Sunday...skeeter day

Similar routine on Sunday morning…woke up with a slight hangover around 7, took 2 advil, finished off some more water and went back to sleep until 9. Breakfast down at the restaurant/bar…really yummy egg n cheezer with tomato and avocado and a yummy green verde sauce that was delish…along with the fresh fruit and ubiquitous coffee. We packed up our gear, paid the bill ($15 bucks a night per person – gotta love it) and bounced over to Hacienda Baru for a hike through the rainforest for a few hours before I had to leave around 1 with my buddy Victor (see below for photo) to get back to San Isidro to catch the bus to San Jose. Unfortunately for me, I forgot to put on the bug repellent I bought specifically for hiking in the rainforest (estoy un grande idiote), and I got absolutely eaten alive by mosquitoes every time I stopped to take photo. The hike was amazing, and that was just 1 of the many trails throughout the reserve. We hung out with a family of white faced capuchin monkeys (see the pic below) and watched as they swung from tree to tree and how they interacted with each other. Julie busted out some of her knowledge, naming and telling stories about the different types of trees, birds, mammals and insects. Saw a big iguana hiding in the curves of a strangler fig tree, that was strangling a cashew tree. Saw tons of leaf cutter ants creating huge moving trails throughout the jungle with the empty handed ants heading back to the leaf source in one direction, and the ones with full loads side by side in the opposite direction (an ant highway). Saw some interesting birds, bright yellow ones, huge hawks and turkey vultures, tiny little humming birds and swallows. (some pics from their website) Just an amazing 2 hours that was over WAY too fast. I could have easily spent a week there (with insect repellent of course)…as I didn’t get to see the butterfly garden, the orchid garden, the canopy tour (to get up amongst the tops of the trees), the zipline, the birding towers, etc…etc…the list goes on. Julie is very lucky to have scored such a great location to do her volunteership.

The ride back was uneventful, and I got into San Jose in the evening, showered, did laundry and was in bed, asleep at 9pm, exhausted. Great weekend…I can’t wait till next Friday :o)...though i have spent the last two days tirelessly scratching my legs from ankle to knee as the mosquitoes had a feast.