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Costa Rica: day 12 - Lapa Rios Flora & Fauna

I woke around dawn but went back to sleep. I got up after 6. We enjoyed our lovely morning coffee on our deck. Then for breakfast we had the famous panqueques Lapa Rios. Nick had his con frutas tropicales; I had banano y granola.

The Lapa Rios staff are so amazing also. When you go to breakfast they come in and clean the place. When you go out for dinner, they come in and prepare the place for night. They put the "day" pillows away for you and leave the goodnight note. The story of Lapa Rios is really neat and inspiring. They are a model in ecotourism and sustainability. Apparently no - or maybe one? - trees were cut down in the construction of the bungalows.

On the observation deck by the restaurant.



I also noticed some interesting epiphytes.


Particularly one that had a pattern of embossed dots, running in two parallel lines.



Termite mound.


As always, the walk back provided us with plenty of critters to see. Lizards, a spider, a lone bat roosting in the hut by the pool.





* * *

Lunch: the soup was gazpacho. Nick had pasta with basil and mushrooms. I had the salada verde a la tica con pescado. With blackberry (mora) juice. For dessert, Nick had tropical fruit. The chip of the day was plantain and the juice was tapa dulce con limón.

Again, the walk back to the bungalow we spotted lizards, spiders and squirrel monkeys. Today seems like a lazy day. We signed up for the Night Walk from 6-8 pm, but we were too late to sign up for the morning tours and weren't that interested in the afternoon ones. Though sunset birds might be nice. Darn! - We can't see the bats or iguanas anymore at the observation deck at the top of the spiral staircase because they're fixing the staircase.

I'm pretty sure this is bamboo, but I've never seen the yellow with green stripes part before.


From our bungalow's deck...


There's a lizard just off center in this picture...



Not sure what kind of grasshoppery thing this is. I love the coloration.



More monkey!


* * *

There's just so much to see in do in Costa Rica. The activities and tours are absolutely wonderful, but equally wonderful is just sitting back and relaxing, taking it all in. Being a spectator in this living zoo. And when you do this, you notice things and start putting them together. I especially enjoyed reading my Tropical Nature book on our deck and being able to look up from the pages and see words become illustrated in the surrounding jungle... I could watch the hummingbirds and insects buzz by, in search of their favorite flowers... (Read about what makes these certain flowers their favorite in my post on "Animal Pollination in the Tropics: Hummingbirds to Hawkmoths.")

next post > day 12 - Lapa Rios Night Walk
previous post > day 11 - Lapa Rios Lunch, Surf & Dinner
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