Best of Costa Rica with Llama Travel Part 1

Just back from a wonderful trip to Costa Rica.  Definitely on the list for a return trip to see more of this country.  I arrived on Tuesday 16th and met up with others of the group.  We were split into two groups to keep everything smaller.  Unfortunately, I didn't get all the names from the second group.  I traveled with Judy, Avril, Sue, Barbara, Bill, Bonnie, David, Cusim, Haicusim, Chris and Pam - apologies for spelling mistakes.  We were accompanied by our tour guide from Swiss Travel, the local tour company, Ricardo and ably driven by Carlos.

We stayed at Tryp in San Jose for the first two nights.  The next day the first excursion was to Poas Volcano and Botos Lagoon then on for lunch and tour at Doka Coffee Plantation.

Sunrise view from my suite at the Tryp

On the way to Poas Volcano.  I couldn't resist taking the graffiti and the guy on the phone was a bonus

Took this on the short walk to the volcano

We were lucky that the clouds were off to one side so we had a clear view of the crater

Ricardo giving us information

Tame squirrel - one of the four species in the country but I am still in process of identifying the wildlife

Botos Lagoon

Learning about coffee growing

Coffee beans

The ox carts the coffee beans were transported in

Inside the mill

Coffee

Drying and raking coffee

Caterpillar at the butterfly garden

A lizard feasting on bananas at the butterfly garden

Ricardo had a rest from us the next day.  He and Carlos would meet up with us at the dock after our visit to Tortuguero and take us to Arenal.  We were picked up after 6 am by Leo who accompanied us to Tortuguero and took us on our excursions there.  We stopped for breakfast on the way as it was a long drive, then a boat ride to Pachira Lodge, our accommodation.

Our one and only sighting of a crocodile

Local traders

View of the river

Snowy egret

Green vine snake - I think.  There is a pic of another one later which is discarding its skin

spider

Butterfly

Spider monkey - there were about four in this tree outside reception

Resident cat

One of the many species of hummingbird

A boa?

There are a lot of bird pics on the blog which I have yet to id.  I thought I would start the blog before doing my research.  The above pics were taken on the boat ride and in about an hour while waiting to visit Tortuguero village so there will probably be a few posts for this trip!

Palm leaves near the green turtle research station, taken while I was supposed to be listening to Leo

Judy and Avril to the left of Leo, Viv behind Avril.  To the right of Leo were 3 of the two couples from Leicester and Portsmouth.

Blue grey tanager

Kiskadee

Village girl

Lipstick palm

Interesting looking fruits/seeds

Local artisan

Nests of Montezuma Oropendola

Taking the window then realised the resident was in view - shame I missed her

Montezuma Oropendola

Village cat and kittens

Barbara and Bill on the Caribbean coast

Basketball game in the village

Phone study

Tortuguero barber

Up early the next day for our boat ride at 5.30 am.  Five of us joined four from another company with their personal guide.  His knowledge was excellent and together with our boat driver, spotted lots of things - I did spot one before them though.

Waiting for the guide to get the permits we were entertained by the howlers in the tree

Caiman hiding

Lizard

White headed capuchin eating pineapple which can not be found in the jungle - hence not a natural pic!  He had scavanaged from a house nearby.

Great White egret

Pachira flower

Chestnut mandibled toucans

Osprey

Iguana

Family of Howler monkeys with iguana at the top right

Snake bird (Anhinga) with netting caught in beak

Iguana

Iguana or lizard

My spot which I thought might turn out to be growths on the tree.  Turned out to be a tiger heron sunbathing.  I have never seen a bird sitting on its back before

Reflections

Boat billed heron

Not a great photo of spider monkeys but shows the mother waiting for baby to climb on her back.  Baby went in the other direction!

Probably the mate of the sunbathing bird tending to the nest.  We saw the fledgelings pop out but I failed to get a pic

American widgeon in the background with laughing gull in the foreground

Royal terns squabbling over the space left by the brown pelican

Frigate bird

Back at Pachira Lodge and a pic of another howler

Hibiscus

A flycatcher of some sort?

After the boat ride it was breakfast, then a hike at 11.30 am.

The towels were beautifully arranged.  This one ended up as two swans on a heart.

Birds seen on the hike.  From left, Lineated woodpecker, then rufous woodcreeper above, female black throated trogan, I think, in the middle with chestnut mandibled toucan at top right

Eyelash viper

Bees at their hive

Spotted by Simon from the second group but I have forgotten what it is called

Leo, our guide on bottom right, Sue above, David - expert birder in the middle with Bill top left

Land turtle spotted by one of the other group

Vine snake discarding its skin

More howlers.  The one on left and right is the same one, I think

 At 2 pm it was off to the canopy tour for a zip wire experience - no pics of that unfortunately.  I was too busy listening to instructions.  A few pics from around the dock where we set off.

Land crab - lots of these but I did not get a good pic

Beach debris

Walked around the lodge grounds in the afternoon before dinner.

Slaty -tailed Trogan

Parrot on the tree, with aeroplane arriving to the village

Enjoying the pool

We had to leave the next day but there was time for a few more photos.

Trogon

A better photo of the rufous woodcreeper

Poured with rain before we left and continued with showers during the boat trip.

Leaves in the rain

This large iguana was pointed out to me by one of the staff so there were a few guided tours to show it off.

These flowers look lovely with raindrops

Managed to catch a butterfly

That is all of Part 1 - off to Arenal and Monteverde for Part II.