Sex Wax and Saltwater

Before I could ride this micro wave with my wife, I had to swallow a few gallons of sea water, get churned on the sea bed many times and bang my head on my surf board more than once. All I can say about surfing is that it is one of the toughest sports I have ever tried to learn. Waves, sand and fiberglass are not gentle on beginners and while I envisioned myself riding the waves with grace, power and speed, the reality was littered with pain, frustration and a lot of water up my nose. Until next time, when I am sure that I will not be "hanging ten" as they say.

What I learned in Monte Verde

Sunset from the Monte Verde

It turned out to be cold up in Monte Verde, situated as it is high in the mountains of Costa Rica. This did not seem to affect the incredibly variety of birds that flock here for shelter, food and a nice view. Here are some of the facts that I learned here:

A Motmot

1. Motmot is a cool name for a bird

A Queztal posing

2. Queztals really are pretty when you get to see them, they seem to have a complex about there beauty as they are very shy and hard to see.

Stone Gargoyle guarding Hotel Vonda Vella

Our room at the Vonda Vella Hotel

3. If I planted my own coffee plantation it would take four years before I could enjoy my very own version of heavenly java in a cup.

Steve enjoying the fruits of Don Julios labor of love

Local kids summer job picking coffee

4. Working at a coffee plantation would not be very locarative, picking a 24 pound basket of coffee beans earns you exactly one dollar. A good picker can fill ten baskets in a day.

Second Honeymoon in Tortuguero

Relaxing at the Mawamba Lodge

Anne and I spent a couple of days off at Mawamba Lodge in Northeastern part of Costa Rica. There is a large National park there that is just full of wildlife. We went on a tour and reaquinted ourselves with all the different types of monkeys in Costa Rica. There were Howler monkeys, Spider monkeys and Whitefaced Capuchin monkeys and we saw them all up in the trees here.

Awesome sunsets

Howler monkey eating lunch

Nice inviting pool on at the Hotel

A huge Rhino beetle

A Jesus Christ lizard, they walk on water

More Howler monkeys in the trees

It was a great vacation, we got to see a new area of Costa Rica that we had not seen before and it is just teeming with wildlife. There where way too many tourists there but there is a reason for that. Now we are back in San Jose to begin our two week adventure with Wofford College. More updates coming, stay tuned.

Chris

Adventures with Jay Trimble

Anne and Jay

Anne't trip with Jay was full of some great paddling and colorful Costa Rican wildlife. Jays warm up run was on the Rio Balsa, Jay had not paddled in two years and this proved to be the perfect river to get back into paddling with fun wave trains and surfing holes.

Jay getting back into surfing on the Rio Balsa

We made a short side trip to a place with a beautiful view of a waterfall. The birds here were just incredible, I saw at least five new species of birds that I had not seen after coming to Costa Rica for eight years.

Emerald Toucanett

A resting Iguana

A Barret


Anne dealing with the Confusing wall shot of the Serapique

We then went down the Rio Serapique where Jay's nemesis rapid, Confusion made for some excitement. The next day we went to the Rio Pejibeye, one of my most favorite rivers in all of Coata Rica. It was just a beautiful day and a great finalle to Jays trip.

Jay on the crystal clear Rio Pefibeye