Every morning our host put out bananas for the birds. This is a Hoffman's Woodpecker that Pete photographed.
He also got a shot of this Green Basilisk enjoying some banana. Ticos call them Jesus Christ Lizards because they can walk on water.
Csilla likes coloring and she made this card for our host.
At dusk we drove into the town of La Fortuna for dinner. We were thrilled when Dale spotted a Striped Owl. In this selfie we are in the restaurant and Csilla is showing a Striped Owl photo from her Costa Rican birds app.
We liked restaurant Tierra Mia so much that we ate there three times.
The chef was Columbian. Our favorite dish was ceviche.
We booked a tour at the Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge that was two hours north of Arenal. On the way we stopped at an iguana sanctuary.
We saw for ourselves how well iguanas can climb trees. Our guide told us iguanas used to be called "chicken on the tree" but now it's illegal to eat them in Costa Rica.
Costa Ricans value nature and have 161 national parks and refuges that protect 25% of their land. Here we are on the Caño Negro boat tour.
Csilla described our experience as a real 'Jungle Cruise', and way better than Disneyland! This caiman is cooling himself by opening his mouth, which makes him look like he's smiling. Caimans are related to alligators but are more docile.
This is an Amazon Kingfisher who was hunting fish in the river.
Our guide realized Csilla and Dale knew birds, and she got their help identifying a few.
The next morning we got up really early to look at birds near Arenal volcano.
We picked up a hiking companion, a friendly black lab mix.
We heard and then saw Yellow-throated Toucans.
We drove by Lake Arenal, the largest reservoir in Costa Rica, which generates 40% of the country's electricity.
Then we went to Mistico Hanging Bridges.
The grounds were beautiful.
Pete took a selfie to show the four of us on a suspension bridge.
And Kristina got this shot of Pete, Csilla and Dale crossing. The bridge was pretty shaky as we walked.
There were too many people to see much wildlife, but we enjoyed the views. It was hot!
It was a bit cooler next to the waterfall.
On our final morning in La Fortuna we went to Red Frog coffee. Here the owner is making coffee with the traditional Costa Rican set up.
Dale enjoyed his coffee. It was an Arabica blend with peaberry coffee beans.
We shared a piece of chocolate cake. It seemed appropriate that it was garnished with pineapple.
Kristina opted for the dark roast blend that was lower in caffeine. She wished she had room in her suitcase to bring back some of the full-bodied coffee, but we were flying to the Osa Peninsula on a tiny plane with weight limits.
There were only ten passengers on our flight from San Jose to Puerto Jiménez.
It was very cozy inside the plane.
We sat behind the pilot and co-pilot, and had an excellent view of their dashboard. We loved flying in the small plane! In this photo we are close to the runway in Puerto Jiménez on the Osa Peninsula.
We stayed in a small riverside lodge called Bosque del Rio Tigre.
Kristina is in front of the cabina where she and Pete stayed.
There were a bunch of hammocks that we tried out.
This is the view from the second story of the lodge. The owners had added nice touches from the rainforest, like these curled vines as balcony railings.
The food at the lodge was excellent. Breakfast was generally eggs, home fries and homemade bread with banana marmalade.
For lunch we had salads or wraps, like these chicken and black bean wraps with coleslaw.
The next morning we got up really early to look at birds near Arenal volcano.
We picked up a hiking companion, a friendly black lab mix.
We heard and then saw Yellow-throated Toucans.
We drove by Lake Arenal, the largest reservoir in Costa Rica, which generates 40% of the country's electricity.
Then we went to Mistico Hanging Bridges.
The grounds were beautiful.
Pete took a selfie to show the four of us on a suspension bridge.
And Kristina got this shot of Pete, Csilla and Dale crossing. The bridge was pretty shaky as we walked.
There were too many people to see much wildlife, but we enjoyed the views. It was hot!
It was a bit cooler next to the waterfall.
On our final morning in La Fortuna we went to Red Frog coffee. Here the owner is making coffee with the traditional Costa Rican set up.
Dale enjoyed his coffee. It was an Arabica blend with peaberry coffee beans.
We shared a piece of chocolate cake. It seemed appropriate that it was garnished with pineapple.
Kristina opted for the dark roast blend that was lower in caffeine. She wished she had room in her suitcase to bring back some of the full-bodied coffee, but we were flying to the Osa Peninsula on a tiny plane with weight limits.
There were only ten passengers on our flight from San Jose to Puerto Jiménez.
It was very cozy inside the plane.
We sat behind the pilot and co-pilot, and had an excellent view of their dashboard. We loved flying in the small plane! In this photo we are close to the runway in Puerto Jiménez on the Osa Peninsula.
We stayed in a small riverside lodge called Bosque del Rio Tigre.
Kristina is in front of the cabina where she and Pete stayed.
There were a bunch of hammocks that we tried out.
This is the view from the second story of the lodge. The owners had added nice touches from the rainforest, like these curled vines as balcony railings.
The food at the lodge was excellent. Breakfast was generally eggs, home fries and homemade bread with banana marmalade.
The Osa is known for its incredible rainforest habitat and huge variety of birds. We got up early each morning and set out with our guide Ulises.
Ulises had a telescope on a tripod. He was able to hold our iPhone up to it to take some great close up photos. We saw this White-necked Jacobin, a large hummingbird.
This cutie is an Orange-collared Manakin.
Ulises had a telescope on a tripod. He was able to hold our iPhone up to it to take some great close up photos. We saw this White-necked Jacobin, a large hummingbird.
This cutie is an Orange-collared Manakin.
Here's another great shot thanks to the telescope. It's a male Gartered Trogon.
This Helmet-headed lizard is called Perro Sanpopo in Spanish.
Caminos de Osa, the Osa trails, were abundant around the lodge.
Csilla knows walking sticks rock!
In December it rained for ten days straight here as Hurricane Otto battered Costa Rica. Behind Pete you can see some flooding damage.
Kristina liked learning how to identify the birds. Who is up in that tree?
It's a White Hawk.
This Helmet-headed lizard is called Perro Sanpopo in Spanish.
Caminos de Osa, the Osa trails, were abundant around the lodge.
Csilla knows walking sticks rock!
In December it rained for ten days straight here as Hurricane Otto battered Costa Rica. Behind Pete you can see some flooding damage.
Kristina liked learning how to identify the birds. Who is up in that tree?
It's a White Hawk.
It was a treat to watch the kingfishers flitting around the river. This one is a Green Kingfisher.
It was even hotter and more humid here than Arenal. We were happy to cross the river so we could cool our feet in the water. The rocks were mossy and a bit slippery, so Csilla was glad for Dale's hand as they crossed.
We saw so many interesting birds on the Osa! This is a Purple Gallinule.
On the left is a baby.
One day we took a road trip out to 'Monkey Beach'. We drove through some meadows where we saw Red-breasted Blackbirds.
There were a few Eastern Meadowlarks too, another migrant species passing through Costa Rica.
Near Monkey Beach we saw a small troop of Howler monkeys in the trees. This one looked so relaxed.
This crossing sign had more monkeys than humans!
A Spyder monkey family was nearby. The baby was climbing all over its mom.
The Spyder monkey mom looked pregnant.
But she could still eat a green mango while hanging upside down from her tail.
Scarlet Macaw parrots mate for life. As we got near the beach we spotted a pair low enough for Pete to get some good photos.
Parrots kissing!
Officially called Matapalo Beach, it was a lovely spot.
We watched a few surfers ride the awesome waves. This surfer had a unique way of carrying his board on his motorcycle.
We were fortunate to see a pair of Great Curassows. Here the female shows her curly crest feathers. Female curassows are more colorful than the males, which is unusual in the bird kingdom.
We saw termite nests in trees everywhere.
This is what the inside of a termite nest looks like. It's super lightweight.
Clearly this lizard has been doing yoga because his hips are really open!
Most mornings we've been practicing yoga too. Kristina says, "Namaste" Costa Rican style.
Toward the end of our trip Csilla started using the lodge's rubber boots for hiking. With lots of tread, the boots reduce slipping in the muddy rainforest.
We hiked every day, and saw signs about all the gold, oro, in the Osa.
This small Red-capped Manakin was so cute.
We got to see lots of parrots. A Red-Lored Parrot was eating a cashew.
Birds are fun to watch, in part because they are so fast and agile. When the parrot wanted another cashew, he swung down and picked one with his beak.
We saw several species of trogons, all with long tails and upright posture. This is a female Black-throated Trogon.
Pale-billed Woodpeckers are rare here, but Csilla and Dale spotted a pair on this tree where they were nesting. They looked crazy with their bright red heads and big eyes.
It's wet all year round in the rainforest, and we could practically see the forest growing and changing before our eyes.
Csilla and Dale told us that when their oldest son Sacha was young, he loved the PBS show Zaboomafoo. Each episode featured a mystery animal. Who could it be? Sacha would know this was a Kinkajou. Usually nocturnal, we were really lucky to see it.
The red color of this Passion flower was brilliant. We saw fruits further down the vine.
This Almond-eyed Owl Butterfly has a beautiful snake pattern on its wings. Can you see the snake head on the lower right?
This Sky-blue Greatstreak butterfly had a decoy pair of antennae on its wings, hoping to fool predators.
We saw a bunch of frogs. This is a tree frog.
We visited the Osa during the dry season. Near the lodge was this lovely waterfall that has water all year round.
One morning we walked the Boat-billed Heron trail.
We were glad for the plank bridge and handrail.
Hugging a tree gave Pete a better angle and some camouflage while taking photos.
He got some great shots of the Boat-billed Herons. During our trip with Csilla and Dale we saw 230 different species of birds. Now Csilla and Dale's life list includes 670 birds - wow!
In the afternoon we beat the heat by sitting in the river.
One afternoon we went kayaking. Here we are modeling our life jackets.
We all love kayaking and our afternoon paddle was Csilla's #1 favorite thing we did in Costa Rica.
We saw this American Pygmy Kingfisher.
Dale loved the cool breezes in the mangroves.
Kristina found it relaxing to lay back and look up at the canopy as we drifted deeper into the mangroves with the rising tide.
She also paddled when she needed to.
We landed on the beach for a snack of fresh coconut and pineapple. Csilla couldn't resist wielding the stake that our guide had used to split the coconut. She had a maniacal look as she proclaimed, "This was our best day ever!"
Dale sipped the elixir of life: delightful coconut water. And the flesh inside was tasty too.
We all took a swim in the warm ocean. Pura vida, life is good!
It was an awesome trip! Next we fly back to the Bay Area so Csilla and Dale can see their sons Sacha and Erich. We will be on a meditation retreat until mid May, then visiting friends and family for a few weeks, so our next blog will come out in June.
It was even hotter and more humid here than Arenal. We were happy to cross the river so we could cool our feet in the water. The rocks were mossy and a bit slippery, so Csilla was glad for Dale's hand as they crossed.
We saw so many interesting birds on the Osa! This is a Purple Gallinule.
On the left is a baby.
One day we took a road trip out to 'Monkey Beach'. We drove through some meadows where we saw Red-breasted Blackbirds.
There were a few Eastern Meadowlarks too, another migrant species passing through Costa Rica.
Near Monkey Beach we saw a small troop of Howler monkeys in the trees. This one looked so relaxed.
Howler monkeys eat only leaves. They hang out in the sunshine because the warmth stimulates their stomach bacteria, which helps them digest their food.
This crossing sign had more monkeys than humans!
A Spyder monkey family was nearby. The baby was climbing all over its mom.
The Spyder monkey mom looked pregnant.
But she could still eat a green mango while hanging upside down from her tail.
Scarlet Macaw parrots mate for life. As we got near the beach we spotted a pair low enough for Pete to get some good photos.
Parrots kissing!
Officially called Matapalo Beach, it was a lovely spot.
We watched a few surfers ride the awesome waves. This surfer had a unique way of carrying his board on his motorcycle.
This Halloween Crab says, "boo!"
We learned they lay their eggs on the beach but live in the forest.
We were fortunate to see a pair of Great Curassows. Here the female shows her curly crest feathers. Female curassows are more colorful than the males, which is unusual in the bird kingdom.
We saw termite nests in trees everywhere.
This is what the inside of a termite nest looks like. It's super lightweight.
Clearly this lizard has been doing yoga because his hips are really open!
Most mornings we've been practicing yoga too. Kristina says, "Namaste" Costa Rican style.
Toward the end of our trip Csilla started using the lodge's rubber boots for hiking. With lots of tread, the boots reduce slipping in the muddy rainforest.
We hiked every day, and saw signs about all the gold, oro, in the Osa.
This small Red-capped Manakin was so cute.
We got to see lots of parrots. A Red-Lored Parrot was eating a cashew.
Birds are fun to watch, in part because they are so fast and agile. When the parrot wanted another cashew, he swung down and picked one with his beak.
We saw several species of trogons, all with long tails and upright posture. This is a female Black-throated Trogon.
Pale-billed Woodpeckers are rare here, but Csilla and Dale spotted a pair on this tree where they were nesting. They looked crazy with their bright red heads and big eyes.
It's wet all year round in the rainforest, and we could practically see the forest growing and changing before our eyes.
Csilla and Dale told us that when their oldest son Sacha was young, he loved the PBS show Zaboomafoo. Each episode featured a mystery animal. Who could it be? Sacha would know this was a Kinkajou. Usually nocturnal, we were really lucky to see it.
The red color of this Passion flower was brilliant. We saw fruits further down the vine.
This Almond-eyed Owl Butterfly has a beautiful snake pattern on its wings. Can you see the snake head on the lower right?
This Sky-blue Greatstreak butterfly had a decoy pair of antennae on its wings, hoping to fool predators.
We saw a bunch of frogs. This is a tree frog.
We visited the Osa during the dry season. Near the lodge was this lovely waterfall that has water all year round.
One morning we walked the Boat-billed Heron trail.
We were glad for the plank bridge and handrail.
At the lagoon saw Great Egrets, Cherries' Tanagers, and a Central American Slider Turtle.
Hugging a tree gave Pete a better angle and some camouflage while taking photos.
He got some great shots of the Boat-billed Herons. During our trip with Csilla and Dale we saw 230 different species of birds. Now Csilla and Dale's life list includes 670 birds - wow!
In the afternoon we beat the heat by sitting in the river.
One afternoon we went kayaking. Here we are modeling our life jackets.
We all love kayaking and our afternoon paddle was Csilla's #1 favorite thing we did in Costa Rica.
We saw this American Pygmy Kingfisher.
Dale loved the cool breezes in the mangroves.
Kristina found it relaxing to lay back and look up at the canopy as we drifted deeper into the mangroves with the rising tide.
She also paddled when she needed to.
We landed on the beach for a snack of fresh coconut and pineapple. Csilla couldn't resist wielding the stake that our guide had used to split the coconut. She had a maniacal look as she proclaimed, "This was our best day ever!"
Dale sipped the elixir of life: delightful coconut water. And the flesh inside was tasty too.
We all took a swim in the warm ocean. Pura vida, life is good!
One of Dale's favorite memories was seeing the sun setting as we paddled back.
It was an awesome trip! Next we fly back to the Bay Area so Csilla and Dale can see their sons Sacha and Erich. We will be on a meditation retreat until mid May, then visiting friends and family for a few weeks, so our next blog will come out in June.
