Tag Archives: Jaco

Simians of Costa Rica

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Perhaps one of my favourite moments on my recent trip to Costa Rica was an evening spent conversing with a howler monkey.

From the balcony of our room in Manuel Antonio, a lone male somewhere in the pitch black of night was letting the universe know he was there. Not to be outdone conversationally, I wanted him to know I was around as well, and so I joined in.

I am confident that some of our hotel mates thought the neighbour a little mad, but the invisible howler seemed to be quite animated about the company. Animated enough that the fearless one in our family, my brother with whom I was travelling, finally asked me to cool it, lest we have someone else sharing our room.

Bees of Costa Rica

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There is something about the impossibility of bees that truly grabs my attention. Their bodies are so fully compartmentalized, like beads on an invisible string, and their wings can appear so fragile and yet manage to maneuver the insect to any food source anywhere.

While waiting for my brother to return from the gift shop after our crocodile tour, I spotted this guy on the railing of the cafe. I thought the silhouette was so simple and therefore so powerful. (Tarcole River near Jaco)

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Just outside our cabana in Montezuma was a banana tree. I’d taken plenty of photos of banana flowers before, but as I approached this one, I noticed that it was like Grand Central Station.

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Not far from our Montezuma cabana, I spotted some activity around this yellow flowering plant. On the first image below, I love the way the bee’s feed descend, like a plane’s landing gear, although helicopter might be a more apt analogy.

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It is funny how despite the wondrous diversity of my vacation spots, I often end up taking my favourite photos within feet of the front door of my hotel or cabana. In this case, these guys had set up shop in a pillar on our front porch and I could only imagine this massive beam being filled with honey. (Playa Samara)

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Reptiles of Costa Rica – Tarcoles River

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While in Costa Rica, my brother thought we should go on a tour of one of the rivers not far from Jaco, the Tarcoles River, where crocodiles swim in abundance.

He had warned me of their size, but you really have to see these things to realize what you’re up against, and are very glad that you are in a pretty large boat.

Still, it was invigorating to get up close and personal.

The Tarcoles makes its way down to the Pacific Ocean and so is quite brackish in places.

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My brother checks out Osama Bin Laden, one of the larger crocs in the river (the locals have named all of the crocs for famous people).

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He was even brave enough to reach out and touch Hugo Chavez while the other end was quite occupied.

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Our cruise guide would get out and walk along the shore, feeding the crocs chicken and fish. Not sure what we were supposed to do if the croc was not satisfied with the limited menu.

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Poor Hugo had lost part of his top jaw in a fight, so much of his sustenance came from these tours.

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Osama was quite hungry that day, once he was awoken from his slumber.

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A red iguana gets a bit of sun, well above the water.

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The basilisk is also known as the Jesus Christ lizard for its ability to run at high speeds across the surface of ponds and rivers.

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Mangrove roots were thick and lush as the river approached the ocean. This was also research for me as the opening of my animated feature film screenplay takes place in a mangrove.

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A young croc basks on the mangrove roots…wonder what his name will be.

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I thought they might kiss, but apparently our guide wasn’t that crazy.

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Relieving some of the heat of the day…or enjoying a really good joke.

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