Manuel Antonio Park: Exotic Mammals, Beaches, Lizards...Sloth Porn?

Kyle_amused
Written by Kyle on Friday, August 01, 2008 in Costa Rica
Feelin' amused

Before we begin, everyone say hi to 2 new on-your-own-pather's as they join us for a week on their vacation: My sister Kristine and her boyfriend Jim:

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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.)

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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:

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Some sort of spider about the size of Delaware

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Ummm...green flying bug thing?

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Do you see the green bugs with orange eyes?  No?  Me neither.

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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.

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:

Manuel Antonio37
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.

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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:

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"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.

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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

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Comments on "Manuel Antonio Park: Exotic Mammals, Beaches, Lizards...Sloth Porn?"

Don't be shy, tell us "hi"

That's hot. Now I'm having a good day.

by Wendy at August 04, 2008 11:09 AM
Bessie_thumb

haa haaaa you're awesome.

August 05, 2008 08:16 AM

oh. my. goodness. You young people certainly have the sillies. LOL -Keep having FUN!!

by mumsie at August 05, 2008 12:36 AM
Bessie_thumb

:) we try :)

August 05, 2008 08:16 AM

Let's see now... great little bugs... curious lizard... banana hungry and angry Trump monkey... and very confident male sloth with a hand full of himself ! ... Now what do all of these elements have in common? ... Just another day in the life of Bessie and Kyle and their great adventure path of discovery... : > ) ... The question of the evening is: If you had offered a banana to the sloth would he have taken it with his left hand ending his pleasure, or would he have taken it with his right hand ending his life?! ..........

by DADDIO at August 10, 2008 07:54 PM

Great wild life shots........and sloths obvious have a "wild life" or you've come upon the Costa Rican version of Chicago's Boys Town.........no lady sloths in their domain? Cute monkey...but remember....they love to perform "baptisms" on uninformed tourists. Rain slickers at the ready??

by Linda at August 12, 2008 01:44 PM
Bessie_thumb

haa haaa, hadn't thought about that purpose for the rain coats, but that would do it for us. By now, I'd figure we've probably been peed on by monkeys, but it rains so much, who would really know...

August 12, 2008 06:17 PM

A little warning, about the nature of this content would have been nice. So my 3 yr old son, didnt have to ask... What is that soth doin?
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,,,,

by Todd and Liam at August 23, 2008 02:01 PM
Kyle_thumb

That's actually what I do with Bessie, too. She wants to buy some bracelet and I just give her a cookie...she forgets all about it, then takes a nap :)

August 24, 2008 04:29 PM
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