2 Kinds of Paradise...

...The first one being Rincon de la Vieja.

There is not much to say about Rincon de la Vieja, as it is basically a super fancy resort complete with zip lines, horses, mudpots, volcanos, waterfalls, and manicured gardens. Well, I guess there is a lot to say, and even more to do in Rincon, but we were only able to spend half a day there so perhaps next time I will be able to get to know it better. In the short time we were here though, I was able to visit their well-known mudpots, swim under one of the most spectacular waterfalls, and witness yet another glorious sunset. And I apologize in advance for the disproportionate amount of sunset pictures/mentioning throughout this blog, but none of them are ever the same (and I am perhaps a bit addicted to them).



















But now we are in La Selva, and in hindsight that title to one of my previous posts, "BioDIVERSITY," should really be used here. La Selva is a Tropical Lowland Forest, "Where the action is at," to quote one of my professors. There have been Sloths, Tamanduas, Woolly Opossoms, (here are poor quality photos of the Two-Toed Sloth, Tamandua and Woolly Opossom)



Currasows, and Frogs, Snakes, and Birds of all shapes and sizes. I post the above 3 photos because they were taken in roughly the same place, which is just a few meters from our cabins, and on the same day. La Selva is the most productive tropical biology research station, and in an area so busy and relatively fragmented, it is amazing how much one can see right outside the bedroom door, let alone in the forests (on an hour long night hike we saw 3 different kinds of snakes and perhaps even more kinds of frogs).














Lectures were on the Mammals and Herps of Costa Rica, and an overview of La Selva in general. Our group was also taken on an orientation walk by guides (local experts), and it's amazing how much more a trained eye can find in the forest. There was also a really cool talk about bats, including some live specimen caught in mist nets. But from this point on, there are no more formal walks or lectures... We are preparing our papers and presentations for the final group porject, studying for the final and the practical, and coming up with independent project ideas. I am fairly certain at this point that I will be working with Bullet Ants, which are said to be the most venomous insect and to have a sting that makes it feel like you've been shot by a bullet (or "being injected with boiling sulfuric acid and twisting the needle for 4 hours" for a more colorful description). The added danger, and the fact that many people do not want to work with them, makes it that much more interesting. Don't worry, I don't plan on being stung.