Waterfalls, Volcanos, Wildlife, and Beaches. Welcome to My Costa Rica Blog

Day 1

I flew from Austin to Dallas, then Dallas to San Jose. Both flights were delayed a bit, so I got into San Jose at 00:30. I grabbed my bag and grabbed a taxi to the hostel. Always negotiate and ask airport staff what you would normally pay for the ride. I always use the Maps.me app because you can download a country and run the map off WiFi. Google maps don't allow you to do that anymore. I got to the hostel in 20 minutes and checked in. I went to the room, and it smelled awful. The hostel itself isn't bad, but there were four other people in the room, making it a sweatbox with no airflow, and it smelled like a middle school boys locker room. I think I finally clocked out around 03:00.

Day 2

Did not sleep well at all and maybe actually was asleep for 2-3 hours. I woke up around 8:00 to shower, then got breakfast. My original plan was to spend another day in San Jose and relax, but I am not that type, so I bought a bus ticket to Monteverde and booked a hostel for that night. The bus left at 14:30, so I had enough time to venture out and get some lunch. I then headed to the bus station at 2:00, got in line, and onto the bus. Costa Rica's roads are notoriously bad, so it took us around 5 hours to travel to Monteverde. We made a lot of stops, and I met some cool people. One of them was a woman from Germany named Laura. We planned on meeting up the next day for adventures because we had the same goals for the area. We officially got into the main bus terminal in Monteverde around. I checked into my hostel and got a bite to eat in the local soda (local food joint). I was exhausted, so I went to bed very early.

Day 3

I woke up for breakfast and didn't get up to anything too crazy today as I needed to switch hostels since I had arrived a day early (which I am very glad I did). I checked in to my other hostel around 11 am and decided to do a night hike. Laura came and met me at the hostel around 11:30 and decided to join us for the night hike. I also met up with Kaitlyn in the hostel, who decided she would join us. We then explored some of the cool things to do around Monteverde. We visited the giant Ficus tree that has completely killed the inner tree.

I climbed up about 20ft into it. I didn't pursue any more as many wasps were flying around, and it looked like there was a hive. The last thing I want to do is anger them and then fall down a tree while getting stung. I got some portrait panoramas with Laura and Kaitlyn near the tree, which turned out very well. After that, Kaitlyn headed off as she had explored Monteverde earlier in the day, and Laura and I kept exploring. We found a giant leafcutter ant nest and a red-rumped agouti. Then we headed down to the main area to grab some snacks for the next day in the rain forest because we would skip our hostel's breakfast.

We got ready for our night hike that night as I wanted to see some of the wildlife. Around 17:45, the car showed up to bring Laura and me to the area to hike. Normally anywhere else in the world, you can't be in a national park after sunset. Hence, people have to own their land with a forest for night hiking. We started the hike around 18:15. Night hiking in Costa Rica was not new to me, but it had been ten years ago, and I didn't remember that much.

I only brought my macro lens to get nice photos of snakes. December isn't snake season, but we were with the hostel owner's brother who saw one the previous night. The first animal of significance that we saw were olingos. These are related to raccoons but are much more arboreal. They are in the same genus as kinkajou but lack the prehensile tail. As we continued along the trail, we spotted some little frogs and invertebrates.

I'm walking in the back because I'm letting the people who haven't had this experience before be closer to the guide to learn from him. They called out snake, and I got excited, of course! Beautifully poised, there was a side-striped palm pit viper. They are very green with a white stripe going along their sides. I couldn't get a good photo because the guide wasn't letting me get close enough for my macro lens, unfortunate but understandable on his part.

We set off and later that night spotted some very cool leaf bugs and red knee tarantulas.

Laura and I returned to the hostel around 20:30, and we planned to head to the park as early as possible for our next day at Monteverde. I got back to my dorm and had two new roommates, Alex from Australia and Edgar from California, who decided to join tomorrow's morning adventure to Monteverde.

Day 4

I woke up around 5:30 to get ready and make some breakfast for the long day ahead. Laura, Alex, Edgar, and I met at the bus station to catch the 6:15 bus to the entrance to Monteverde before it opened at 7:00. You want to get in there before everyone else if you want to see more birds. We set off on the main trail and headed towards the hanging bridge to see if we could spot the famous quetzal bird. After seeing lots of bird species that I could not identify, we got to the bridge.

I started walking out onto the bridge and pulled my phone out for a photo, and suddenly right next to my face, a flash of emerald-green, red, and white flew off to the right and into the forest. I knew immediately that it was a male quetzal. I did not get a photo of the bird as it had disappeared, but it still counted because I had seen it! My day was made in the first 45 minutes in the park.

We spent the rest of the day hiking trails and admiring the gorgeous views while the clouds rolled in and out. There are orchids all over the place, and the flowers were starting to bloom at this time of year. We hiked the whole park essentially and saw all the gorgeous flora.

Not much wildlife, but the plant diversity is amazing in Monteverde. We went to a waterfall and then went on a longer hike, but my knee started to hurt, so I opted out and waited for Edgar and Laura at the bridge.

Alex headed back on the 11:00 bus. We were heading back on the 14:00 bus. I was waiting at the bridge when Edgar and Maura showed up and said that some people they ran into saw a couple of quetzals sitting next to each other at a lookout near the entrance on the green trail. We headed there but did not find the birds. We waited the remainder of our time at that post, and some of the rangers came by, so I chatted with them about the park and their lives and such. I always go out of my way to talk with local wildlife people, as they know the animals the best. We left at 14:00 and got a well-deserved Casada lunch, and then I took a two-hour nap because I knew I would be out late for New Year's. There is one club in Monteverde, so most of the people were there. It was a great way to finish the year with a rare bird sighting and surrounded by groovy people.

Day 5

I slept in, hoping the hangover would go away from new years eve party, made breakfast, and relaxed until the afternoon. I drank some hot chocolate like the adult I am because if I drink coffee, I pass out. I went zip lining at 13:00, which was fun, but the route felt a little too artificial and manicured. It did not feel like I was in the trees. The next day I planned on heading on to Fortuna. I booked a shuttle to go to a lake, then take a boat to another shuttle to get into town. I met up with a friend who reached out from Instagram and wanted to bird-watching and show me around.

Day 6

I woke up at 7:00 because the shuttle to La Fortuna would pick Edgar and me up at 8:00. The shuttle arrived after breakfast, and we were on our way. The day was very clear, and people have been saying that there have not been good views of the volcano lately because of the rains. After an hour and a half, we got to the lake, and we could see the volcano in the distance. We boarded the boat around 10:30 and started on our way to our second checkpoint. The clouds parted, revealing the serious incline of Arenal. It is a gorgeous volcano.

The last time it erupted was in 2010. We then got to the second shuttle and headed to La Fortuna, where Arenal national park is. At 14:00, I would meet up with my local guy, who reached out to me on Instagram.

I quickly got some casada and then headed that way. I showed up, and the man who owned the place had turned his backyard essentially into a forest with lots of trails. It is small but had an amazing amount of biodiversity. Immediately we saw toucans, honeycreepers, aracari, and other amazing neotropical birds. Dave showed me lots of cool birds and identified them for me. He also showed me how to look for certain wildlife. He spotted sloths including a mother and a baby.

We were both looking for snakes, but it is not the season for them. They love the rainy season. Because Dave always spends time there, we were able to hike at night. We also saw the keeled billed toucan and other amazing birds.

The first time I was in Costa Rica, I did not remember seeing the blue jean dart frog, and Dave spotted one, which was amazing. They are so small! While looking for wildlife, I need to see something in the wild, and then my brain can figure out how to spot it again. I ended up spotting another frog on my own, which was awesome.

Leafcutter ants are amazing and always out and about. We even spotted a bunch of bullet ants sitting on a tree. They have a painful bite, but a lot of people over-exaggerate it on social media. As the sun was getting lower, we could hear the frogs croaking, and soon enough, I spotted one hourglass tree frog and then a couple more. That was a species first for me. I heard glass frogs, but they usually are up in the canopy, so we did not find any of those.

We were finishing up and had started to walk back when I caught some eyeshine on a leaf stem, and I knew it was a cool frog. As I got closer, I discovered it was a red-eyed tree frog. This was my first red eye of the trip.

We headed out, and I thanked Dave for showing me the amazing animals in his hometown. I met up with Edgar and some new friends he met at his hostel to head to dinner that night. What I love most about backpacking is meeting the incredible people along the way! Everyone has different backgrounds, and it is just wonderful. But the hostel was hot as a sauna again, so I did not get any sleep because I was sweating all night. A girl was sleeping under the AC and had it turned off because it made her cold, thus making everyone else suffer in the room. Not good hostel etiquette right there.

Day 7

The night before, I had met Regula from Switzerland. She is a runner, backpacks the world, and goes on runs. She joined Edgar and me to head to the La Fortuna waterfall in the morning. On the way to the hike, we saw basilisk, iguana, toucans, and other cool birds. We were walking an easy road. We decided to hike the hour it took from the main city and got there around 10:00.

The waterfall is stunning, and we spent a good four hours around the falls swimming and having a good time. When you went into the water next to the fall, the current was so strong you would just swim in place, even giving it all you got.

We headed back down from the falls around 14:00 and got lunch. That evening I took Edgar and Regula to the spot where I had seen all the wildlife. They both had not seen sloths yet, so we went over there, but the weather was not looking too great. It rained hard but only for like 5 minutes, so we went into the park. Within the first 10 minutes of walking, I spotted three three-toed sloths. Then we saw four more. One of them was out moving, and we got incredible photos.

I spotted six blue jean frogs that evening, and a big snapping turtle was moving in the river. Later that evening, I met up to chat with some French women backpacking in Central America.

Yelena, Elena, Mimi, and Mimi's father, Frankie, were wonderful people! I just love meeting people from other countries, especially those who speak other languages, because while backpacking, people just naturally teach each other their languages. For example, I now know how to say leaf cutter ant in German. All these girls were multilingual, and it is embarrassing that I do not truly know more than one. My Spanish is very basic, and I can get by, so when they apologized for saying certain things incorrectly, I assured them that I should be the one apologizing for not being fluent in multiple languages. Having dealt with ADHD and dyslexia has made learning other languages hard for me. However, I still think everyone should at least know two languages. I went to bed early that night as we would do a lot of hiking the next day around Arenal national park. I traded beds with the woman in my hostel who had turned off the AC the night before, but it was still hot with the AC on. The woman's friend kept her window open all night, so basically, the AC just blew outside, creating a hot box again.

Day 8

We headed out to Arenal national park. We got there and went out with our guides. It was rainy in the morning, so when we got to the lava fields, there was not a good of a view of the volcano. However, the day before, we got amazing views of the volcano, so that was fine. I am always looking for my eyelash viper and particularly here because there are also jumping vipers. About midday we had lunch, and near the lunch place, of course, there were lots of coati.

Our guide was awesome, spotted lots of things, and was super knowledgeable. In the afternoon, we headed to the observatory lodge and spoke with some people who had been there previously. They had seen eyelash viper over there, so I was very excited. We got there and had some great views of the volcano again. The weather is very unpredictable in the Fortuna Arenal area. It would rain, the sun would come out, then rain again and get cloudy, just crazy. We headed to the waterfall and suspension bridges. When we passed this pool, there was a vine attached to the walkway, and sure enough, there was a little black morphed eyelash viper curled up in the vines. After taking some photos of it, we headed to the trail, and then our guide spotted another orange one curled up at the base of a tree. This one was in a much better photo position. I did not get the best photos as the guides do not like you to use a flash.

I have officially seen two color morphs of the eyelash viper in the wild! It started pouring while we walked around the area. We saw some howler monkeys and spider monkeys and went to the waterfall, which was beautiful.

After visiting the observatory, we headed to the free hot spring area and got into the water, and relaxed after our whole day of hiking. I met some new groovy people from London and Sweden. I got back to my hostel and quickly showered, then went out to dinner with the Swedes and my French friends. I was very tired, so I went to bed early that night. The room was still stupidly hot, even with the AC blowing on me.

Day 9

I was headed to Manuel Antonio today and was not leaving until late afternoon, so we went back to the trail with the French girls. We saw some more sloths and frogs, which was nice as they had not seen them yet.

Day 10

I had a very lazy day as I forgot that the park is closed on Mondays. I went on a night hike and found some new anole species, katydids, and even a blunt-headed tree snake.

We said our goodbyes and I know for sure I will travel with them again in the future. I took a shuttle because the bus route would have taken nine hours to get from Fortuna to Manuel Antonio. The shuttle showed up an hour late, so I did not get to the city until 20:00. After I arrived and checked in, I got some casada, then went to bed.

Day 11

The next day I set out early to one of the most biodiverse places on our planet, the Osa peninsula. The shuttle arrived at 7:00, and we headed on our way to a city called Sierpe, where you then needed to take a boat to Drake Bay or whatever place you were staying. I stayed at this place called Jungla del Jaguar, which was recommended to me by a friend. We got to the town of Sierpe, and I got some casada. I met some groovy people on the shuttle, so we all watched each other's stuff and ate lunch together. We then got onto the boat and headed to Drake Bay. Captain Chancha spotted capuchin monkeys and a common potoo bird nesting with a baby.

The boat ride was gorgeous. It took about 45 minutes to go to Drake Bay as you needed to head out of the river into the ocean, which was a wavy experience. We got to Drake Bay, and most of the people headed off, leaving me and a couple who were staying at the same place I was. Gabriel and Anna were super cool people. Gabe was from Canada, and Anna was from London, but they lived in Toronto. I was staying one more day than they were, so we all got to know each other. We got to the hostel, and the coastline here is jaw-droppingly gorgeous. Immediately you can hear macaws, howler monkeys, and toucans. I knew this would be my favorite place on the trip. I met up with a group of groovy Danish backpackers, and I would hang out with them for most of the time I was at the hostel. Hostel world said there was no internet here, but that was not true, and the website needs to be updated. I relaxed that evening, photographed the sunset, and went for an evening swim.Later that night, I went hiking around and found some cool frogs and basilisks.

Day 12

Today, the Danish group and I planned to head to a nice beach about 3km from the hostel along what was called the coastal walk. We started at 9:00, and it was beautiful walking along the cliffs and then being on a beach. We saw howler monkeys, capuchins, macaws, toucans, and basilisks. We walked past this one spot where two Costa Rica locals lived very minimally on their land. I introduced myself; then, we headed down the trail again to the beach. We passed this waterfall with a cave behind it. We went in and could see there were some bats, which was cool. I did not bother with any long exposure waterfall shots as it is not the wet season, so the falls are minimal. We got to the beach around noon, and there was not a soul on it. This area has very few tourists, which was amazing.

I did some body surfing, and then we got out, went to a bar, and the Danes got some drinks. Back on the trail, I was in the front because I was looking for snakes, and there was a lot of mud. I wore my boots, so I had no issues, while the others were more cautious because of their shoes. I went back through the local's place, and they invited all of us for some coconuts. Their names were Coli and Marco. While we were waiting, Marco ran off to grab something and then went into their kitchen area and cut open some oranges. He brought us a berry and an orange, and I knew the berry was a miracle berry. This berry changes your sour receptors to sweet. It is a fascinating science trick. We ate the orange at first to taste how sour it was and then put the berry in our mouth, chewed on it, and spat out the seed. Then ate the orange again, which now tasted sweet, almost like nectar, instead of being very bitter. After we all tried it and were fascinated by the trick, Coli returned with three large coconuts. He showed us the way to open them with a machete. We drank the juice and ate the flesh. It is so tasty eating fresh fruit like this. If I recall correctly, as a child, I hated the taste of coconut. Still, I am not picky at all anymore and love the flavor. (The only thing I cannot do is green beans, but that is because of texture, not flavor).

After thanking Macro and Coli for their hospitality, we headed back to the hostel. I cooked up some lunch and watched capuchins run through the front area. I relaxed that afternoon, and then at sunset, I headed to the sea caves, which were a quick 5-minute walk away from the hostel. I walked around and took some photos with the waterfall, then headed back to the hostel to take photos of the sunset and go swimming. Every evening, Susana, an amazing woman, went on an evening snorkel, so I joined her every day I was there.

Because this night was a full moon, the hostel threw a luau and cooked a pig named Camelia. I went for the vegan dish because I was on a budget, and I also wanted to get out and herp that evening. At around 20:00, I headed onto the trails and did not see too much stuff, but when I got to a large log, I looked inside (because it is a good place for bushmaster or fer del lance) and did not see anything. Then I stepped up and shined my light about 2 meters onto the other bit of the log, and there was the absolute cutest little juvenile fer de lance (Bothrops ásper)

I used my hook to get the snake into an area to photograph it more easily, and the snake calmed right down and did not show any signs of aggression.

Contrary to common belief, snakes are not out to get you. They do not like humans and are very reluctant to bite. After photographing the snake for about 10 minutes, I let him go to the same spot where I found him. I continued down the trail for another 30 minutes or so and was getting very tired. I was also planning to get up early the next morning to dive, so I went to bed around 10:30.

Day 13

I woke up at 5:15 because it was diving day, and the earlier, the better. I had brought eggs, oatmeal, peanut butter, and bread with me, my main food for the five days I was at the hostel. The boat was a little late, and we then headed out to Caño Island. We got into the water at 9:30 or so, and although the visibility was not the greatest, I still was able to see some sharks. Unfortunately, this dive was very easy, and we just circled these large volcanic rocks. I spotted many white tip reef sharks.

We got out of the water and then headed to where the snorkelers were swimming. There was a giant school of jack, so I got my GoPro and mask and jumped in the water to film them. Alexa, the divemaster, was doing some free diving, so I photographed her swimming through the fish.

We then got out and headed to the island for an hour break between the dives. At our next dive spot, we did not see anything different from the first dive. When I got out of the water, I went free diving again while the snorkelers got onto the boat. We then headed back to the hostel. It was nice getting underwater for the first time in a year, but I wish I had done the harder part of the island. Alexa now runs her own expedition company called @yemanyaexpeditionscr. If you are heading to the Osa Peninsula, check her out because she knows where to find the cool stuff.

We got back to the hostel around 13:00, had lunch there, and relaxed that afternoon. The no see-ums are notoriously bad at the hostel, though, so I got bit a lot during my time there, but it was not the worst as they do not carry anything nasty. That afternoon I hiked with the Danes to another beach that you can see from the sea cave beach. There were iguana tracks all over the place. We also saw the monkeys and macaws coming out to feed before the night. That night I went out hiking to a farther trail than I have done before. I saw Olingo and two colubrid snakes, but nothing super crazy. I will always consider one snake a successful night. I did manage to catch a tailless whip scorpion. They are very fast and look scary but are gentle.

Day 14

Today I woke earlier than usual because I was going to hike the long nature trail with the others. We started on the trail at around 8:00, and we quickly headed to the start of the Toucán Trail. I was walking in front as I had the better eyes for wildlife. The first animal we found that stood out was a helmeted iguana. It was basking in the trail, and I caught it as it tried to run off. I took some photos, and we moved on.

It was basking in the trail, and I caught it as it tried to run off. I took some photos, and we moved on. We kept walking and around 5 minutes later heard movement over our heads and looking up; we spied red spider monkeys. In Costa Rica, the howlers are black, and spider monkeys are red. It was the reverse in Guyana. We watched them meander through the canopy for 5 minutes and then walked on. We hit the tractor trail and walked along with it until we saw the sign for the nature trail. The trails are not that well maintained, so there are fallen leaves all over them. I was walking with a little extra caution because fer de lance are no joke and can camouflage very well. I was checking every single tree for eyelash vipers. These are such small snakes and very elusive, especially during the dry season. We found more spider monkeys and saw toucans, as they are everywhere. All sorts of species of anoles were everywhere.

As I was scanning the tops of palm leaves for snakes, I saw a beautiful hummingbird sitting atop a nest, incubating eggs. The species was a White-necked Jacobin. I did not bring my lens with me, so, unfortunately, no great photo of it, but I got a photo of the eggs. We moved onto a section where the path was a lot wider.

We were able to take some amazing photos using the side-ways panorama view with trees. I love huge trees. The silk cottons (Ceibas) are the kings of the forest. They are the largest trees in South America.

We spotted Trogan and some other cool lizards. The day started to get hot, so the animals went away as they headed deeper into the jungle. I relaxed that afternoon and went out to the tractor road that night. We found a blunt-headed tree snake, lyre snake, and whip snake. I went to bed early because I was going to one of the most badass national parks in Costa Rica the next day.

Day 15

I woke up around 5:15 as the boat would be there at 6:00. I have been eating oatmeal for breakfast with tea and then four eggs for lunch every day. I did this to save money. The boat came, and I met Roy, my guide for the day. The entrance to Sirena was about 45 minutes by boat from our hostel. About halfway there, we saw spouts, and I knew that it was humpback whales. It turned out to be a beautiful mother with her precious calf. We watched them for a couple of minutes and then headed off to the entrance of the park.

We got checked in, put on our hiking boots, and set off onto the trails. The first major animals we see are the squirrel monkeys. These small primates can have troops up to one hundred strong. We watched them forage and leap from tree to tree.

I passed a group of tourists, and they were looking at some tent-making bats underneath a leaf. These bats use their teeth to make a leaf drape more so they can hide during the daytime and get rest. We continued down the path. There are only one hundred people allowed in the park per day, but it did seem crowded. Lots of groups and people, yet there are still so many animals. We saw this beautiful huge tree, and of course, I took my tree photo because I love trees. We headed up the hill, and Roy told our group to stay put, and then he walked in front 10 meters and told us to come up and be quiet. A female tapir was sleeping with her young. These neotropical animals are about as large as a donkey, sleep during the day, and forage during the night. It was the first time I have ever seen them in the wild, so what made it so special is that she was with a baby. After seeing the tapir and moving back to give her space, we headed to another area where a cool animal was seen.

As we got close to a dead tree, I looked up, and perched on the top was a Common Potoo, poised as a part of the dead log. The sunlight made it hard to get a good photo of the bird, so I used my iPhone through the guide's telescope to get the photo.

We then hiked some more, and I photographed some squirrel monkeys. They are very fast and scramble all over the place. There was also a pair of spider monkeys fornicating above our heads. We headed to the river to see if we could find any birds there and saw some herons, osprey, and black hawk. Back in the jungle, we found another Common Potoo. A little farther down the path, we came across a mother sloth and her baby.

The baby was getting to the point of separating, as it was already exploring without mom. We then walked along the beach and spotted a male tapir resting in the shade on the beach. It is hot at this time of year, and the animals appreciate the breeze. We spotted some curaçao and heard the calls of a Trogan, which is a beautiful tropical bird from the neotropics. I saw both the male and the female green-backed Trogon. We then headed to an old termite mound with bats in it and on to an area that only our guide knew about. There was a pair of crested owls sleeping the day away high in a tree. These are the times I regret not bringing my large lens. I spotted two Red-headed woodpeckers, and we then headed back to the beach.

Corcovado was expensive, and we did not spend that much time there, but it was amazing. We got on the boat, and I looked for whale signs but saw nothing. I got back to the hostel at 13:00. I relaxed that whole afternoon and made lunch. I got a bit of sleep and headed to the sea cave beach to do a little snorkeling and just relax in the waves for the last time. I made my way back to the hostel to watch the sunset with everyone and took some nice photos of my new friends.

I did not go out that night as I was exhausted from the last five days of swimming and hiking. I had some beers with the other guests, backed my bags, and went to bed.

Day 16

The boat came around 7:00, and I was sad to be leaving the amazing Osa Penisula. The boat took me back to the town of Sierpe, and I got on a bus to return to Manuel Antonio, where I would stay that night. I got to Manuel Antonio around noon. Since I knew the park would be closed on Monday, I went to the national park to venture around for the rest of the afternoon. I wanted to be back before 17:30, as I was meeting up with another local tour guide who wanted to show me around. After getting some lunch and taking my disgusting, smelly clothes to get them washed, I headed to the national park. I arrived around 13:30 and walked the whole park. I saw basilisk, howler monkey, capuchin, macaws, and some very nice views. I even spotted my first two-toed sloth of the trip. They have a different color and appearance from the three-toed sloth.

I took some good photos of capuchins and then headed out of the park. When I got back to my hostel, I met up with Jason from Wakoo tours, who would take me to look for wildlife at night. It was about a 30-minute drive to the area, and once we got there, we quickly got to herping. We saw a couple of frogs at first, but then Jason spotted a helmeted iguana sleeping on a tree.

A little further down the trail, I saw these two glowing dots and realized that it was not a reflection of my light. This creature was creating its own light. It turned out to be a click beetle. They fold their legs in, and when they click, they can launch themselves away from a predator. We found another helmeted iguana, and as I was photographing it, I kept scooting backward and suddenly felt a sharp pain in my knee pit. I had bumped into a bush with ants living in the thorns. We then continued down the trail and saw millions of army ants moving across the jungle floor, consuming everything in their path. After carefully moving over them, we spotted an adult female masked tree frog.

I was photographing that frog when I saw spotlights down the hill. Jason called out to his friend, who was leading a group of people on a night hike. Jason said something in Spanish, and I heard rana, so I knew they were talking about another frog they found down there. He then looks at me and says, "you are going to like what they found." I got my shot of the masked tree frog, and we headed about 100 steps down to where Jason's friend had been. We could see a small green frog perched on top of a leaf, and Jason said, "glass frog." I have seen them in Guyana but never got a good photo, so I was very keen to get a photo.

While photographing that one, Jason found another and then another. Usually, glass frogs are just high enough off the ground to be out of sight. We then headed toward the entrance to look around the large pond. There tend to be lots of red-eyed tree frogs around this pond. Before we even got to the pond, you could hear the chorus of sounds coming from the varieties of different frogs. The loudest sounds were from cane toads and chicken frogs. We spent some time looking, and sure enough, we found the red-eyed tree frogs. The individuals around this area do not have the vibrant blues that some others have in different regions. However, they are still strikingly vibrant with green, red, and orange. Photographing these iconic Central American frogs was a great way to end the night.

Day 17

Today I will be heading to Jaco before I set off for San José to fly out in three days. My bus leaves at 11:00, giving me enough time to pick up my laundry and get some breakfast. I packed up and headed to the bus station from the hostel. The bus ride was around two hours. I got into Jaco and headed to my hostel. I wanted to treat myself these last days and check into a hostel that was more a little more expensive at 15$ a night, and it was very nice. I wanted to eat before swimming at the beach and found a great buffet Casada place that was around 7$ for a large plate of food. I rented a surfboard from the hostel and headed out before sunset and got my ass beat by the waves. I have gotten up before, but I am usually never in a place with great beginner surfing level waves. I have always wanted to get good at surfing. I am much better at body surfing and boogie boarding, but I would love to be a more experienced surfer. After only getting up twice after an hour of constant paddling, I was sore and headed in. I watched the sunset and relaxed the rest of the day.

Day 18

After I woke up, I went to that same buffet because they had breakfast. Then I got a local bus to visit the famous crocodile bridge to see some American crocodiles. My Spanish is not the best, but I could still communicate and find which bus to catch and where to go. I got to the bridge, hung out there, and photographed the crocodiles. There were around thirteen in all, and one was in the 12ft range. He had a rope around his neck, indicating that someone may have tried to catch him once, and he got loose.

I then headed to the bus stop and took the bus back to Jaco. Jaco is a touristy place, but it does have a good beach and great beginner surf in the winter. I relaxed that afternoon and went back out surfing, then watched the sunset after getting beat by the waves yet again.

Day 19

I went to the dentist today because I have not had a teeth cleaning in ages. Since my jobs are all contracts, I do not have health insurance. It was cheap and felt great! I packed up and headed to the bus station. It took about 3 hours to get to San José. I checked into my hostel, relaxed, and chatted with fellow travelers.