[Patrick Highrise]

Costa Rica november 2016

In november 2016 a made a grouptrip to see at the beautifull nature in Costa Rica.
With United we flew by Houston (including a very long transfer) to San José.
This city isn't really beautifull. some nice churches and few old building but its more a big strange mix of buildings.
On the other hand we are in Costa Rica mainly for that Nature!

1.

2.
somewhere downtown San José

3.
National Theatre.

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Cathedral.

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Art on the wall.

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Postoffice, a very nice building.

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But behind it they built this.....

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More murals.

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Cat and mouse.

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Tribal.

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Just beside our hotel there was a railroad line which was used frequent.

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One more time the cathedral.

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A mini chinatown starts left and for the rest well its typical San José

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During our roundtrip in Costa Rica we passed the capital several times on the road. Like here as seen from our bus.

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One more.

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At one of the cemeteries.

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Our next stop will be at the Caribean side of Costa Rica and the little village of Cahuita and its National Park.

 

[Benonie]

Well, you sure did some great trips lately, Patrick!
A friend of me recommends Costa Rica to us, because of the stunning nature. So I'm looking forward to the rest of your pictures. :cheers:

 

[christos-greece]

Great, very nice photos from San Jose, Costa Rica :cheers:

 

[Patrick Highrise]

Cahuita

Cahuita

After a day in San José we go with our bus towards the first point of this roundtrip; Cahuita.
This village lies in the south eastern part of the caribean coast of Costa Rica and also has got a National Park.

19.
On our way at a coffee stop.

20.
Here we allready saw some very nice colourfull poison frogs! :banana:

21.
We enter the national Park @ Cahuita.

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Beautifull lizzard.

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Black grasshopper in Cahuita.

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Suddenly some other people in the park were looking down a lot. So we did also...and there is a snake! Very small and just beside the path all the people walk at.
A venomous snake also; hognosed pit viper.

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On the beach.

26.
Trough the park several stream and little rivers run. It was low tide so we could cross a lot of them.

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Colourfull crabs.

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It was very quiet at the beach..

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Those lizzards...

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Paths in the park.

32.
On my own way back I came across this beautifull yellow fellow; an eyelash viper!
(Bothriechis schlegelii). Thats one of my list

33.
Howler monkey.

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On the beach in front of our hotel.

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One of the many parrots in the garden of the hotel.

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And nice flowers also.

37.
Cahuita itself is a small, relaxed village. The caribean atmosphere is very present here with the music, foods, and people.

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Cahuita and 'little cape' from the plane (due to a fellow travellor whicht took a other route back home ).

 

[Romashka01]

One of my favorie countries in Latin America
Beautiful photos! I especially like these three:
6.
Postoffice, a very nice building.
27.
Colourfull crabs.
33.
Howler monkey.

 

[Neutral!]

Pura Vida Costa Rica kay: It is nice they still have the train in San Jose.

 

[yansa]

Thank you for this wonderful nature impressions, Patrick! kay:

My favourites are 20, 27, 31, 32, 33 and 36 - the howler monkey is my top favourite.

 

[Nightsky]

Nice to see Costa Rica here for instance. Visited the airport in San José, changing planes when I visited El Salvador and Guatemala last year. It's true, the nature is in general more beautiful then the cities in Central America.

 

[Patrick Highrise]

Tortuguero N.P. – part one

Tortuguero N.P. – part one

After Cahuita we stay at the Caribean side of Costa Rica but we move up the the north east part of the country.
We will stay in our lodge in the mids of the forrest of Tortuguero.
This Nationale park isn't only made up of forrest (land), but also has a part in the sea itself.
This area is very famous for several species of sea turles which lay their eggs on (in) the beach inside this N.P.
We could see and experience that on a late evening and early night seeying several adults laying making their nests and laying eggs...
and as bonus one nest came out! :banana: (not pictures allowed!)
Beside the rainforrest part in this N.P and the sea it also has many canals, streams and mangrove area.
During this trip we had our own bus, but to get to this part on the country you do need boats!

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So on the boat its allready enjoying your surroundings.
Not too fast with the boat because at parts its really shallow and parts of trees are also in the water.

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Nature goes its own way here....

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During the route we see several of these high trees with flowers.

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Tree and moon.

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Several of the houses and lodges where we stayed. We also had a poolarea with bar
Around us more then enough monkeys and other wildlife which you partly could try to find during the evening

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At the dock near our lodge allong a main channel.

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Sunset skies Tortuguero.

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During our own evening exploration we for instance found this Opossum in a tree.

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But also many of these pretty big toads. But also spiders, snakes, birds and other insects

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Bird early morning on the look out

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Sunrise this time.

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One of our motorboats which we used to explore the National Park on this morning part of the day.

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Moorhen tropical style: A Jacana.

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Green, green, green!

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Drying in the sun.

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Little heron in full focus.

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Anhingas.

 

[Benonie]

:applause: Stunning flora and fauna!

 

[openlyJane]

Fantastic wildlife. I can even hear the mosquitos.

 

[yansa]

I really enjoy this part of the trip. Phantastic pics! :applause:
And I hopelessly fell in love with this cute, beautiful, "smiling" toad...

49.
But also many of these pretty big toads. But also spiders, snakes, birds and other insects

 

[Neutral!]

Nature is wonderful in Costa Rica.

 

[General Electric]

Some nice buildings and street art here, but the nature is impressivly rich and beautiful. Great shots :applause:

 

[Why-Why]

Great wildlife! My favourite is this little heron:

 

[Patrick Highrise]

Tortuguero part 2

Tortuguero N.P. – part 2

We go on during our stay in Tortuguero.

58.
We are still on our boat exploring the waterways.

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Iguana in the tree.

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Monkey pranks...

After the excursion in the morning and having lunch at our lodge we take the 'watertaxi' to go to the part of this part along the beach.

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“watertaxi’s” at the little village.

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At the beach.

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We go on a little hike.

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Some small lizzards to be spotted.

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A more then enough monkeys. You have to have a little luck to get them good in frame for your picture since they are always on the move...

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Quiet beaches.

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Closer to the sea.

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A bigger lizzards in the bush.

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He shouldn't be here at this part of the beach so close to sea; a land tortoise. Ok we brought him back into the woods

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Because these guys are sitting and waiting for a nice meal...because also during the day the nests of tortoises hatch.

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You talking to me!! :lol: nice posture of this squirrel.

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Butterfly.

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Flag.

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The day after we need to go back by boat towards our bus to go to a new destination in Costa Rica.

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After this we leave the caribean coast and go inland to are next stop near the Arenal vulcano (La Fortuna).

 

[yansa]

I particularly love the squirrel, the butterfly and the rainforest pics! kay:

 

[Benonie]

Paradise! :cheers:

 

[Patrick Highrise]

Fortuna & Caño Negro

Fortuna & Caño Negro

We are on the move again and go inland towards the little village of La Fortuna near the Arenal vulcano.
There were much clouds there so no good view of the inactive vulcano itself though

76.
During our trip we saw something in the barbed wire...sort of in Relax mode!

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Nice flower.

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Good size lizzard.

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Landscape en route.

After we arrive at our ecolodge part of the group go on a little hike towards a nice waterfall.

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Catarata La Fortuna.

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Waterfall in the bush.

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Beautifull toucan in the garden of the ecolodge.

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What a nice bird!

In the evening a big part goes to one of the hot springs you can find on the slopes of the vulcano. Really nice and relaxing...

The next day we go on an excursion to Caño Negro which lies almost at the border with Nicaragua.
The mainpart of this natural reserve is marsh land which evolves during the rainy season in a sort of big lake. Lots of birds to spot!

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But first we see these guys in the trees.

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On our way with a boat.

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In these rivers you find these nice animals also

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This “jesus christ lizard” is not walking on water....

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Water and trees.

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Gentle on the water and trying to spot wildlife trough the lense of the camera....

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Howler monkey.

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Very, very small bats on a overhanging branch.

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Kingfisher.

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Lovely little and quick birds these mangrove swallows.

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A few buildings you can find in the park....

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During our trip it continued to rain harder and harder...but we were almost dry on the boat

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Other kingfisher.

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Alone on a branch in a downpour.

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Heron.

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the other day it further on the move for us towards National Parc Rincón de la Vieja.

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Near Lago Arenal

102.
Moist and green.

 

[openlyJane]

Amazing wildlife.