
How on earth do guides spot these insects from 20 feet away? No idea. Even when told, I had a hard time seeing them with my naked eye.
Guide: It's on that leaf over there.
Me: The small green leaf?
Gude: No the medium one with the green stem coming up in the middle there.
Me: What color is the insect, again?
Guide: Green
Me: Nevermind.
Guide: It's on that leaf over there.
Me: The small green leaf?
Gude: No the medium one with the green stem coming up in the middle there.
Me: What color is the insect, again?
Guide: Green
Me: Nevermind.
Insects, you say? You came thousands of miles to see insects? Of course not. There is much bigger game roaming around and you don't need to look that hard to find it. I mean, check out this lizard just chillin' on the beach and checking out tourists:
He's just jealous that we can regulate our own body temperature.
And if you are eating food, have food, or look like you might have had food at some point, you will see a monkey. Why? Well, unfortunately, some people can't read signs well and just can't resist the urge to feed the monkeys.
So now monkeys flock to humans like flies on shi....umm...hot dogs. I thought they would be cute little furry monkeys; maybe even wear a top hat and do a little dance for the tourists. Instead, I got to see a monkey that was so serious you think he might have an aneurysm at any moment. I mean seriously, he's like the Donald Trump of monkeys:
"You're fired! Now give me a banana!"
So the monkeys were having a bad day. That's ok. At least there are the sloths to even out the jungle karma.
"You're fired! Now give me a banana!"
So the monkeys were having a bad day. That's ok. At least there are the sloths to even out the jungle karma.
Sloths are in no hurry to go anywhere and they even move so slow that fungus grows on their backs. He's kind of like that stoner friend of yours that only works part time and spends most days playing video games on the couch: "Dude, I set a new personal best in Mario Cart!" And when you see a sloth's face up close, it almost looks as if they are smiling all the time. We thought it might have just been the facial feature of a sloth, but now we think it really is a smile. And we think we know why the smile might be there:
bla
We're silly and adventurous, computer geeks and yoga peeps.
August 04, 2008
Wendy
August 05, 2008
Bessie
August 05, 2008
mumsie
August 05, 2008
Bessie
August 10, 2008
DADDIO
August 12, 2008
Linda
August 12, 2008
Bessie
August 23, 2008
Todd and Liam
This was a lot sooner than I thought I would have to have this conversation. But I offered him a cookie and he forgot all about it. Whew,,,,
August 24, 2008
Kyle
December 08, 2011
Natural sights in Costa Rica