tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63383364366055641272024-03-13T08:12:40.978-07:00Dr. Terdal's blogAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157743108140365954noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338336436605564127.post-40978477503087842602012-07-21T21:43:00.000-07:002012-07-21T21:49:56.489-07:00Travel homeMonday, June 11, 2012
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Wake up in the dark to the first of several alarms going off. Very tired; don't want to get up. But yes, I do! I get to go home to my wife today. I make coffee and watch CNN on the TV. Drag my bags up to the lobby at 4 am, for my taxi. It isn't there. The night guard is puzzled to see me. I check the time on the clock in the lobby. 3 am. Oops. I set my alarms an hour earlier than needed. They must have been on daylight savings time, as is Oklahoma, while Costa Rica sensibly stays on central standard time. I leave my bags there and go back to my room for an hour and drink more coffee.
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Back to the lobby at 4 am and this time my taxi is there. I requested the front desk call the same driver who took me to Haras del Mar on friday for horse riding as he was nice, punctual and had a great car. He was here on time at 4 am. Helped me load the bags and away we went through the dark.
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On the way we heard a howler monkey calling. Nice sound. And as an aside, I have neglected the mantled howler monkey (<i>Alouatta palliata</i>) in this travelogue. I saw a family group in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and another at the Selvatura forest. Very exciting to see them deep in high forest, moving through the canopy. Impossible to photograph so I didn't try. Just enjoyed them. When backlit, I could see the colors of their coat which distinguish them from the howler monkeys in Belize (<i>Alouatta pigra</i>) which are a uniform black.
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But the most dramatic sighting was at a restaurant in Coco a few days previously. I was eating at <a href="http://www.coconutz-costarica.com/">Coconutz Sports Bar</a> when I heard the familiar growling from above. A group were in the large guancaste tree above the open-air restaurant. I watched. A subadult male was on the fringe of a family group. The adult male seemed to be putting on a display to warn the subadult male from approaching. It was successful, with no direct violence, but very dramatic for me and every other patron.
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As this account suggests, I was using my time in the cab that dark morning to reflect on the trip. One of the best of many trips I have ever taken. I felt like I did good and important work and made contact with many people who care about sustainability in Central America. I know I learned a lot, and hope I helped others learn, too. Most of all, I want to come back soon--but this time with my wife.
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We arrived at the airport in Liberia early, before all but a few people. A porter helped me with my bags and brought me to the window where passengers must pay their departure tax (US$26, if I remember correctly). I used my credit card. I then went to check my bag. No line at this hour! The security checkpoint was not yet open so I walked around. This terminal building is new, having opened in January, 2012, to accommodate the increased flights directly to this Northwest corner of Costa Rica.
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Shuttle buses from the all-inclusive resorts began arriving and I was glad I got here before them. The security checkpoint arrived and I was in the first few through. I went up the escalator and to my gate. The shops aren't open yet so I sit down by my gate:<br>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7178624079/" title="DSCN0873 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7229/7178624079_d85e45a4db.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0873"></a>
That white thing on the chair next to my green backpack is the hammock for my wife.
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I doze as more people arrive. The shops open but I am too tired to even get one last cup of Costa Rican coffee in Costa Rica. Soon we board and the flight departs on time. I sleep most of the way to Houston. Immigration and customs is not problem as I have nothing to declare. Recheck bag to Tulsa. Get some Texas BBQ for lunch. That is sort of a tradition my wife and I have for our return to the U.S. from Belize.
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Flight to Tulsa takes off on time and goes smoothly. Land in Tulsa. Collect my bag, look for wife. No luck. Go outside. Wait. Soon she strolls up from the other terminal, looking fabulous in a new outfit. Big hug, long kiss.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157743108140365954noreply@blogger.com0Daniel Oduber International Airport (LIR), Costa Rica10.593333 -85.54444410.562116999999999 -85.583926 10.624549 -85.504961999999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338336436605564127.post-7062343551121368902012-07-20T17:38:00.000-07:002012-07-21T21:45:42.172-07:00Last day in CocoSunday, June 10, 2012
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Let myself sleep in after the late night, and knowing I'd not be getting much sleep tonight. Missed breakfast in the lobby, even. Made coffee in my room.
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This photo was taken a few days earlier, but it shows my room:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7347257406/" title="DSCN0694 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7076/7347257406_a5c74719cc_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0694"></a>
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Cable TV on the flatscreen. Left of that you can see the coffee maker and refrigerator (on floor). Safe there in the closet, just to left of the "kitchen." The whole place felt safe and secure. A fine place to relax.
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I lounged by the pool, swimming and dozing in the deck chairs. Very relaxing. Perfect temperature. For a while, I got out my tablet computer and have a video chat using Skype with my son. Works perfectly even out by the pool. It is fun to switch to the rear camera and show him birds and palms, then back to the front camera so he sees me. Wish I could do this in Belize.
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I walk around town and shop for souvenirs. Here is a street scene in Coco:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7363849064/" title="DSCN0859 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5348/7363849064_7bb6ca6c1c.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0859"></a>
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This is the main road from the inland to the beach and has all the traffic. There are side streets running north and south from this, with very little traffic. My hotel is on a parallel street to the north a couple of blocks and is quiet with a very different feel:
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7342507030/" title="DSCN0690 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8155/7342507030_7efce1fe7f.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0690"></a>
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I buy a t-shirt for my son and a hammock for my wife from a souvenir shop on the main street in town. Several stores seemed to have a large selection and fair prices on a variety of souvenirs. I am not much of a souvenir shopper and so take a "get it done" attitude vs. lingering and enjoying the hunt.
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It is local custom to take the family to the beach on Sunday afternoons. It is a delightful scene with children running and playing and food grilling. Smoke and good smells fill the air in the beach-front park:<br>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7178622577/" title="DSCN0855 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7243/7178622577_8ef276e9b6_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0855"></a>
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As the sun goes down, I am joined by many others in enjoying the view:<br>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7178622755/" title="DSCN0852 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7104/7178622755_d3873efa7c.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0852"></a>
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I eat dinner at a favorite restaurant there on the beach, <a href="http://beachbumscr.com/">Beach Bums</a>. Buy my wife a souvenir tank-top, as modeled by the waitresses. My favorite, Caroline, poses with me:
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Back at my room, I pack. Try to reach my wife by chat, email and Facebook to remind her to meet me in Tulsa the next morning, but no luck. Figure she got called in to work for the night. Oh, well. Probably too busy to miss me, anyway.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157743108140365954noreply@blogger.com1Playas del Coco, Costa Rica10.55 -85.716666710.534389500000001 -85.7364077 10.5656105 -85.696925700000008tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338336436605564127.post-63831640014399183352012-07-18T22:51:00.003-07:002012-07-19T10:24:52.561-07:00Last dive daySaturday, June 9, 2012
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Yes, I know I am writing this on July 19--40 days later. But I am still on the Pacific coast, just a little further up the coast. At 45oN, to be precise (in Oregon). But I need to finish the travelogue before I forget the last trip in the excitement of the current.
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I wake up and make coffee in my room. Eat a little something in my room and check email and Facebook. Gather my mask, but leave my camera behind. I figure I've taken the photos I can from the deck of the boat on previous dive days. Walk down to the beach.
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The familiar boat meets me but with a new divemaster. Also, a new diver. He is French and new to diving. We head north a bit to a new dive site, for me. It is in a cove half-way to Monkey Head. I am comfortable and gear up and go in while the divemaster helps the new diver. This dive site has terrible visibility--maybe 5 meters. Maybe less. Still, any dive is good and we see a few fish.
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For the second dive, we go back to the Tortugas dive site right out front of Coco. Better visibility, by far. Nice dive. Highlight was a sea turtle that let us watch him for several minutes, and a pair of white-tipped reef sharks that also tolerated our watching them for many minutes. I really wanted my underwater camera! I could have taken some good shots of each. Visibility was good, and they were shallow enough for natural light.
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We went back to the beach. I walked back up the block and a half to the hotel and showered. I checked email and Facebook, then walked to the dive shop in town to pay my dive bill with a credit card. I walked about town a little, then took a nap back at the hotel.
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I walk down to the beach to take photos of the sunset and to eat dinner. I find I am craving company and so go wherever there are people. Especially female people.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7167855241/" title="DSCN0827 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7072/7167855241_2fea425358_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0827"></a>
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I chat with retired men from the U.S. who live in Coco. They like it, and find it affordable. One man, from Colorado, says he lives on US$1800/month. He paid cash for a condo he bought after selling his home in Denver (pre-real estate crash). No car. Rarely travels back to the U.S. Basically happy, and has made friends in Coco. He budgets for three visits with a prostitute per week.
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About 10 pm, I went out on the town. Saturday night is the big party night in Coco. The previous Saturday, I had just arrived after a long day of travel and so turned in early. This was my last Saturday night and I wanted to see and experience it all.
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I went to one packed night club and met a very, very friendly lady. She made me an offer to do amazing things for just US$100. Mind you, the world's oldest profession is legal and regulated in Costa Rica. Arguably, I should have taken her up on the proposition and chalked it up to "research" on an economically important part of the tourism industry.
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Instead I fled in terror to the nightclub across the street. Where I promptly ran into a pair (two!) ladies offering a package deal. Wow! I said, uh, lets just dance. So, I danced with the ladies. Then the lady from the nightclub across the street saw me (remember, I am very tall and so literally stand, or rather dance, a head above everybody else on the floor) and joined our threesome. So now I'm dancing with three well-dressed ladies. There is a pole in the center of the dance floor and soon I have dance partners above me, next to me, and below me. I am not much of a dancer but am having a rather jolly time.
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So, do I continue the research? No! I run fleeing into the night. I'm sure the long-suffering wife back home is relieved that I sleep alone, yet again.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157743108140365954noreply@blogger.com0Playas del Coco, Costa Rica10.55 -85.716666710.534389500000001 -85.7364077 10.5656105 -85.696925700000008tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338336436605564127.post-68105487579894958892012-06-13T20:58:00.000-07:002012-06-13T20:58:52.906-07:00Horse rideFriday, June 8
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If you know me, you know I love horses and their women. I am recovering from a back injury last year (incurred, naturally enough, caring for horses) and worried I'd never ride again. I am regaining my strength and really wanted to go on at least one trail ride in Costa Rica. I rode my gelding, Cote', a few times before the trip to get my skills and confidence back up:
<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/80LxnQAfzQikoPkj7o27-dMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ldofIrzIotQ/T7AuCdZwL8I/AAAAAAAACi0/0fImW4Z64Oc/s400/DSCN0062.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/103463903563598782269/20120513ByEyeFi?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite">2012-05-13 (by Eye-Fi)</a></td></tr></table>
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Today was the day I would finally get to ride in Costa Rica!
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Juan Carlos the taxi driver picked me up at the hotel at 7:30 am, after my usual breakfast. He has one of those nice, new Toyota Corolla diesels I like so much. We drove east out of town, then south. Juan regaled me with stories of how the tourist industry has grown over the past decade. Most recently, the Hotel Riu has opened with (he said) 800 rooms! I cannot imagine.
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Fortunately we do not go there. We go to a residential community, Lomas del Mar (<a href="http://lomasdelmar.com/">http://lomasdelmar.com/</a>). They have an equestrian facility and my hotel made arrangements for me to ride their private trails. The facility is named Haras del Mar, and here is their sign:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7166833615/" title="DSCN0824 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7242/7166833615_c40e2dff6b.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0824"></a>
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Their blog is at <a href="http://harasdelmar.wordpress.com/">http://harasdelmar.wordpress.com/</a>; they are also on Facebook.
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The barn looked amazing:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7166811741/" title="DSCN0822 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7075/7166811741_df7051a141.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0822"></a>
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as did the boarder's horses:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7166811061/" title="DSCN0823 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7242/7166811061_2f9fd4f1d7.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0823"></a>
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With barn manager and head wrangler, we headed up the trails:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7166833031/" title="DSCN0794 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8165/7166833031_c2da78d62a.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0794"></a>
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Enjoying the forest views on our way up:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7166832437/" title="DSCN0796 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7243/7166832437_13910e229e.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0796"></a>
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Eventually we got high enough to look down to Coco and my dive sites of yesterday:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7166831227/" title="DSCN0798 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8154/7166831227_5d995e684c.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0798"></a>
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I loved the view from the summit!
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7166828149/" title="Erik on Luna at summit with Coco in background CROP by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7103/7166828149_ee3407d7a9.jpg" width="500" height="423" alt="Erik on Luna at summit with Coco in background CROP"></a>
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Luna, the mare I rode, was pretty amazing as well. I really like these horses of Spanish ancestry....
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In this photo, you can see the Tortuga islands where I dove with sharks the previous day, here appearing just above the horizon of the infinity pool:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7166825359/" title="DSCN0810 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7081/7166825359_6953c9f160.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0810"></a>
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The homes are pretty nice. Here is where the developer lives:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7166822387/" title="DSCN0814 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7102/7166822387_ac523ba5d8_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0814"></a>
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and here is another home in the subdivision:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7352037434/" title="DSCN0809 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7220/7352037434_cf18f9c0da.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0809"></a>
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That one has a view south along the coast and so reminded me of my parent's Oregon coast home. (Sort of.)
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One more view north, to Coco where I have been staying and diving:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7166823399/" title="DSCN0813 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8018/7166823399_1db5dde1a6.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0813"></a>
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Back down at the barn I admire the pastures:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7352028966/" title="DSCN0817 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8014/7352028966_63eaffc77c.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0817"></a>
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and the owner's paint foal:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7352032512/" title="DSCN0816 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7089/7352032512_15897ba8b4.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0816"></a>
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I know Luna had a good ride, but she was also happy to be back to the barn and untacked:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7352025778/" title="DSCN0818 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8013/7352025778_7f15a32955.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0818"></a>
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Taxi driver took me back to the hotel. He wanted to talk as he was bored from waiting for me at the barn but I was tired and so not good company. Showered and changed at the hotel and worked some more. Went down to the beach for the sunset again:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7353066530/" title="DSCN0825 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7213/7353066530_287622477e.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0825"></a>
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Yes, a great day.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157743108140365954noreply@blogger.com0RIU Guanacaste Route, Costa Rica10.493213228263974 -85.753784179687510.243450728263975 -86.0696411796875 10.742975728263973 -85.4379271796875tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338336436605564127.post-67698004444938729742012-06-13T19:59:00.002-07:002012-06-13T19:59:58.454-07:00Monkey HeadThursday, June 7
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7350269022/" title="DSCN0759 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7080/7350269022_9f67449a9a_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0759"></a>
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Great diving day. I woke up having slept well, presumably after the hard workout on the bicycle the previous day pedalling down the coast line to Playa Ocotal and Bahia Pez Vella. I wanted to see the beautiful coast from the shore which I had seen from the dive boat on Tuesday. Those hills were killer. I walked the bike up most hills and coasted down, my foot on the brake all the way. Hard work.
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After breakfast at the hotel (scrambled eggs and fresh fruit was now my staple), I gathered my gear and walked down the block and a half to the beach. The Deep Blue dive boat, Marisol, was there with the same crew as the previous day: Antonio the captain and Owen the divemaster. We waited for another couple. Owen called, using his cell phone, the dive shop and they tried the couple's hotel. No luck. At 8:30 am we left without them.
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Our destination: Monkey Head, one of the more famous dive sites in this area. The source of the name is obvious from my photo, above. From the east (shore-side), it looks like a colossal gorilla head rising from the sea. The cacti give it a spike hair style. It is located right off the Papagoya Peninsula where the Four Seasons resort is located. This was significant to me as we learned about tourism development on the Papagoya Peninsula on the first day of our Sustainability seminar in Monteverde. Now I got to see it from sea level.
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First dive site was (I think) Viadora, a low island between Monkey Head and the Papagoya tip: <br>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7165057633/" title="DSCN0760 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7219/7165057633_1dbddb5616_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0760"></a>
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Basically we descended ~10 meters on the east (shore, shallow) side and circled around counter-clockwise. Dive boat met us where we ascended ~20 meters on the outside. Decent visibility (10-12 m?). Fish, moray eels, rays. Mostly fish.
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Surface interval was devoted to--fishing. I also enjoyed the views and took pity (really) on how the 1% live: <br>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7165060549/" title="DSCN0748 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8023/7165060549_aa4c786931.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0748"></a>
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I knew I was having more fun!
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Second dive was Monkey Head itself. We descended on the east (shallow) side again, and again made out way counter-clockwise. Same good visibility and fish life. Highlight was a couple of sea turtles. First was a large green resting on the bottom in about 20 meters of water. Let us get fairly close to watch. Minutes later we came upon a Hawksbill turtle and watched as he slowly ascended to take a breathe at the surface. Fun to see them from below, backlit by the sunny surface above.
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More fishing on the second surface interval, starting off Papagoya:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7165064135/" title="DSCN0736 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8163/7165064135_d81d26390b_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0736"></a>
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I kept my eyes out for bird action from the bow:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7165062567/" title="DSCN0740 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7087/7165062567_65fe69b040_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0740"></a>
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Notice how flat the sea surface was. I grew up fishing the Pacific Ocean, in the 1970s off the coast of Oregon. I don't remember ever seeing the sea up there this flat. Owen agreed that this was unusually calm. Surfers, take note: Costa Rica does not always have great surf.
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Eventually we saw some good bird action and headed the boat right through it on several passes.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7165057017/" title="bird action CROP by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8014/7165057017_bd01444ac0_n.jpg" width="319" height="320" alt="bird action CROP"></a>
Not one strike! Owen said it was good he was a diver as he'd starve as a fisherman.
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Third and final dive site of the day was Tortuga:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7350267292/" title="DSCN0772 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8014/7350267292_4f072a0910_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0772"></a>
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as these islands are right off the shore in front of Playas del Coco. Did not see sea turtles here, but did see some nice white-tipped sharks. An over-all great dive, and great day of diving. I loved having the boat to myself! At the last dive site there were two other dive boats from Coco but underwater it still felt like we were alone.
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We then headed back to El Coco:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7350266950/" title="DSCN0773 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7077/7350266950_9fbc9bfaff.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0773"></a>
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Headed back up the road to the hotel. Arranged for horse riding for Friday. Showered and worked. Walked back to the beach for dinner. Was too tired from diving to join in the volleyball game but was tempted:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7165054535/" title="beach volleyball CROP by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7233/7165054535_68e3c9ed5b_n.jpg" width="264" height="320" alt="beach volleyball CROP"></a>
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Watched another sunset at what is becoming my favourite beach anywhere:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7350260776/" title="DSCN0790 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7227/7350260776_ea56f7c97d_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0790"></a>
<br><br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157743108140365954noreply@blogger.com0Playas del Coco, Costa Rica10.55 -85.716666710.534389500000001 -85.7364077 10.5656105 -85.696925700000008tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338336436605564127.post-49999112394968027652012-06-08T19:32:00.001-07:002012-06-08T19:53:42.673-07:00PlantsWednesday, June 6
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I've been neglecting my phyto-friends, especially the palmophiles. I am notorious for subjecting my family to my search for interesting plants, as seen in this Spring Break trip to Dallas:
<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ilUFz3DaANTalaPoU4oGeNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-9zxxsX9XTnQ/T2e_YFrtX3I/AAAAAAAAB_w/vPGKEIBa1MQ/s400/DSC_0301.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/103463903563598782269/DallasSpringBreak2012?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite">Dallas Spring Break 2012</a></td></tr></table>
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This entry is for my fellow plant lovers. As a re-cap, I flew to Belize and spent a few days on my favourite little Caribbean island, Caye Caulker. I've been to Caulker a dozen times or more and shared many pictures from La Isla Carinosa over the years:
<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ab_J4uJgqT8nNBUPoqi0BdMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-xqA92H7Fb64/TQu9nuuk02I/AAAAAAAAArA/as9oEw9qQcA/s400/PICT0094.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/103463903563598782269/CayeCaulkerDec2010?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite">Caye Caulker Dec 2010</a></td></tr></table>
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From Caye Caulker, I went inland to the Maya Mountains. Photographed wildlife endangered by poachers. The poachers are Xateros. Xateros sneak into Belize to harvest, illegally, the leaves of the beautiful <i>Chameadorea </i>spp. palms, or Xate' in Mayan. You can read a short xate' primer here: <a href="http://www.belizebotanic.org/xate.html">http://www.belizebotanic.org/xate.html</a>
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While in the forests to steal <i>Chameadorea </i>spp. fronds for the international florist trade, the xateros also steal macaw fledglings and shoot jaguars, tapirs and other precious wildlife to satisfy the international trade in wildlife resources. Yes, really: my passion for palms <i>and </i>for wildlife is connected in the forests of western Belize.
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From the mountains of Belize, I flew to Costa Rica and ascended up steep roads to the famous cloud forests of Monteverde. There I had the opportunity to spend a week hiking the beautiful cloud forest with Willow, author and illustrator of <i>Tropical Plants of Costa Rica</i> (book descrition here: <a href="http://books.google.co.cr/books/about/Tropical_plants_of_Costa_Rica.html?hl=es&id=KyeDAAAACAAJ">http://books.google.co.cr/books/about/Tropical_plants_of_Costa_Rica.html?hl=es&id=KyeDAAAACAAJ</a>).
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From Monteverde, I travelled to the Pacific coast province of Guancaste to spend time in the tropical dry forest. While here the past week I have enjoyed the landscape plantings and using Willow's book as my guide.
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Today (Wednesday, June 6) I rented a bicycle to explore. Cost was US$10 from the hotel. Basic beach cruiser: 1 speed, pedal breaks. Nice basket up front for water and my camera. Off to explore!
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I'll start with the familiar: Bizzie. <i>Bismarckia </i> palms are well-suited to tropical dry forests and are used to good landscape effect here. None terribly large, so this must be a relatively new plant choice here:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7347257308/" title="DSCN0695 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8022/7347257308_781eb1e5e0.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0695"></a>
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Here is another to show how Bizzie are used in a street planting in front of a house:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7162047287/" title="DSCN0696 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8141/7162047287_3e559ed6bb.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0696"></a>
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Commonly used palms also include Manilla palm, <i>Adonidia </i>or <i>Veithchia</i>. Here is one in a planter to block beach access on a side road:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7162046391/" title="DSCN0697 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7103/7162046391_379881ecd6.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0697"></a>
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By far the most commonly used landscape palm is Areca (<i>Dypsis lutescens</i>). No photos as I am now taking them for granted, like queen palms in the southern U.S. (there are also a few Queens here). Lovely palms, but I appreciate some creativity.
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Other commonly used landscape palms are the Royal Palm (<i>Roystonea</i>) and triangle palms (also in <i>Dypsis</i>):
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7347256296/" title="DSCN0698 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8151/7347256296_ec45b51289_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0698"></a>
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While the Royals have clearly been around a while, as evidenced by their stature, the triangles seem newer. Here is one of only a few I saw in flower:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7347256116/" title="DSCN0699 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7105/7347256116_a0fb6caebd_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0699"></a>
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Here is a typical resort scene to show the landscape style used locally:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7162036287/" title="DSCN0723 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7076/7162036287_2b86af9b9b_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0723"></a>
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Yes, those are Areca palms. So ubiquitous I don't even notice them any more.
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I took these photos while riding the bicycle up and down the steep hills south of Coco, to Playa Ocotal and Bahia Pez Vella. Steep! I use the time spent walking the heavy bike up the steep hills to get inspriation for my own next lanscape project, my parent's beach house on the Oregon coast. Steep like these resorts. Wonderful view of sunsets over the Pacific ocean. Hours for ideas to run through my seat-soaked cranium....
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I also take into mind the natural vegetation:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7162036619/" title="DSCN0722 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7217/7162036619_a5690a2fda.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSCN0722"></a>
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I love the volcanic black-sand beaches below cliffs with cacti and tropical dry forest trees! So cool, in a <i>hot</i> way.
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While on the beaches, I also take in the tide pools:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7347246628/" title="DSCN0721 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8001/7347246628_3a1f4cb0f4_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0721"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7347249470/" title="DSCN0715 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7212/7347249470_b971871999.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0715"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7162038267/" title="DSCN0720 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7234/7162038267_58bed2e6ea_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0720"></a>
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Splashed by waves:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7347252832/" title="DSCN0711 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7071/7347252832_db2f65ebb4_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0711"></a>
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And having their own special plants and animals:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7162043527/" title="DSCN0709 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8003/7162043527_6fd2fc4526.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0709"></a>
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The marine life reminds me not to get too tired as I have diving to do the next day.
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This unique piece of yard art also puts me in mind of that:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7162036013/" title="DSCN0724 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7219/7162036013_9d8c6c71ff_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0724"></a>
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So I ride my bike back to the hotel, where the cat is waiting on me:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7162035903/" title="DSCN0725 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7100/7162035903_0c72cdedab_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0725"></a>
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I devote the rest of the day to my online classes.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157743108140365954noreply@blogger.com2Playas del Coco, Costa Rica10.55 -85.716666710.53439 -85.7364077 10.565610000000001 -85.696925700000008tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338336436605564127.post-59494726345450979542012-06-07T20:43:00.000-07:002012-06-07T20:43:22.998-07:00PacificTuesday, June 5
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I am still nervous from the first day of classes and so don't sleep well. Wake up repeatedly trying to remember what errors I made. Can't think of any.
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Get up with the sun, make coffee and log in to see what happened in my online classes while I was sleeping. Not much, but not nothing. Some students have crazy schedules and so make time for class at the oddest hours. Doesn't matter to me--I'm happy for all of them.
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Breakfast of scrambled eggs and fruit, to order. I seem to be the only guest so the breakfast buffet has turned into breakfast to order. Fine by me. After eating, I grab my mask. I bought my dive mask in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize 11 years ago after mine was stolen. It was the only one that fit. Upon use, I loved it. Absolute best mask I have ever tried on. Super low profile makes clearing trivial, and wide range of view. Simple. Cheap. Cannot understand why all dive masks are not built like this one, but I have not found another like it and so carry it with me whenever I might dive.
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Walk down the road two blocks to the beach, where Deep Blue has a boat waiting for me in the surf.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7157309547/" title="DSCN0689 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8007/7157309547_2bb35a577c.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0689"></a>
Wade out into the gentle waves and hop on board from the stern, by the outboard motor. Nice boat, with a center console and a sun shade. Tanks down the middle between benches. Basic and functional.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7157310797/" title="DSCN0687 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7083/7157310797_f0ea3a5dd9.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0687"></a>
We set out across the water. I look back to see the cove out from Playas del Coco:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7157347605/" title="DSCN0644 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7223/7157347605_736840cecb.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0644"></a>
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We head out to sea, then south down the coast to another cove, near Playas Ocotal where there is a colossal resort. We pick up a cute young couple who signed up for their introductory open-water SCUBA lesson.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7342543028/" title="DSCN0651 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7234/7342543028_b4dc44cdbd.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0651"></a>
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They did the classroom and swimming-pool portion of their training at home in Buffalo, New York. They do more on board as we head out and then further south:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7157333539/" title="DSCN0660 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7231/7157333539_75bf10bfc6_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0660"></a>
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Our first dive site was around this low island:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7342541406/" title="DSCN0653 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8148/7342541406_b925f02b6d.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0653"></a>
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The dive instructor has his students to care for so my divemaster and I back-roll off and descend. This is my first-ever dive in the Pacific so I am a little nervous. Water is a little colder than the Caribbean off Belize where I dove two weeks earlier (and for a dozen years prior). but not enough to be a nuisance. Visibility is much lower. About 10 meters or so. not bad, but I am used to 3x that in Belize. Also, the landscape is dominated by the volcanic rocks, not the reef-forming hard corals of the Belize barrier reef, which is justly famous world-wide. and finally, the fish! All are kind of familiar, but not quite. The Panama isthmus formed about 3 million years, which has been enough time for speciation by vicariance. As in, same genus, different species. Repeat over and over. As a zoologist, I loved it!
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On the surface interval, the instructor continues his lesson while my divemaster goes fishing:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7157335551/" title="DSCN0657 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7074/7157335551_c90290b640.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0657"></a>
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By dive skills, I'm happy to report, were fine. Good buoyancy, low air useage, stayed calm. We say some sharks (white-tipped; one group of three small ones and another of two medium-sized). Divemaster asked by hand signals if I was OK. Yes, of course--I love sharks! They are cool. I'm not afraid of sharks. I appreciate and respect them.
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I took some snapshots of the young couple on their camera and they returned the favour with mine:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7342506336/" title="Erik after diving CROP by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8148/7342506336_3e09477778_n.jpg" width="300" height="320" alt="Erik after diving CROP"></a>
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if you call that a "favour." Pretty bad case of mask face.
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Our second dive site was here:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7157332539/" title="DSCN0661 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8148/7157332539_a144dea1e6.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0661"></a>
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just explored around the base of these rocks, down to 75 feet or so. There is a bit of a thermocline around 65 feet or so.
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After that, we returned the couple to their resort, and then headed back up the coast to Coco. Some some isolated beaches I wanted to see from the land, and would the next day by bicycle. This is one:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7157324075/" title="DSCN0674 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7228/7157324075_8f3f52901f_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0674"></a>
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Took a few more photographs of the boats in the cove as we approached. This one includes a faux pirate ship for tourist cruises:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7342519586/" title="DSCN0682 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8027/7342519586_334dfdbc11_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0682"></a>
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As we got closer, I took some snapshots of the brown pelicans:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7342505598/" title="Pelicans on boat at Playas del Coco by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7075/7342505598_5a3f64e40d.jpg" width="500" height="233" alt="Pelicans on boat at Playas del Coco"></a>
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All too son, they dropped me off on the beach where they had picked me up in the surf at 8 am. I walked back up the road to my hotel:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7342506656/" title="DSCN0691 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7085/7342506656_870f774646.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0691"></a>
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I took a shower to get the salt off and then logged in to my online classes and worked until sunset. Actually, missed the sunset.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157743108140365954noreply@blogger.com0Playas del Coco, Costa Rica10.55 -85.716666710.534389500000001 -85.7364077 10.5656105 -85.696925700000008tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338336436605564127.post-83209679535563822842012-06-04T19:11:00.002-07:002012-06-04T19:11:48.436-07:00Day 1 of Summer sessionI wake up early today as it is very exciting: the first day of Summer session. I suppose I should be used to this by now, but I am not. I still get excited to meet my students. I want them to all log in at 8 am CDT (7 am CST, where I am) and so shower, eat breakfast, make a second pot of coffee and sit there patiently on Blackboard waiting for students to log in an introduce themselves.
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And listen to the birds. Then turn on CNN and watch the Queen's Jubilee. Etc.
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OK, online teaching is not quite as exciting as it is made out to be.
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Eventually students do arrive and that is cool. I know some already. We have a nice day. I get bored in the afternoon as no new students log in, and so re-work content that is probably already just fine. Getting really, really bored, I do something foolish: I imagine I can write, edit, shoot and publish video all on my own. Hilarious!
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Really, I can't, but do anyway. Here it is, my introduction to "Tropical Ecology":
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2N0vV617qko?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157743108140365954noreply@blogger.com4Playas del Coco, Costa Rica10.55 -85.716666710.534389500000001 -85.7364077 10.5656105 -85.696925700000008tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338336436605564127.post-7756356011208526792012-06-04T19:00:00.001-07:002012-06-04T19:00:38.209-07:00Domingo: day to workSunday, June 3
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Gosh, I'm boring. Wake up in paradise and what do I do? Work all day. I have two online classes starting on the morrow. Both done. Does that matter? No, I spend all day fussing over them, fixing things that are not broken. I do walk down the street to see the sun set. Pretty, but not spectacular like last night so no photos.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157743108140365954noreply@blogger.com0Playas del Coco, Costa Rica10.55 -85.716666710.534389500000001 -85.7364077 10.5656105 -85.696925700000008tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338336436605564127.post-81986409073317055762012-06-04T18:43:00.000-07:002012-06-04T18:43:20.373-07:00Reverse surf-n-turf tripSaturday, June 2
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Woke up to my alarms. They sure sounded early!? 5 am?! What? Hit snooze and went back to sleep.
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Woke up at 6:15 am. Oh, yeah, the early alarm was to rouse me to see off my compatriots on the early van to the airport in San Jose. <br>
One lucky guy had the delight of knowing the returning van would bring his wife. <br>
Bastard. Hate him on general principle. <br>
I miss Rhea so much it hurts. Back to sleep. Pillow over head so I don't hear the birds mocking me.
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Eventually I make myself get up and make coffee. Dark roast, bitter. Suites the mood. <br><br>
I pack for a flight home: heavy stuff, but not over 22 kg, plus all liquids in one piece. Delicate electronics in a knapsack to carry on the flight home to Rhea. Check.
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Damn. Not going home. Did I mention I miss Rhea? No? Well, I miss her.
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Knock on door. I'm annoyed. Plan to ignore, but then wonder if I got my times mixed up and my collectivo is already here and so open the door. Wrong again. It is Ron, asking if I want to have breakfast with the guys. "Uh, yeah" I answer, as eloquently as ever.
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A porter magically appears (thanks, Ron!) who hauls my 22 kg bag up to the lobby. Struggles. I carry my equally heavy knapsack and pretend it is just my down parka. Fool no one. Drop them by the front desk and pay the US$50 for cleaning the bit of dirty laundry I arrived with (?!?). Enjoy my yoghurt and final comradeship with my seminar compatriots. Say I hope to see them again, and actually mean it. Drop 10,000 colones in the tip jar at the front desk and head out to meet the collectivo.
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In this photo, you can see my luggage piled out front. You can also see this amazing plant they have a few specimens of. If you are reading this, and know what this awesome plant is, please comment to let me know--both what this plant is (I want one!) and that anybody is reading this hum-drum blog.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7324614720/" title="DSCN0581 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7105/7324614720_31ec1a45fb_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0581"></a>
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The van arrived. It was a Toyota diesel van with a manual transmission. Basically, a minivan this geek dad would love. We drove out of town down that unpaved road people complain about but which I think is marvellous. I compare it to the Georgeville Road in the Cayo district of Belize and then smile. Imagine that road but vastly smoother--like you always imagined it could be, if Belize had a government as rich as Costa Rica.
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I shared the van with a woman from Europe and her son. She asked for a stop to take a photo. I took a photo of her doing that:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7324614508/" title="DSCN0582 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8144/7324614508_b73bc881ed_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0582"></a>
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I then took a photo with her camera of her and her son, and asked as a favour her to shoot me:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7324614262/" title="DSCN0583 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7075/7324614262_834612327d_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0583"></a>
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The scenery is lovely. Steep hills formed into cattle pastures. Bucolic in the sunshine. I try not to imagine them in a tropical rain storm.
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We stop down in the low lands. We get out to use los banos:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7324615698/" title="DSCN0595 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7092/7324615698_2e07693bbf.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0595"></a>
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I am entranced by Scarlet Macaws:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7324614050/" title="DSCN0587 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7071/7324614050_26ba16986b_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0587"></a>
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And then notice a blue and gold macaw. What?!?
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All is not as it seems. At a call, the fly to a cage out back:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7324628766/" title="DSCN0592 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8022/7324628766_382d114f29_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0592"></a>
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This scene helps me appreciate the role of Scarlet Macaws in the ecotourism industry. And ties together my observations of Scarlet Macaw fledgling poaching in the Chalillo reservoir a couple of weeks ago with the lucrative "ecotourism" industry. Tourists are understandably thrilled by the sight of "wild" macaws:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7324633978/" title="DSCN0590 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8002/7324633978_e4b09cd4f1_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0590"></a>
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and thus buy souvenirs featuring these rare birds at those sites. <br>
Please, do not buy souvenirs, drinks, food, whatever from establishments that use endangered wildlife to lure in customers. Think about it.
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We got back in the van
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7324616400/" title="DSCN0594 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7234/7324616400_bd8641e384_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0594"></a>
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and continued on towards Liberia. Some may think the flat lands of Guanacaste boring. Not me, a real Okie. I thought it looked lovely: flat, green land dominated by cattle pasture. Looked like home! As a bonus, there were horses everywhere. And all horses were white or bay. A few foals black; some gray yearlings. All had excellent conformation. You see where I am going with this: 100% Pura Raza Esapanol. Oh, yeah: PRE Andalusian horses as far as the eye could see. Probably not registered with ANCCE, but no matter: these were the real deal. By the thousand. Like thoroughbreds in Kentucky. Loved it. Hope to ride a few by the end of the week.
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Dropped of the other passengers at Canon de Vieja. They planned to go rafting there and then onto Playas del Coco, where I was headed for. I moved to the front seat and chatted with the driver in his excellent English on our way to the beach. He lives in Monteverde with his wife and two daughters. He got a loan to buy this van and drives tourists in it as his livelihood. He had not been to El Coco before and so had to ask directions in town (of a taxi driver). We got to the hotel I had made arrangements with.
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Checked in. (Thanks, Trip Advisor!). Owner nice; room larger than I expected. Ditto the pool and gardens. I settled in, ate dinner in town, then took snapshots of the beach at sunset:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7324813408/" title="DSCN0627 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7216/7324813408_a69891219a_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0627"></a>
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Oh, yeah. I can stay here for a week or a decade.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157743108140365954noreply@blogger.com0Liberia, Costa Rica10.63065 -85.44007910.599437499999999 -85.479561 10.6618625 -85.400596999999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338336436605564127.post-90656502154542452682012-06-01T22:28:00.002-07:002012-06-01T22:28:24.052-07:00Synthesis & SummaryFriday, June 1
<br><br>
Today was devoted to putting our learning of the past few days into a time-frame as a tool for synthesis and summary.
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We had breakfast together one last time at the Monteverde Lodge. I have been eating well, perhaps too well, and so only had the yogurt with granola and fresh fruit with my coffee. Most of the group decided they also needed exercise and so walked to the CIEE center. I took advantage of the free time after breakfast to chat online by instant messaging with my wife. She is excited about trail-riding her horse with some friends this weekend. I said I wished I would be there for that, and meant it.
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I hurried to turn off my computer and go to the lobby to get in the van for the short ride to the CIEE center. Our first lecture was by Dr. Karen Stocker of Cal. State-Fullerton.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7317494510/" title="DSCN0560 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7223/7317494510_0429304362_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0560"></a>
<br>She shared twenty (20) years of research on the role of women's cooperatives in changing the economic and social status of women, and more generally the role of tourism in changing local culture.
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We then broke for coffee, fruit (my favorite was the passion fruit [<i>Passiflora</i> sp.]) and tamales. Yum! I ate enough to qualify as lunch.
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Our next lecture was by our own Dr. Ricardo Perez of Eastern Connecticut State. He covered tourism development in Cuba over the same time span Karen had covered for the local area. Tourism development in Cuba is more top-down than bottom-up and his lecture helped us appreciate the differences that leads to.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7317494206/" title="DSCN0562 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7215/7317494206_2f956f183b.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0562"></a>
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We walked to lunch so we could see more of the community. This scene shows one of the many small, locally-owned hotels:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7317493918/" title="DSCN0564 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8143/7317493918_204c03ec36.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0564"></a>
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We also saw some wildlife. Here, Van is peering into the road-side vegetation after catching a glimpse of an agouti:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7317493606/" title="DSCN0566 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7086/7317493606_0792fd0b6b_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0566"></a>
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Thinking of my wife's trail-riding trip had me on the look-out for horses. This handsome horse makes a fine pack animal:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7317493766/" title="DSCN0565 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7090/7317493766_a60c8022b7_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0565"></a>
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As always, I admired the landscape planting, such as this <i>Ensete</i>:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7317494066/" title="DSCN0563 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8022/7317494066_004861bdba_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0563"></a>
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We eventually made it to CASEM Co-Op, where women sell art and food them make:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7317493272/" title="DSCN0568 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7076/7317493272_c735eb3421.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0568"></a>
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I was full from my lunch of chicken and rice, but some were hungry for desert so we used the van to get us up the road a short ways to the Monteverde dairy
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7317492822/" title="DSCN0573 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7244/7317492822_f68fba57fd.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0573"></a>
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for ice cream.
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I walked around the outside of the factory and took snapshots of the front:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7317492976/" title="DSCN0572 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7223/7317492976_5bcbdef12e_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0572"></a>
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and back:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7317493148/" title="DSCN0571 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7090/7317493148_dffaf1ba82_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0571"></a>
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This dairy was founded in 1953 by Quakers who emigrated from the U.S. In recent decades, cattle pastures have been converted to use for tourism enterprises so milk must be brought up by truck (seen here) on the same unpaved road tourists use from dairy farms in the valleys below. The ice cream carering to tourists on their way down from the Monteverde Cloud forest reserve (sign below) makes this dairy another example of agrotourism.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7317492672/" title="DSCN0574 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7074/7317492672_1b62ed17b8_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0574"></a>
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In the afternoon, we had another lecture by Dr. Stocker on intergenerational differences in attitudes toward tourism development. After that, we had a discussion led by local people of varying ages and backgrounds. Fascinating, and a real highlight of the week for me.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7317492534/" title="DSCN0575 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8020/7317492534_8a16ebf116_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0575"></a>
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We all met for dinner. Over the course of that, we continued our synthesis and summary as a group with our IFDS leaders (Karen and Willow). We talked about the past week and how we would continue to learn more about the topics in the seminar in the following weeks. Most of the participants have campus obligations they have to fly to right away, while myself and one other are continuing our investigations into sustainability in Central America. Kristi is flying to Nicaragua; I am going by bus to Guanacaste province to see first-hand the tourism development issues we learned about on Monday, day one in Monteverde. I'll continue to blog about that.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157743108140365954noreply@blogger.com0Monteverde, Costa Rica10.306982 -84.80973110.2913595 -84.829472 10.322604499999999 -84.78999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338336436605564127.post-51977260439331191522012-05-31T20:39:00.001-07:002012-05-31T20:39:23.646-07:00CoffeeThursday, May 31
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Woke up early and made coffee to enjoy in my room.
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Drank more coffee with breakfast (tipico again)
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Morning's lecture was on...coffee. We covered the history of coffee cultivation in Costa Rica over the past two centuries. I love history and so drank it up. Naturally, a lot of Costa Rican social and economic history was stirred in. In an effort after independence (1821) to quickly ramp up production of the lucrative cash crop, landless peasants were given title to forest lands they cleared and grew coffee on. This created a broad middle class--quite unlike the situation in the rest of Central America. We also learned about the railroad from San Jose to Limon in the 1890s and how that changed the cultural mix of Costa Rica by bringing in a Caribbean influence. In the 19th century, coffee farmer coops spread as a form on non-governmental participatory democracy. These eventually (late 20th century) proved unable to continue providing a middle-income livelihood for coffee farmers. Many sold their farms; a few went into direct internet sales and a few developed agrotourism ventures in Monteverde. We went to visit the most successful of these, Don Juan's Coffee Tour.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7311395750/" title="DSCN0524 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8146/7311395750_9ba21d2bde_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0524"></a>
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I got into the spirit of the enterprise by jumping into the back of an ornately painted ox cart like those used before the railway to haul coffee to the Pacific port of Puntarenas:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7311393480/" title="DSCN0526 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7075/7311393480_cfa673c023.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0526"></a>
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The oxen were very good about the whole thing:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7311391262/" title="DSCN0527 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7084/7311391262_9e236f3dac_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0527"></a>
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We were there of course to learn about coffee:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7311389744/" title="DSCN0530 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7091/7311389744_19b6afe75c.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0530"></a>
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Starting with how it is grown:
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/G9yfCtcpRgg?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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How the harvested fruits are de-pulped with machines old and new:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7311387210/" title="DSCN0533 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7225/7311387210_88dbc89dd5.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0533"></a>
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Dried to 12% moisture:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7311383168/" title="DSCN0536 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7212/7311383168_bdff6b615c_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0536"></a>
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and then roasted. Eventually, we got to taste coffee (and chocolate!) under the eye of Don Juan himself, born in the local area in 1937. He is the gentleman on the right in a hat:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7311382020/" title="DSCN0537 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7223/7311382020_1f2c014a1b_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0537"></a>
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Our wonderfully funny tour guide, Junior, also showed us how sugar cane used to be pressed manually:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7311380760/" title="DSCN0538 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8147/7311380760_1750c2cbf5_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0538"></a>
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All in all, it served as a great example of agrotourism: how farmers are diversifying to generate additional income by educating and entertaining tourists about an agrarian way of life past and present.
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After this, we drove into town for lunch (casado con pescado for me) at the Blue Morpho, a restaurant in Santa Elena catering primarily to tourists.
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The group split up at this point. Half went to a coffee cooperative to learn more about the economics of coffee under globalization, while three of us went to tour the University of Georgia's Costa Rica campus in the town of San Luis, in the western foothills of the Monteverde cloud forest.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7311366792/" title="DSCN0549 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8156/7311366792_7082f1eeab.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0549"></a>
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This fine facility can be thought of as "educational tourism" in that it hosts hundreds of US university students annually who learn about the local environment through experiences similar to those of tourists: hikes in the forest, horse rides, home stays, farm visits, etc. Interesting.
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When we got back to the Hotel,
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7311356948/" title="DSCN0557 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7101/7311356948_07149fbfa3_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0557"></a>
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I walked into the town of Santa Elena
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7311396036/" title="DSCN0559 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8146/7311396036_4434c16de3.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0559"></a>
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to see the development of commerce catering to tourists. I used an ATM machine to get colones, but did not stay to shop. It was raining and getting dark so I walked back to the hotel.
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At dinner, we again talked about a variety of subjects, such as favorite musical artists. The longest discussion was on teaching methods to engage students. We are all from different disciplines and institutions but encounter similar challenges. It was a very productive talk, and I am sure we will all try new teaching methods in response to our reflections on the chat.
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Tomorrow is our last full day together so it was also a little bittersweet.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157743108140365954noreply@blogger.com0Monteverde, Costa Rica10.306982 -84.80973110.2913595 -84.829472 10.322604499999999 -84.78999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338336436605564127.post-84703789966597176152012-05-30T21:49:00.001-07:002012-05-30T21:49:26.146-07:00CanopyWednesday, May 30
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Woke up feeling refreshed and excited, if a little tired and sore from the hiking yesterday. Ordered the tipico breakfast. The cheese (local?) was especially good.
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Packed up the cameras and binoculars used yesterday but left out the field guides to save weight on my back. We drove in the usualy van to the Selvatura canopy tour business outside town a few miles. Here we are getting out in front of the main building:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7305367536/" title="DSCN0483 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7102/7305367536_03b1a08d15_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0483"></a>
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A few participants signed up for zip-lining while the rest of us walked through the forest. It was nice secondary forest on lands that were cattle pasture a generation ago, before the tourism industry changed the local economy.
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We came to the first canopy bridge and I was excited to get out above the forest:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7305368018/" title="DSCN0485 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7100/7305368018_b985481352_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0485"></a>
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Actually, I think we all were:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7305369722/" title="DSCN0497 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7102/7305369722_5133dd3726_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0497"></a>
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The bridges are suspension bridges. Concrete footings at either end hold up tall steel structures from which cables run across the various stream canyons. A steel grate walkway hangs from the cables. The purpose is to get you out in the forest. Here we see a fig fruit plucked from the branches of the tree just above us--and high above the ground. The bridges also serve as platforms for spotting canopy-dwelling birds.
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My favorite was the collared trogon:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7305347226/" title="Collared Trogon looks at camera CROP by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8147/7305347226_6549d87671.jpg" width="240" height="500" alt="Collared Trogon looks at camera CROP"></a>
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This Spangle-cheeked tanager was also pretty cool:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7305345920/" title="Spangle-cheeked tanager CROP by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8162/7305345920_242280474a_n.jpg" width="294" height="320" alt="Spangle-cheeked tanager CROP"></a>
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The general view of the forest canopy is very impressive:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7305970244/" title="DSC_0193 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8166/7305970244_a44faf4771.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_0193"></a>
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I used my tablet to shoot some raw video. I uploaded it back at the hotel in unedited form. I may take this down later, edit it and put it back up with a different name. In the meantime, here it is:
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fgPQDXneznE?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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As you might imagine, there were great opportunities for plant watching, especially of epiphytes:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7305985226/" title="DSC_0168 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7103/7305985226_f601040bd8.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_0168"></a>
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At the end, we walked back through secondary forest. I took some more plant photos, such of this handsome little <i>Chamaedorea </i>palm:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7305977182/" title="DSC_0174 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7245/7305977182_16e1209f26.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_0174"></a>
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I got a glimpse of a mantled howler monkey but no photo (nor of the family we saw yesterday). I also glimpsed a quetzal bird but it was moving too fast for me to take photo.
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We loaded back in the van and drove to a women's collective for lunch.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7306287796/" title="DSCN0516 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8002/7306287796_b3ae9d6f0a_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0516"></a>
<br><br>It was served buffet style:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7306287572/" title="DSCN0517 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8017/7306287572_dbbf77fca8_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0517"></a>
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After lunch we took a break and then went to the CIEE center by van:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7306287202/" title="DSCN0522 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7075/7306287202_bb91e2a030_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0522"></a>
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And went inside the class building:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7306287384/" title="DSCN0521 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7223/7306287384_403721d454_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0521"></a>
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Where we had a lecture:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7306287008/" title="DSCN0523 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7102/7306287008_25db295392.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0523"></a>
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along with coffee. The lecture covered ecotourism from the tourist perspective, which often differs from the view of local people. I also learned that many tourists come to Monteverde solely to go zip-lining and never actually hike in the forest, look for birds and talk to local residents. It is not clear what these visitors contribute to the local economy and what they learn about the local area. We had another lively discussion afterward.
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Dinner was in the dining room again. We continued learning about each other and sharing the perspectives of our various disciplines on the seminar content.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157743108140365954noreply@blogger.com0Monteverde, Costa Rica10.306982 -84.80973110.2913595 -84.829472 10.322604499999999 -84.78999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338336436605564127.post-31395772884822657922012-05-29T21:02:00.000-07:002012-05-29T21:02:04.331-07:00Cloud ForestTuesday, May 29
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An exciting day: this is my older son's 21st birthday! I miss him and wish he was here with me in Costa Rica.
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We assemble for breakfast at Monteverde Lodge. Hearty, for a day of hiking ahead.
We load into the van and drive the short distance to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. We get out of the van and move towards the trailhead:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7298366864/" title="DSCN0445 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7237/7298366864_b6d8b6ff71_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0445"></a>
(Yes, I know I used this photo already, but this is actually where and when it was taken.)
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I'm going to insert a series of snapshots taken as we hiked up to the Continental Divide:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7298366608/" title="DSCN0446 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7075/7298366608_1670265d7a_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0446"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7298366156/" title="DSCN0448 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7098/7298366156_0b8dff27ea_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0448"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7298365900/" title="DSCN0449 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8019/7298365900_ab92f42d50_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0449"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7298365710/" title="DSCN0450 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7239/7298365710_4d105c2452_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0450"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7298365480/" title="DSCN0451 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7093/7298365480_23c2f47fe2_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0451"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7298364232/" title="DSCN0457 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7245/7298364232_947f8dc9cb_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0457"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7298363968/" title="DSCN0458 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7225/7298363968_c7e4db88b4_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0458"></a>
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We climbed higher and higher into the clouds. They obscured our view to the forest far below:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7298363136/" title="DSCN0461 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8007/7298363136_8ac628b86d_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0461"></a>
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Along the way, I plucked <i>Impatiens</i>:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7298362470/" title="DSCN0462 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7219/7298362470_3cf4e48a3a_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0462"></a>
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<i>Impatiens</i> are an invasive species here, escaped from ornamental cultivation.
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But there are many pretty native plants:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7298362210/" title="DSCN0463 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8144/7298362210_d724132142_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0463"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7298361580/" title="DSCN0465 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7232/7298361580_e04a96458f_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0465"></a>
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Eventually we reached our destination, the continental divide and were happy for that:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7298361102/" title="DSCN0467 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7071/7298361102_7daa747f86_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0467"></a>
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(Note the <i>Gunnera </i>on the far right.)
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It was too cloudy (remember, it is called the cloud forest) to see far either East or West but it was still dramatic to be there. All that theory about adiabatic processes etc. all come together when you are feeling it.
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This is probably the clearest view we had, in this case to the East:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7298360786/" title="DSCN0468 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7218/7298360786_999cd669ca_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0468"></a>
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And of course, this being a seminar, we had a lecture:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7298360538/" title="DSCN0469 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7237/7298360538_0675868d04_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0469"></a>
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We hiked back down:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7298359628/" title="DSCN0473 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7226/7298359628_ddf3296960_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0473"></a>
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and looked for birds as we went:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7298359130/" title="DSCN0475 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8153/7298359130_dc8fbf516a_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0475"></a>
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We heard a Quetzal but did not see one. We did see an Emerald Toucanet up close, but it was too dark for my limited photographic skills.
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We went into a classroom for a lecture on management of the reserve. The highlight for me was the collection of video clips from their Cuddeback game cameras of mammals such as Puma, ocelot, peccary and brocket deer. Very, very impressive.
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There has been all manner of research at this site stretching back decades:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7298358820/" title="DSCN0476 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8021/7298358820_8d63f01bb5_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0476"></a>
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We returned to the van, tired but very excited. <br>
Lunch is at a fine local restaurant:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7298358580/" title="DSCN0478 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7072/7298358580_4b3500db5f_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0478"></a>
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We also had long-reaching discussions about educational travel, science, climate change, water resource management and village politics. Fascinating.
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The garden out front was also interesting. I had never seen big-leaf <i>Hydrangea </i>in the tropics!
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7298358364/" title="DSCN0479 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7101/7298358364_1bae30c86b_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0479"></a>
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We visited a greenhouse that produces native plants as alternatives:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7298358024/" title="DSCN0481 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7087/7298358024_5a573e9d5f_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0481"></a>
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but we were all getting tired by this point. We listened to a lecture on philanthropy in the enormous Eternal Children's Forest and how donations from around the world support a conservation project in which ecotourism places a comparatively small part. The discussion afterward ranged into ranger programs to control illegal logging and wildlife poaching, watershed management, hydroelectric development on both large and small scales and climate change. If anyone did not already know, "sustainability" covers a broad range of topics. Everyone had something to contribute--and much to learn.
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Dinner back at the lodge. Raining heavily. Another big day tomorrow so early to bed for all.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157743108140365954noreply@blogger.com0Monteverde, Costa Rica10.306982 -84.80973110.2913595 -84.829472 10.322604499999999 -84.78999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338336436605564127.post-37525950704116991542012-05-29T20:20:00.001-07:002012-05-29T20:20:30.094-07:00Up to MonteverdeMonday, May 28
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Alarms woke me again in my room in Hotel 1915. I was still sleepy. I showered and started packing until 7 am, when I went to the lobby for breakfast. Coffee and the tipico (eggs, rice, beans, fried plantain, fruit) again. We were a larger group as more of my fellow seminarians had arrived: we were now 7, plus the three seminar staff. The ten of us ate together and enjoyed more time to get to know each other.
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We loaded into two large diesel Toyota tourist vans at 8 am, one for us and one for our luggage. Drove out of town and onto the very modern turnpike heading north. Beatiful scenery of hills where cattle grazed. Descended down to sea level by the Gulf of Nicoya and observed large container ships at anchor in the sea. We eventually left the turnpike for the famous Pan-American highway to the small town of Sardinal. From there we ascended up into the mountains on switch-back roads. Part of the road was unpaved but well-graded gravel. Nice. However, it occurred to me as we reached the mountain town of Santa Elena that THAT was the "bad road" the tourist guide books had all warned of. Note to tour guide book writers: do NOT go to Belize, ever. That road would be one of the best in Belize. The ornithologist along had just flown down from Nicaragua and concurred: a "bad road" in Costa Rica would be an excellent road north of the border.
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We wound through the curving streets of Santa Elena to our hotel for the week, the Monteverde Lodge. Unloading from vans, happy to have arrived:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7298366864/" title="DSCN0445 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7237/7298366864_b6d8b6ff71_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0445"></a>
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And the front of the hotel:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7298367070/" title="DSCN0444 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7085/7298367070_96830b0b53_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0444"></a>
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And my room:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7298367834/" title="DSCN0440 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7229/7298367834_93780c2363_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0440"></a>
(OK, I admit. This is NOT what it looked like when I checked in. I am inserting photos from later in the week here to tell a story.)
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View out the room's window:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7298367628/" title="DSCN0441 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7234/7298367628_558fd1140c_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0441"></a>
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We then loaded back into a van and drove into town for lunch. I ordered the casado con pescado and enjoyed fried fish with rice, beans and salad. Filling! Coffee to drink, of course. (Note a pattern?)
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After lunch we went to the classroom building where we watched a fascinating video documentary, "Cracking the Golden Egg" produced in 2009 by the folks at CREST, Center for Responsible Tourism (<a href="http://www.responsibletravel.org/home/index.html">http://www.responsibletravel.org/home/index.html</a>). Apparently they have distanced themselves from it; I cannot find it on YouTube. (If you find it online, please comment with a link). The video was pretty hard-hitting on environmental and social issues. I'll try to go to the area of the Guanacaste district on the Pacific coast discussed in the video next week to see for myself, on the ground, the issues raised by the video.
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We continued our discussion of the responsibilities (if any) of tourists to the communities they visit. Very interesting conversation ensued; some strong but respectful opinions were expressed by the CIEE IFDS Sustainability seminar participants and the Costa Ricans present. It is going to be a good week.
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We return to Monteverde Lodge for dinner. It is just us seven seminarians we continue getting to know each other over a fine meal. We are all from medium-sized Universities, but from across the U.S. Three are from the East coast, myself and another from Oklahoma, and three from Oregon.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157743108140365954noreply@blogger.com0Monteverde, Costa Rica10.306982 -84.80973110.2913595 -84.829472 10.322604499999999 -84.78999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338336436605564127.post-90141808508750797562012-05-29T19:41:00.000-07:002012-05-29T19:41:01.225-07:00Alajuela DaySunday, May 27
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Woke up to my alarms in a comfortable bed at the Hotel 1915 in Alajuela, Costa Rica. I had been unable to get a WiFi connection last night when I checked in but it was working now so I let Rhea, and my FB friends, know that I had arrived safely.
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I was very sleepy. This was to continue all day, but I didn't know that. I pulled on some clothes without showering first and ventured out into the lobby in search of coffee. I found three strangers sitting in the sun-filled lobby. I sat down and learned their names and drank coffee, strong and back and tasty. Then another cup and some water before ordering breakfast tipico (eggs, rice, beans, cheese, fruit).
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After breakfast, I showered and set out with my new friends to explore Alajuela.
Street view of the Hotel 1915. I had arrived at night and so not really seen it:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7282089080/" title="DSCN0439 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7104/7282089080_ba065d3698_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0439"></a>
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We walked a block to the Central Plaza. Filled with tall trees (Mango?) and many people:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7282095752/" title="DSCN0436 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7071/7282095752_7fdc69fc13_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0436"></a>
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There was even a club of Harley enthusiasts:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7282126020/" title="DSCN0423 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7226/7282126020_d9c092a5e2_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0423"></a>
<br><br>We walked to the Cathedral and peered in at mass, in progress. We posed for a touristy photo out front:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7282134266/" title="DSCN0422 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7100/7282134266_fc1198e793_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0422"></a>
(No, we are not that fat. Somehow the blog is stretching the image.)
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We left the cathedral and continued our stroll through town, admiring the scene:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7282117840/" title="DSCN0424 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7103/7282117840_8e5818b07d_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0424"></a>
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The main event in Alajuela was a big football match with Uruguay. Local fans were out in force:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7282113514/" title="DSCN0427 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8153/7282113514_f4feea8f67_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0427"></a>
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They were pouring into the local stadium:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7282109484/" title="DSCN0428 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7215/7282109484_78601ef71a_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0428"></a>
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We instead found a local amateur league football game:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7282096214/" title="DSCN0435 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7236/7282096214_d9de5559a2_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0435"></a>
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which we watched instead:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7282105140/" title="DSCN0432 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7226/7282105140_c72fd97d2e_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0432"></a>
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We found a nice restaurant for lunch:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7282092250/" title="Erik orders lunch at Cafe Delicioso by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7090/7282092250_6655457e77_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="Erik orders lunch at Cafe Delicioso"></a>
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and of course ordered coffee:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7282089802/" title="DSCN0438 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7240/7282089802_b53189e3f9_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0438"></a>
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Despite this, I was tired. I left the three amigos and walked back to the Hotel. I took a nap until 4 pm, when our first lecture began. We did introductions in the lobby while drinking coffee and nibbling pastries. Our first lecture was on the history of Monteverde: preservation and ecotourism development.
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Dinner was a lovely buffet at 7 pm. We chatted after, then went to bed. No internet. Slept well.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157743108140365954noreply@blogger.com0Alajuela, Costa Rica10.01644 -84.221269.9538935 -84.300224 10.0789865 -84.142296tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338336436605564127.post-2936400037618704862012-05-28T22:12:00.000-07:002012-06-04T18:56:06.673-07:00Belmopan to San Jose: two capitals in one daySaturday, May 26
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Woke up late, for me, at the Hibiscus Hotel. Make a cup of the instant coffee in the room. Watch TV and generally relax. I have a busy day ahead of me: I am waking up in the capital of one Central American nation of going to bed in another.
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Walked over to the market. Ate breakfast of ham, eggs, beans and flour tortillas with coffee and watermelon juice. After that, I walk around the market area. Not shopping--just for relaxing fun.
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I finish packing and load the truck. Chat in the parking lot with an acquaintance. He had been at the fundraiser last night but was too busy to talk then.
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Drive the truck to the Shell station and fill up with diesel. Comes to BZ$161 (US$80.50) for about 15 gallons. I figure that is decent fuel usage for my week with the Ford.
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I then drive it to the nearby Guanacaste National Park. I must have driven past it 100 times since 1998 but never once stopped. I park and go to the visitor's center. I am the only visitor. The kind attendant makes small talk and takes my BZ$5 admission. I walk down to the Roaring Creek and take some snapshots:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7282077046/" title="DSCN0392 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7095/7282077046_3d68588321_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0392"></a>
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Notice that truck is an oil tanker transporting crude oil from Spanish Lookout to Independence. Let's hope it doesn't crash going over any of the bridges en route. Those bridges are old and were not designed with this load in mind.
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Here, Roaring Creek flows into the Belize River. The creek is clear as it flows mainly out of protected lands. The Belize river carries a heavy load of sediment washed off of cleared land. That sediment will be deposited on the coral reefs I was diving on just one week earlier. It is all connected.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7282075540/" title="DSCN0396 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7238/7282075540_109b6e2714_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0396"></a>
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This snapshot of the stairs leading down to the river bank for swimmers shows two things: 1), that it has rained a lot already; 2) the difference in water clarity between the creek (foreground) and river (background). Which would you rather swim in?
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7282072490/" title="DSCN0397 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7073/7282072490_2a77499810_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0397"></a>
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I also take snapshots of the flora:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7282069930/" title="DSCN0398 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7089/7282069930_281c920051_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0398"></a>
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and fauna, in this case, leaf-cutter ants (<i>Atta </i>sp.):
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7282078484/" title="DSCN0390 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7244/7282078484_9a63dda659_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0390"></a>
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All in all, a very nice little park with a great location. My guess is that 90% of the visitors to Belize would be happy with a "jungle walk" at Guanacaste and not need a big wilderness with large animals they are unlikely to see.
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From Guanacaste NP, I continue east along the Western highway. I stop in at Monkey Bay. Been a long time: since 2000. I meet a couple workers I vaguely remember. The wife gives me a tour. I'll spare you most of the photos, but here are a few.
The main building as of 2000 in now one of several large structures:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7282004760/" title="DSCN0415 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7102/7282004760_59156f75b1_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0415"></a>
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Buses for the University groups they arrange trips for:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7282006144/" title="DSCN0414 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7080/7282006144_27d2417624_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0414"></a>
Their famous outhouse system is still there:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7282009672/" title="DSCN0412 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7229/7282009672_1fdc60199b_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0412"></a>
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but now alongside a modern lavatory facility:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7282011120/" title="DSCN0411 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7099/7282011120_e059f30e4b_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0411"></a>
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I thank my hostess for the tour and continue east. At Hattieville, I go north on the Burrell Boom road to the Northern highway, where I turn right (south) towards Ladyville. I arrive near the airport early for my flight, so I got past the airport to the next major street and turn left. I go down to the waterfront and eat lunch at the Oar House restaurant, on a dock. Grouper! It is delicious. I also use the WiFi to check in my Rhea on Facebook.
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Back to the airport, where I return my Ford:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7282003190/" title="DSCN0417 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7082/7282003190_ba65814968_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0417"></a>
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I drag my luggage across the parking lot and inside. There is no line at TACA so check-in is fast. I go upstairs to the viewing deck and watch for my plane to arrive from San Salvador:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7282001738/" title="DSCN0420 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7096/7282001738_b2e12d578d_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0420"></a>
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I go to security and discover I forgot to complete my departure record form. Oops. I step aside and do that in a minute. No problem, but I wish I had simply done it on my incoming plane. The security system is not crowded, as the American and United planes had just left. Walked around in the departure lounge until time to board.
<br><br>
Boarded. The TACA jet was a new A320. Very comfortable. We take off and fly south down the coast of Belize and over Honduras as the sun sets. I can see a bit of El Salvador from the air. It is seemingly all agricultural land: no forests in my lie of view.
San Salvador airport is fine, but dated in style and bit dingy. Many duty free shops but nothing in interest to me, except: free WiFi. I do a bit of IMing with my wife, which is fun.
<br><br>
Boarded. Flight to San Jose is another A320, but a bit older. Nearly full, unlike the jet down from Belize (less than half). Excellent meal on the short (~1 hour) hop. Land just fine. Deplane. I get to the immigration line first. The man tries Spanish first, but when he gets no where resorts to excellent English. I get my checked bag and take it to customs, which consists of running all luggage (checked and carried) through a canner. No problems. Walk outside and am greeted by taxi coordinators. I let them know which hotel (Hotel 1915). The cab is a new red Toyota Corolla with a diesel motor. Very nice car.
<br><br>
We leave the airport on a modern expressway and pass a Burger King, KFC and WalMart right away. Definitely not in Belize anymore! The hotel is close. The fare is US$5; I give him 7 ones. Hotel staff is expecting me. Check in easy. Handsome, historic "boutique" hotel. I am tired and so fall asleep quickly in Costa Rica.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157743108140365954noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338336436605564127.post-42950146251589430752012-05-28T21:36:00.000-07:002012-05-28T21:36:09.211-07:00Wild Night OutFriday, May 25
<br><br>
Woke up at Hidden Valley Inn. I checked my work email account for the first time all week and had a LOT of urgent messages by people wanting me to stop by their office to sign something etc. Replying to those took a while. I attached some of the photos I've blogged here so people know that I really was out of pocket at the moment.
<br><br>
Ate breakfast, then packed up. Checked out of my lovely cottage
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7280999740/" title="DSCN0375 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7081/7280999740_538b3609f2_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0375"></a>
<br><br>
and paid my bill at the front desk. They asked when I would be coming back and I let them know as soon as I could. But likely not for a few months.
<br><br>
Spent the rest of the morning reviewing data with my colleague:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7280995506/" title="DSCN0381 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7085/7280995506_20ea1eee27_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0381"></a>
<br><br>
Our research may look exciting, but 99% of it is tedious and painstaking. I tend not to blog about that, but it constitute the vast majority of time spent.
<br><br>
I then said my goodbyes and drove down the road. Checked out at Mai Gate and chatted with the gate-keeper. Then continued on to Moonracer. Had a nice visit with them and ate a bowl of delicious soup. <br><br>
What would a visit to Belize be without taking in the awe and wonder of a classic Maya ruin? Pacbitun was on my way, and I had not been there in a few years. It is not marked but I know the way down a narrow dirt road to the central plaza.
<br><br>
I took a few snapshots, of the main pyramid:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7281908666/" title="DSC_0075 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7092/7281908666_5547065e28_n.jpg" width="320" height="213" alt="DSC_0075"></a>
<br><br>
And of a broken stelae:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7281888676/" title="DSC_0077 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7082/7281888676_3527e8aaf3_n.jpg" width="320" height="213" alt="DSC_0077"></a>
<br><br>
Some work was in progress to prepare Pacbitun for the 2012 celebration. Vegetation was being cleared and burned in a fire. However, I saw flames and smoke but no people or tools at the site.
<br><br>
I also too a short video. It basically consists of me turning 360o in the main plaza to show the structures on each side:
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ewhFhXCA_Qo?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<br><br>
From Pacbitun, I continued on through the village of San Antonio. Down through Christo Rey village to Santa Elena. Turned right onto the Western highway. Drove through Central Farm and continued east. Getting low on fuel, but continued to Belmopan. Parked at the Hibiscus Hotel
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7292466564/" title="Hibiscus Hotel entrance by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7076/7292466564_af7d12a7d3_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="Hibiscus Hotel entrance"></a>
<br><br>
My room (#6) was very nice. King-sized bed, and a giant LCD television on the wall. I took a shower and headed up to Corkers for a light dinner of breaded and fried fish fingers. Quite tasty, and a terrific texture to the batter. Drank some cokes, then walked around Belmopan a bit. I have really only been there to change buses and not seen it by foot.
<br><br>
After dark, I walk over to the British High Commission. I go to the wrong compound first but they politely direct me to another facility up a side street near the back of the U.S. embassy. I show my ticket to the guards, who open the tall steel gate for me to enter. Walk across the tennis court to the clubhouse by the pool. This is a nice place!
<br><br>
There are a lot of people, chatting and bidding on the silent auction items. My donation was of, you guessed it, a "jaguar camera." It is getting some interest.
<br><br>
Some people drink at the bar:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7280989836/" title="DSCN0388 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7075/7280989836_baa9a3c9e9_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0388"></a>
<br><br>
But most listen to the speeches about wildlife conservation:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7280991286/" title="DSCN0387 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7220/7280991286_2f43c8343d.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0387"></a>
<br><br>
A highlight for me was talking to people who had been guests at Hidden Valley Inn a few days previously and seen the "wildlife cameras" I had placed in January. I told them I had photos of their legs. <br><br>
By then end of the night, my "jaguar camera" raised a lot of money, I won a framed painting of a jaguar in the silent auction, and got to meet in person some people I had known only online. One of them kindly offered to drive me back to my hotel room:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7280988412/" title="DSCN0389 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7243/7280988412_89b443d2a2_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0389"></a>
<br><br>
but he could not get his car started and so we walked the few blocks back to the Hibiscus Hotel. I ended up driving him home. Good times, but I was out way past my bedtime.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157743108140365954noreply@blogger.com0Floriana Ave, Belmopan, Belize17.255580575002746 -88.77184867858886717.251789575002746 -88.776784178588869 17.259371575002746 -88.766913178588865tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338336436605564127.post-62635961318682180792012-05-28T18:07:00.000-07:002012-05-28T18:07:22.726-07:00Camera checkingThursday, May 24
<br><br>
Woke up after a wonderful night's sleep at Hidden Valley Inn. Misread my clock and arrived for breakfast one hour early. They already had the coffee made so I drank a few cups while admiring the landscaping around the lodge. Lovely. Enjoyed the continental breakfast of fresh fruit, yogurt, granola and pastries right out of the oven. Delicious!
<br><br>
Morning was all on the 7,300 acres of the Hidden Valley Inn property. We checked two cameras at each of three sites. While at each, we made measurements of the vegetation and took numerous photographs as additional documentation.
<br><br>
It will take weeks to review all of the photographs. I selected four from the area near Butterfly Falls to give you a sense of what the photos show.
<br><br>
Many are of vegetation moving in the breeze. These are motion-activated cameras!
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7291159830/" title="T7 (274) by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8020/7291159830_cc41c4182b_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="T7 (274)"></a>
<br><br>
They have LED lights that flash brightly at night, dawn and dusk. These lights are invisible but can be used by the sophisticated camera to produce black-and-white images, such as this one of a Crested Guan foraging as near sunset:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7291161246/" title="T7 (51) by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7236/7291161246_9651bdb139_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="T7 (51)"></a>
<br><br>
This particular trail gets a lot of visitor traffic. This visitor is prepared for the most dangerous animal of the tropics, the mosquito, with a ready can of DEET:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7291137402/" title="TZ3 (91) by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7093/7291137402_e10747c4b3_n.jpg" width="320" height="247" alt="TZ3 (91)"></a>
That spray should keep them OFF!
<br><br>
Many people are afraid of this animal, but they shouldn't be. They are fearful of humans (and rightly so). There are no documented attacks of jaguars on humans in Belize. They avoid us, and so even when you are in the same area, you are extremely unlikely to see one of these big cats:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7291148396/" title="T7 (198) by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7220/7291148396_99ed3a0922.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="T7 (198)"></a>
<br><br>
Lunch was a big salad back at the HVI lodge. We picked up an HVI guide to show him how we check cameras. We set off for the southern portion of the Mountain Pine Ridge where the trees are bigger:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7280060970/" title="DSC_0037 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7211/7280060970_21137587d2_n.jpg" width="320" height="213" alt="DSC_0037"></a>
<br><br>
Visible between the trees there is Victoria Peak:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7280069074/" title="DSC_0034 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7225/7280069074_8407d307df_n.jpg" width="320" height="213" alt="DSC_0034"></a>
<br><br>
I love the tropical pine forest, with its tall pines and understory of evergreen oaks and Silver Palmetto, a Belizean endemic:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7280078514/" title="Schippia concolor palm flower CROP by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8020/7280078514_cf60231840_n.jpg" width="320" height="269" alt="Schippia concolor palm flower CROP"></a>
<br><br>
I tested out a tablet computer for field use:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7279973512/" title="DSC_0058 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7076/7279973512_c328cf6834_n.jpg" width="320" height="213" alt="DSC_0058"></a>
<br><br>
I then handed the tablet to our friend from HVI and asked him to film an unscripted YouTube video. We may delete this later, or at least edit it, but for now, here it is (2'35"):
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cLQPE6G8hbM?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<br><br>
It was a long day with a lot of data collection, memory card swapping, camera repair and adjustment, vegetation sampling and photographing. We got back after the sun was down:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7280079858/" title="DSCN0374 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7087/7280079858_750cb499b9_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0374"></a>
<br><br>
I ordered another huge meal at HVI but was tired tired to finish it and had to take some back to my cottage as a bed-time snack.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157743108140365954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338336436605564127.post-73253592938632566712012-05-28T17:23:00.001-07:002012-05-28T17:23:39.697-07:00Reservoir scenesWednesday, May 23<br><br>
Did not sleep well as it rained heavily and water got into my jungle hammock. My blanket had fallen out and was soaked before I could get it, so I lay, wet, in water, in my underclothes. I was chilly but not actually cold. Just enough that it was hard to sleep soundly. <br><br>
Dawn came at long last. Breakfast on instant coffee and cookies. The sun rose and burned off the fog, yielding a warm, muggy sunshine:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7260255028/" title="DSCN0276 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8017/7260255028_d7c24790d1_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0276"></a>
<br><br>
But the rain overnight was flowing into the reservoir:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7260263046/" title="DSCN0244 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8027/7260263046_cb7f3a0515_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0244"></a>
<br><br>
As with the previous day, we stopped periodically to make notes and take photos:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7260268244/" title="DSCN0247 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8142/7260268244_006baf3093_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0247"></a>
<br><br>
Of macaws:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7265150284/" title="Macaw pair roost and touch beaks CROP by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8144/7265150284_99b0e6d081_n.jpg" width="240" height="320" alt="Macaw pair roost and touch beaks CROP"></a>
<br><br>
We also talked to the rangers of the FCD (Friends for Conservation and Development) who were out patrolling for macaw poachers:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7260256930/" title="DSCN0294 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7075/7260256930_fcc7dc6447_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0294"></a>
They do a great job in difficult, sometimes dangerous conditions.
<br><br>
At the end of the day, we headed back down the reservoir to the boat ramp:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7261787036/" title="DSC_0551 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7211/7261787036_563972b83c_n.jpg" width="320" height="213" alt="DSC_0551"></a>
<br><br>
And took the boat out:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7261757176/" title="DSC_0555 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8013/7261757176_bc6ab90474_n.jpg" width="320" height="213" alt="DSC_0555"></a>
<br><br>
Which we stored in our assigned space by the dam:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7261671598/" title="DSC_0562 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8015/7261671598_b66dca9d5c_n.jpg" width="320" height="213" alt="DSC_0562"></a>
<br><br>
All in all, the weather was great all day after the very rainy night:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7261740598/" title="DSC_0557 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8026/7261740598_a66027428b_n.jpg" width="320" height="213" alt="DSC_0557"></a>
<br><br>
The day ended with me walking up a rather more carefully groomed path:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7280996864/" title="DSCN0378 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7077/7280996864_232a011674_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0378"></a>
<br><br>
To my "camp" site for this night, Cottage 3 at Hidden Valley Inn:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7280998282/" title="DSCN0377 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7228/7280998282_bfbb5a1b94_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0377"></a>
<br><br>
I took a much-needed shower and walked back up the path to the dining room for a delicious dinner. No photos-too busy eating. Back in the cottage, I slept dry and warm.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157743108140365954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338336436605564127.post-8837769802894085142012-05-27T14:59:00.000-07:002012-05-27T14:59:20.761-07:00WildlifeTuesday, May 22
It rained much of the night but I was tired and so slept soundly in my jungle hammock. Woke up to the sound of a currasaw startled into flight by my friend getting up with dawn's light. <br><br>
I had never woken up in a jungle hammock, in the rain, and so was unsure how to find dry clothes in my backpack wrapped in plastic under my hammock, get those clothes into the hammock while still dry and put them on. All in the hammock. <br><br>
Recall, here is that hammock:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7260171484/" title="DSC_0076 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7086/7260171484_cac4cb39fa_n.jpg" width="320" height="213" alt="DSC_0076"></a>
I somehow managed. Breakfast was instant coffee from water heated on the fire. Yes, these men can make a fire in the rainforest during rainy season. They are that good. I also ate some packaged cookies. Delicious. <br><br>
We had a GPS training session:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7260176454/" title="DSC_0073 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7096/7260176454_a971f29ece_n.jpg" width="320" height="213" alt="DSC_0073"></a>
then set out by boat, navigating by GPS:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7260255656/" title="DSCN0291 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7228/7260255656_f19d798d81_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0291"></a>
We saw lots of great wildlife, like Morelet's crocodile:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7260206336/" title="Morelets Crocodile CROP by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7092/7260206336_145480a2ab_n.jpg" width="320" height="117" alt="Morelets Crocodile CROP"></a>
Bats:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7260181706/" title="Copy of DSC_0430 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7084/7260181706_60367b7197_n.jpg" width="320" height="213" alt="Copy of DSC_0430"></a>
Butterflies:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7260204936/" title="butterfly CROP by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7105/7260204936_91f28e023a_n.jpg" width="320" height="224" alt="butterfly CROP"></a>
Spider monkeys:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7260205534/" title="spider monkey CROP by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7229/7260205534_3c163e3c61_n.jpg" width="320" height="301" alt="spider monkey CROP"></a>
Tapir tracks:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7260254424/" title="DSCN0268 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7099/7260254424_47e634d9fb_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0268"></a>
Oropendula and their nests:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7260198506/" title="Copy (2) of DSC_0413 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7105/7260198506_0057e4f119_n.jpg" width="320" height="213" alt="Copy (2) of DSC_0413"></a>
And the highlight, for me:
Cohune palms!
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7260200638/" title="Cohune palm seeds eaten by macaw as another flies away CROP by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8003/7260200638_c00fd769d3_n.jpg" width="320" height="164" alt="Cohune palm seeds eaten by macaw as another flies away CROP"></a>
But what is feasting on their hard nuts?
Scarlet macaws:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7260207502/" title="macaw glides CROP by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8143/7260207502_04d80b986a_n.jpg" width="320" height="235" alt="macaw glides CROP"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7265149978/" title="Macaw spreads wings to slow for landing CROP by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7084/7265149978_1b0921888a.jpg" width="500" height="334" alt="Macaw spreads wings to slow for landing CROP"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7265150284/" title="Macaw pair roost and touch beaks CROP by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8144/7265150284_99b0e6d081_n.jpg" width="240" height="320" alt="Macaw pair roost and touch beaks CROP"></a>
These beautiful birds are endangered in part by poachers. Poachers ascend nest trees to steal hatchlings for the international pet trade. <br><br>
This macaw nesting tree has scars in the bark from climbing attempts by poachers:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7265149498/" title="Macaw nesting tree with bark scars from poachers climbing CROP by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8025/7265149498_10b86aa542_n.jpg" width="223" height="320" alt="Macaw nesting tree with bark scars from poachers climbing CROP"></a>
Please, do not buy scarlet macaws! The high market price for these birds drives the poachers. Most of the baby birds they steal from their parents die and so the poachers must take many nestlings in order to have even one baby bird to sell. Please admire live macaws in zoos, or better yet in the wild. Display photos and artwork of macaws in your home. Support hands-on local conservation groups like the Friends for Conservation and Development (FCD). They can do more with $100 of your money than a big international group can do with $1000.
<br><br>
By the way, we saw no evidence that any macaw have used any artificial nest boxes:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7260186724/" title="Copy (3) of DSC_0409 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7230/7260186724_880c93b6df_n.jpg" width="320" height="213" alt="Copy (3) of DSC_0409"></a>
Macaws really need large tracts of intact tropical forest. This is where they can breed and fly free:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7261347982/" title="DSC_0347 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8145/7261347982_ef8fee6283.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_0347"></a>
We stayed out until the sun went low. Dinner of crackers and peanut better. A night of heavy rain in the hammock. Got a little chilly, but my blanket was wet so I did without.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157743108140365954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338336436605564127.post-30540894024507511742012-05-24T22:47:00.000-07:002012-05-24T22:48:43.194-07:00UpstreamTravel day, going against the flow.
The morning (Monday, May 21) starts on Caye Caulker at the Ocean Pearl and the smell of the sea is in the air through the open window. I always request a room with no AC as I know the price of electricity on Caye Caulker. And Belize generally. It isn't merely paid in $, either.
I get some of Frenchie's coffee and continue the packing I started last night. I separate everything into two piles: one to be stored for a few days in my wheeled duffel, and one to be crammed into my knapsack for a backpacking trip.
I am too excited to eat the yogurt I bought and so let Frenchie know. We talk about the Mountain Pine Ridge and I urge him to take a vacation with his wife to explore that part of Belize. He seems keen on it.
I have him call a (golf cart) taxi to take me to the water taxi leaving at 8:30 am for Belize City. There is also a 7 am boat but I assumed it would be full of Belize City residents going back to work after a weekend on Caulker.
There are few people waiting on the dock:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7265733976/" title="DSCN0173 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8027/7265733976_d92b31baeb.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN0173"></a>
Maybe a dozen, perhaps 20, and little cargo:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7265724608/" title="DSCN0174 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7096/7265724608_25502c381c_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0174"></a>
Looking north from the water taxi dock, I see the remnants of the dock on which Rhea and I were wed eight years ago:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7265743578/" title="DSCN0172 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7087/7265743578_5c58e09e2d_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0172"></a>
Our marriage is in much better shape!
In a few minutes the water taxi approached from San Pedro and we moved up our dock to board:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7265716948/" title="DSCN0175 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7220/7265716948_46e9985a04_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0175"></a>
And waited while a few passengers disembarked:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7265709684/" title="DSCN0176 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7093/7265709684_a17976e13f_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0176"></a>
Soon we were inside and on our way. Plenty of room for everyone:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7265702550/" title="DSCN0177 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7227/7265702550_cf5c96d829_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0177"></a>
It happens, but rarely: we made a stop just south of Caye Caulker at Caye Chapel to pick up a few passengers. Caye Chapel is a weird place. A luxury golf course resort on a little island that should be covered in mangroves:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7265685578/" title="DSCN0181 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8147/7265685578_69d3a7f284_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0181"></a>
There is a large marina in the middle, always empty:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7265693598/" title="DSCN0178 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7090/7265693598_23668748eb_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0178"></a>
We soon left:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7265677112/" title="DSCN0183 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7216/7265677112_853fb00103_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0183"></a>
The Belize City harbour was quiet:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7265750694/" title="DSCN0184 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7240/7265750694_80be77e4fb_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0184"></a>
I got a taxi at the water taxi terminal. He had a Mercury Grand Marquis--nice! Cushy ride for rough streets. Driver took me to the Belize City office of the car rental agency where I had reservations. Slight confusion: my vehicle was at their airport location. I did the paperwork while still there and then their driver took me to the airport where I got my vehicle:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7265776360/" title="DSCN0187 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7071/7265776360_89a0032cce_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0187"></a>
Out of the parking lot (BZ$4), around the runway to the Northern highway and turn left to go north to the Burrell Boom road. Fond memories of the Boxing Day horse race there late last year. Past the prison and to the Western highway. Quick stop at the Belize Zoo
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7265769972/" title="DSCN0189 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7232/7265769972_c998970170_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0189"></a>
to drop off a package. They were expecting me, which was nice. I wished I had time to stay and visit the animals, at least the macaws by the entrance, but I was already running late and so left after making my apologies.
I might be in hurry, but I had skipped breakfast and would have no hot meals for a few days. So of course I had to stop at Cheers!
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7265767002/" title="DSCN0191 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8151/7265767002_f36bf57789_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0191"></a>
The tamale came fast, as did a coke to drink and one for the road.
Continued west. I went past Georgeville and into Santa Elena. Bought about BZ$50 of groceries. Turned left up the Christo Rey road. It is in excellent shape and I made good time to San Antonio. Love that village but had no time to visit old friends.
Kept going to the junction, turned right. The <a href="http://moonracerfarmbelize.blogspot.com/2012/05/vaca-dam.html">Moonracer </a>gate was open and it was tempting to stop to visit, but the rain was beginning to fall and I wanted to cover miles before the road got worse:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7265765786/" title="DSCN0192 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7228/7265765786_715f953e23_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0192"></a>
Checked in through Friday (May 25) at the Mai Gate and went on up to Blancaneaux. Raining hard now. Met my friend outside and we moved around gear in a heavy downpour. He put his things in my truck and away we went, further up into the Mountain Pine Ridge.
At Augustine, I parked and signed in at the BDF (Belize Defence Force, i.e., the Army) checkpoint. They monitor who goes in and comes out of this dangerous area. Xateros, wildlife poachers, and other armed criminals from Guatemala have been a problem in the remote region for several years now.
Some of the roads are pretty rough and needed do-it-yourself repair as we passed:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7265789412/" title="DSCN0193 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7105/7265789412_f3a6a518de_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0193"></a>
Soon there was no road at all:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7265783626/" title="DSCN0194 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7231/7265783626_919e5d9e6b_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0194"></a>
and we had to proceed by boat:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7261631094/" title="DSCN0199 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7089/7261631094_0d7ec413b8_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0199"></a>
through an eerie landscape:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7261625034/" title="DSCN0212 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7076/7261625034_b6ea7262e1_n.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="DSCN0212"></a>
We could not see the sun through the heavy clouds, but as it got darker we camped. It was raining, the hillside was steep and densely vegetated, but we hung hammocks:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7260171484/" title="DSC_0076 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7086/7260171484_cac4cb39fa_n.jpg" width="320" height="213" alt="DSC_0076"></a>
and even got a fire going. Sort of. A wet night, but I was tired enough to sleep soundly, far from Caye Caulker where I had awoken.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157743108140365954noreply@blogger.com0Belize17.189877 -88.4976516.2191235 -89.7610775 18.1606305 -87.234222499999987tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338336436605564127.post-85709425210500284502012-05-20T21:57:00.000-07:002012-05-20T21:57:19.109-07:00Day of restNo diving today. I looked for colorful birds instead of colorful fish.
Here are cropped images of three common birds on Caye Caulker from today:
Magnificent frigate bird
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7239297684/" title="Magnificent Frigate Bird by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7231/7239297684_cbe61a60f2.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="Magnificent Frigate Bird"></a>
White-winged dove
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7239279900/" title="White-winged dove by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7221/7239279900_2fb8a23609.jpg" width="500" height="463" alt="White-winged dove"></a>
Cinnamon hummingbird
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7239278958/" title="Cinnamon hummingbird by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7220/7239278958_c904a4f910.jpg" width="500" height="478" alt="Cinnamon hummingbird"></a>
I collected my laundry, paid my bills, returned some work emails, read a novel and generally relaxed.
I'm leaving Caye Caulker in the morning. I'll take a water taxi to Belize city, rent a 4wd truck, drive high up the Mountain Pine Ridge and hike far from the nearest dirt road and camp. So, no blog entries or anything else online from me for a few days. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157743108140365954noreply@blogger.com0Caye Caulker, Belize17.7624037 -88.004506217.5204577 -88.320363199999989 18.0043497 -87.6886492tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338336436605564127.post-51490214204022700562012-05-20T21:47:00.000-07:002012-05-20T21:47:40.917-07:00Lessons in Sustainability: Caye CaulkerLike I wrote a few posts ago, this blog is mostly for my own use as a journal. I like to keep track of what I was doing and when. I also use it as a scratch pad to think through ideas in writing. This post is an example.
I am en route to Costa Rica for an international faculty development seminar, "Lessons in Sustainability." We will use Monteverde as a case study of how development for ecotourism has posed challenges for the community.
Preparing for this has me thinking about Caye Caulker. I have taken >100 NSU students here since 1999 for classes on "Tropical Ecology" and "Coral Reef Ecology", and have taught my online class, "Environmental Problems" while based here. So I have this little island much in mind as I study for the seminar.
The seminar could very well be conducted here. While the specific issues are site-specific, the general topic is pertinent. Let me start with a brief natural history of this island.
Caye Caulker is small, about 0.5 km wide (east-west) and a few km long (north south). My guess is that the highest points are 2 metres ASL, with most laying lower. It is just (~1 km) inside the Belize barrier reef, the longest such reef in the hemisphere and 2nd only to Australia's globally. That reef protects the island from much of the wave damage from tropical storms.
I was here twice before Hurricane Keith struck in October, 2000. It was a powerful hurricane and did considerable damage.
Many trees were killed, and the few large survivors were severely damaged. The concrete and steel breakwater at the "split" between the settled south of the island and the nearly uninhabitated north was smashed.
Here is a photo of that structure I took two days ago:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224746126/" title="Hurricane damaged sea barrier by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5331/7224746126_39758b6bc7.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Hurricane damaged sea barrier"></a>
The remnants are visible on the right.
Many wood homes were damaged. Rebuilding tended to be with rebar-reinforced concrete and two or more floors. Power lines were knocked over.
I often wish I had taken photos before Keith for comparison with after. Alas, I did not. So I took several photos of the village on Friday (May 18) and I'll post some here. I'll start with infrastructure basics: power, water. Then food and livelihood, concluding with tourism. I'll finish with telecommunication infrastructure.
BEL sign:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224540422/" title="Belize Electricity Limited Caye Caulker sign by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7221/7224540422_91ea13ee9b.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Belize Electricity Limited Caye Caulker sign"></a>
The generator in this building, put up after Keith, has proven inadequate for increasing demand. Ever larger and more numerous diesel generators have been barged to the island:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224495168/" title="Diesel generators at BEL plant on Caye Caulker by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7093/7224495168_0fded3e654.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Diesel generators at BEL plant on Caye Caulker"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224502728/" title="Detail of electric cables coming from diesel generator by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8022/7224502728_219c531eaa.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Detail of electric cables coming from diesel generator"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224535060/" title="Generators barged to Caye Caulker to provide more power by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5152/7224535060_fd3d450906.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Generators barged to Caye Caulker to provide more power"></a>
Barge dock by the BEL plant (and BWS, BTL, fuel station, beverage warehouse); note the man in the foreground dredging by hand to make the morage deep enough:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224510138/" title="Back dock Caye Caulker by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7091/7224510138_258831d324.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Back dock Caye Caulker"></a>
Fuel station for motor vehicles:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224521812/" title="Gas station on Caye Caulker by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5461/7224521812_f9cbe7f684.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Gas station on Caye Caulker"></a>
This gas station is new. Until recently, people used bicycles and electric "Golf carts" for transportation (not that everything is not within walking distance). Gas and diesel were sold off the dock for boats, and the few people with trucks refueled out of jugs carried from the fisherman's dock. No more! They can pull their truck up and top the tank. Both fuels are about $11 Belize (~US $ 5.50) per gallon.
The beverage warehouse is located in this area, too:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224506274/" title="Bottled beverage warehouse Caye Caulker by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8167/7224506274_d8b5989933.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Bottled beverage warehouse Caye Caulker"></a>
A tourist town consumes many crates of beer and soda. A tractor pulls a trailer to haul crates around the village:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224498978/" title="Bottle warehouse at edge of mangrove swamp by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5469/7224498978_5981ef1385.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Bottle warehouse at edge of mangrove swamp"></a>
Glass bottles have a cash deposit, plastic ones do not. Many end up in the mangrove swamp, here just feet from the beverage warehouse:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224491052/" title="Trash floats in mangrove swamp on back side of Caye Caulker by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7073/7224491052_2bbae23962.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Trash floats in mangrove swamp on back side of Caye Caulker"></a>
The bottling company has paid for trash receptacles on the beach and in areas frequented by tourists:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224571632/" title="Trash receptacle on beach by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8018/7224571632_7e18d28ceb.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Trash receptacle on beach"></a>
but the rest of the village makes due with signs like this:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224581292/" title="Betta No Litta sign by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5343/7224581292_81833070db.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Betta No Litta sign"></a>
and warnings like this:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224734424/" title="No dumping sign in mangrove swamp by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8158/7224734424_14a34663c4.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="No dumping sign in mangrove swamp"></a>
There is a town dump. It is in the mangrove swamp by the airstrip. The trash is piled up and burned. The well-heeled tourists who arrive for their vacations by plane are greeted with the sight and smell of burning plastic trash. It is the first thing they see on the island. Village leaders have discussed moving the dump for many years. It is not practical.
Also on the back side of the island, away from where tourists usually walk, is the newest part of the island infrastructure: the Belize Water Service reverse osmosis treatment plant. Ground water is purified and piped to customers from this imposing hurricane-resistant building:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224516138/" title="Water plant on Caye Caulker by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7073/7224516138_d3a7a151c9.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Water plant on Caye Caulker"></a>
The cost to customers is high, and local people balk at paying. For decades, since the advent of corrugated metal roofing, villages have collected rain water in large wooden cisterns. Many are still in use:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224627088/" title="Wooden water tank for rain collection by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7105/7224627088_d9e1b2717c.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Wooden water tank for rain collection"></a>
Some families double up to hold water through the long dry season:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224697892/" title="Traditional wooden rain water collection tanks by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8166/7224697892_7b02b282f4.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Traditional wooden rain water collection tanks"></a>
The other water source many families use are wells. Well water has a peculiar odor. Local people say it is due to rotting mangrove vegetation and harmless. I (on no evidence) note that wells are often located near septic tanks, which is the method used for sewage disposal. Personally, I drink bottled water. Which comes in plastic bottles from that beverage warehouse (photos above). Is this sustainable?
On to food. The land is not suitable for growing crops, although raised beds for herbs and some vegetables are found. Villagers have long grown two species of food palm. Coconuts (<i>Cocos nucifera</i>) are ubiquitous. Date palms (<i>Phoenix dactylifera</i>) used to be commonly grown, but now there are only a few left on the island. Here is a home with both species, behind a fence made of palm leaf sheaths:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224722248/" title="Traditional palm fencing by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5455/7224722248_75cf144518.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Traditional palm fencing"></a>
Fishing has been the main source of animal protein for, well, probably thousands of years. I am not aware of archeology work on Caye Caulker, but the next island to the north, Ambergris Caye, has Maya ruins from the Classic era. Records of the village date to the mid-19th century when Mestizo refuges from the Caste Wars of the Yucatan arrived. (If you missed that war in your history course, here is a link to a brief overview: <a href="http://ambergriscaye.com/pages/mayan/castewar.html">http://ambergriscaye.com/pages/mayan/castewar.html</a>.) Fishing has been the principle economic activity since then. The fishermen of Caye Caulker formed a cooperative in 1960 (http://www.bfca.bz/coop_history.php), which has been successful in sustaining the lobster industry for half a century.
Fishermen build traps with wood of the chit palm (<i>Thrinax radiata</i>) that look like this:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224634374/" title="Detail of opening of lobster trap by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7219/7224634374_2027b21670.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Detail of opening of lobster trap"></a>
The season is regulated. Right now the season is closed so traps are stored and under repair as needed:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224595450/" title="Lobster traps stored during closed season by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5324/7224595450_041485b2b0.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Lobster traps stored during closed season"></a>
Here is that fisherman's house:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224587860/" title="Fisherman's house on back side of Caye Caulker by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7083/7224587860_5a6e63b11d.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Fisherman's house on back side of Caye Caulker"></a>
Note the raised height for hurricane surges and to provide a dry place to clothes to hang after wash.
Here are fishing boats:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224574736/" title="Lobster fishing boats pulled out of water during closed season by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5036/7224574736_ed89c0c16c.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Lobster fishing boats pulled out of water during closed season"></a>
There are several food stores in the village. The older stores, the ones I remember from before Hurricane Keith, look like this:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224730534/" title="Traditional market on Caye Caulker by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7237/7224730534_ecf8edb896.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Traditional market on Caye Caulker"></a>
In the past decade, several larger supermarkets owned and operated by Belizeans of Chinese descent have opened, such as this one:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224726044/" title="Chinese supermarket, restaurant and hotel by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7093/7224726044_607a6a07b8.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Chinese supermarket, restaurant and hotel"></a>
Note the many electric wires over the street. These supply the current for the freezers and refrigerators:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224682144/" title="Row of refrigerated display cases in supermarket by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8025/7224682144_6707e0aaf4.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Row of refrigerated display cases in supermarket"></a>
which carry a wide variety of imported foods, such as this selection of cheeses:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224672462/" title="Imported cheese in refrigerated display at supermarket by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7235/7224672462_ce9031630b.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Imported cheese in refrigerated display at supermarket"></a>
Air conditioners are becoming common. This strikes me as pointless, as the constant breezes off the Caribbean moderate the temperature so that the air rarely hits 90 F / 32 C. Tourists apparently expect these electricity hogs, and more and more villages install them as well:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224693090/" title="Air conditioners by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7228/7224693090_c12771a91a.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Air conditioners"></a>
Tourists began coming to Caye Caulker in the 1970s. Snorkeling and SCUBA diving form the basis of the tourist experience:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224742372/" title="Frenchies dive shop by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7238/7224742372_97929de03b.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Frenchies dive shop"></a>
Here on the dock, divers prepare for the dive to come with coffee in styrofoam cups:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7223488890/" title="Frenchies dock in morning by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5335/7223488890_a7a0c06bd3.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Frenchies dock in morning"></a>
But the divers don't dwell on such contradictions, at least I don't:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7223386162/" title="Erik grinning before second dive by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8008/7223386162_6b5fb19768.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Erik grinning before second dive"></a>
This was the first tourist hotel built after Hurricane Keith:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224565238/" title="Modern tourist hotel: AC, swimming pool by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7094/7224565238_f5fa54d82e.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Modern tourist hotel: AC, swimming pool"></a>
Notice that is is tall and made of concrete. It has AC for each unit and a swimming pool. This seems to be the future of tourist accomodations on Caye Caulker. While no where near the size of the resorts up the coast from Ambergris Caye to Cancun, they are much larger than the cabanas the predominated in the 1990s:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224619238/" title="Tourist cabanas dating to 1990s by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5271/7224619238_d673eaa9b4.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Tourist cabanas dating to 1990s"></a>
Tourists have some nostalgia for the past, which is accommodated with palapas made with leaves of the bayleaf palm (<i>Sabal mauritiiformis</i>):
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224605908/" title="Bayleaf palm palapa for SCUBA divers by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8162/7224605908_d13cf3f4f1.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Bayleaf palm palapa for SCUBA divers"></a>
These palm huts look authentic, but bayleaf grows in the rainforests of the mainland, not the Cayes or coast. Also, harvest of bayleaf palm leaves for tourist palapas is not sustainable: leaves are being harvested faster than they grow in the forest.
To
urist demands change over time. Here is a sign outside Marin's restaurant, the first catering to tourists:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224713966/" title="Free WiFi at oldest tourist establishment on Caye Caulker by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8017/7224713966_9bd0eb42e6.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Free WiFi at oldest tourist establishment on Caye Caulker"></a>
Caye Caulker has 3G mobile phone coverage and internet access through Belize Telecommunications, Limited (BTL), housed in a hurricane-resistant building near the back of the island:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224545692/" title="BTL office on Caye Caulker by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7105/7224545692_f27fcb8122.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="BTL office on Caye Caulker"></a>
Infrastructure is expanding to serve residents and tourists alike:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224549446/" title="Workers climb high above Caye Caulker village skyline to maintain infrastructure by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5336/7224549446_48abe84c5e.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Workers climb high above Caye Caulker village skyline to maintain infrastructure"></a>
This creates new job opportunities, such as for Golf Cart repair:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224685522/" title="Golf cart repair and welding service by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7231/7224685522_1348a30510.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Golf cart repair and welding service"></a>
and laundry services:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224718336/" title="Businesses on middle street, Caye Caulker by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8018/7224718336_c071cd36db.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Businesses on middle street, Caye Caulker"></a>
The village council is working on the challenges of development, such as by having a traffic control committee:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224704032/" title="Caye Caulker traffic control office and Dodge Ram pickup by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8154/7224704032_c11590987d.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Caye Caulker traffic control office and Dodge Ram pickup"></a>
Seeing this Dodge Ram truck with V8 motor makes me smile, as it seems so large for a village so tiny.
What does the future hold for development on Caye Caulker in the second decade after Hurricane Keith? Only Jehovah knows:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7224689352/" title="Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall on Caye Caulker by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8003/7224689352_a16353514e.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall on Caye Caulker"></a>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157743108140365954noreply@blogger.com0Caye Caulker, Belize17.7624037 -88.004506217.5204577 -88.320363199999989 18.0043497 -87.6886492tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338336436605564127.post-10755571080554226152012-05-19T21:20:00.000-07:002012-05-19T21:20:22.754-07:00More divingJust another day in paradise.
Woke up about 5 am, but had trouble feeling wide awake so I drank coffee in my room for a but. Had breakfast (Huevos Rancheros, at Sobre de Olas) and drank more coffee.
Walked the few steps (~100 metres) to Frenchies and get my gear ready for another trip to the reef in front of San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. A thought 16 lbs of lead was too much yesterday despite my being, uh, heavy ("overweight" is apt. I couldn't zip the back of my XL wetsuit). And the wetsuit was a 3 mm full suit, so I was pleased to be able to ask for "just" 14 lbs of lead today.
Different group than yesterday--six in total, plus Greg as divemaster.
Here we are getting ready to go in the morning sunshine:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7231019686/" title="Loading the dive boat at the Frenchies dock by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8017/7231019686_19d5a7f19d.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Loading the dive boat at the Frenchies dock"></a>
Greg is the man on dock in board shorts.
First dive was nice and easy. Plenty of nurse sharks, snapper and grouper to watch.
Surface interval was back in San Pedro. I walked around a bit. The new Tropic air terminal at the San Pedro airport is big--and two stories! Wow. I have not spent much time in San Pedro since a week visiting friends who lived there, back in 2001. The whole town feels larger and more crowded.
For the second dive, I traded weight belts with a skinny guy who dove without any neoprene. He said he needed more than his 12 and I thought I could get by with 12 despite outweighing him by 50 lbs (and all fat) plus having the 3 mm full suit. Yes, getting confident.
And justified. No problems descending. Yeah for me.
A highlight early in the dive was seeing a manta ray. Only my second ever. This one was small, by manta ray standards, but still big for a ray. He left me swim fairly close (~7 metres). Wished I had my underwater camera.
We saw several more nurse sharks and observed mating behavior by a group. One large female and three medium-sized males. Fun to watch. They were busy with each other and so did not seem to mind my approaching close to watch while remaining nearly motionless. Yes, my buoyancy was good today!
Even when my tank finally got to 500 psi, I did not need any more weight. The safety stop was easy. I was rather proud of myself. After not diving at all since 2010, and only one 1-tank dive that whole year, I feared that my skills would be atrocious.
Unusual for me, I was first on the boat after the second dive. No reason, it just worked out that way. I took the opportunity to snap a few photos of my dive buddies getting their gear off in the water and climbing back aboard:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7230999278/" title="Taking off gear after dive by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8155/7230999278_de19f38ca4.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Taking off gear after dive"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7231003170/" title="Climbing ladder onto boat after dive by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5470/7231003170_de49ef4cea.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Climbing ladder onto boat after dive"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7231007078/" title="Diver steps into boat after dive by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7226/7231007078_b4c41a3b64.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Diver steps into boat after dive"></a>
As we prepared to return to Caye Caulker, we spotted a boat with engine trouble. The crew stopped to help. Fuel line problem our skipper could fix:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7231011230/" title="Helping another boater with engine problems at sea by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5235/7231011230_169c255859.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Helping another boater with engine problems at sea"></a>
While he did that, we chatted with the passengers on the distressed boat:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7231015216/" title="Chatting with passengers on the boat ours is helping by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5459/7231015216_e611e1c26e.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Chatting with passengers on the boat ours is helping"></a>
They seemed very relaxed. They were soon on their way back to the island.
We soon arrived back at Caye Caulker ourselves.
I took a shower in my room, then walked down to the Rainbow restaurant for lunch (snapper--tasty!). After the large meal at 3 pm I was tired and so took a nap for a couple of hours.
When I woke up, I assembled my dirty laundry (not much) and took it to Marie's on middle street. I then walked about a bit, following up on my strolls yesterday but without the camera. On a seemingly deserted street someone called my name. It was Mia! Dr. Revels is the ornithologist at my University. She is in Belize with some friends from Arkansas and happened to be on Caye Caulker today to snorkel. We chatted and made plans to meet for dinner at Wish Willy.
Alas, at supper time when we all met up there, it was closed. The chef, Maurice, has taken the day off to run errands in Belize City. Oh, well. Maybe next time.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157743108140365954noreply@blogger.com2