Back to writing in a word document until I have internet access. It is about 7:40 here now on a Saturday evening.

So as I suspected there is no wireless here at the sanctuary even though it is boasted on the website. There is, however, a single Ethernet cord. I will give that a spin at some point tomorrow maybe. The two restaurants in town have wifi so I also may be grabbing a drink and taking advantage of the internet there occasionally. I just won't have the internet access that I have had in the past few months. Surprising, no? Better internet access in the middle of rural Costa Rica than there is here.

I was picked up by a shuttle at my hotel in Alajuela at 6 am today. All of us in the shuttle had the final destination of Montezuma or Cabuya. We were taken to Puntarenas where we unloaded and hopped on a ferry. This trunk I have, however monkey proof, is a pain in the ass to haul around. The ferry was maybe and hour or so long. It was quite a fun little scene. A little dance party broke out on the top deck. Very fun. The group of us were met by another shuttle that took us to Montezuma and then Cabuya. Cabuya is tiny, but still very close to the sanctuary. Almost hard to call it a town though.

The sanctuary I will have to write about at a later date. At least in more detail, that is. I got a little tour of it and the basic layout, but that is really about it. Racking through my brain there are 9 volunteers. There are more, but I'm not sure how many. So it is very different than Osa in that respect. And others as well. Back to the people though. I am still getting the feel of everyone here, but every seems incredibly nice. There is at least one other person who is also in the middle of a gap year as well.

A small group of volunteers went to a “Full Moon Party” in Mal Pais tonight. I think they are expecting a couple thousand people. I decided I would stay around here for my first night and I had just been traveling all day. There are two taxis arranged to bring people back. One at midnight and another at 3 am. The day starts at 8:30 tomorrow. Sunday is the late day and the rest of the week is 7:45. I'm still not completely positive of the layout of the day. I think it pretty much works out to be about 36 or so hours a week.

I went to the super down the road to get groceries earlier as well. All very quick and easy foods. Loaf of bread, peanut butter, jelly, tortillas, refried beans, tuna, mayo, Lizano, and peanuts in the shell. Came out to be about 12,000 colones. We'll see how long this food lasts now. I've also discovered that there is usually some various fruits and vegetables that are up for grabs. Mary orders them all for the animals, but always orders too much because she gets a good price. So tonight I had two pb&j, peanuts, and two bananas. The water up here at the cabin comes from a spring so I'm not worried about drinking it. The water down at the sanctuary comes from some mystery source so I think I'll avoid that for now. Although I probably have a stomach of steel by now...

My night in Alajuela last night was pleasant. I had one roommate in the dorm-style room I was in. She was from Argentina. Very interesting accent. Eduardo, the owner, is very nice and also an incredible artist. Many of his works are around the hostel. He left for a little while and another guy took over. Also very nice. Talked with him for a bit. He speaks very good English and actually spent two years in Arizona while in high school. My roommate, him, and I played some dominoes and chatted. We then listened to music on my computer and ended by watching a movie. Turned out to be a bit later night than I had planned. Got to bed at about 11:30. I'm sure I'll sleep like a rock tonight. I'm crashing in the hammock tonight because tomorrow I'm stealing a bed from someone who is leaving to stay in a hotel in Cabuya. She is freaked out now because one of our goats got attacked by a jaguar. Quite honestly, I think that is a great thing! It means there are large felines in the area. They may pose a threat to livestock, but they don't attack humans. 

Here is a map of the Nicoya Peninsula. I am down near the tip of the peninsula pretty much in Cabuya.

Here are some more pictures from the sanctuary that I just left.

This is the baby Bat Falcon that I spent a good deal of time with. Probably will never fly due to a broken wing.

Rainsong

Tomorrow is my last full day here at Fundacion Santuario Silvestre de Osa. On friday I am catching the noon flight into San Jose. From there I will be going to Hotel Cortez Azul. I am spending the night there and catching a shuttle to Rainsong at 6 am the following morning.
Quite honestly, I'm not feeling terribly reflective right now. At some point I hope I can write about my experience here in retrospect. I haven't been in much of a blog-writing mood in this past week or so. I just feel it is due time for a post however short it may be.

It was nice to see Maria even though she was only here for three days really. The other two volunteers are wonderful. Probably in their mid 20's? All in all they plan on being in Costa Rica for 3 months. They spent their first week in Puerto Jimenez working for some dude. Can't remember exactly what they did. But they tired quickly of that and came here after hearing about this sanctuary. Matt is a great cook! mmmmm. His girlfriend is also incredibly nice as is he. They have been great company and it was just really bad timing. They plan on being here for about a month. Sweetie has taken quite a liking to him. In quite an odd way. She is incredibly possessive over him. She will get very aggressive if someone else touches him or acts aggressive towards him when she is around.

Today we moved little Joey, our baby kinkajou, into a large cage with Marta, our older kinkajou. They seem to be getting along quite well in fact. Not that much is known about them so we didn't really know what to expect when putting them together. One publication says they are social animals while another says solitary. One says polygamist and one says monogamous.
In Spanish these guys are called 'Martilla'. It means hammer. Claws of the hammer. These little guys can shred open green coconuts. Carnivores, but they are adapted to be frugavores. Used to be called a primate. No. It can collapse it's palm, but it cannot do the thumb to index finger action that you must be able to do in order to be a primate. So they are in the same family as raccoon and coatis. I really could go on and on about these guys. I have a whole speech for every animal that I use for my tours.

This here is Joey---right after he peed on me.

And here is Marta. Incredibly cute, but take a look at those claws.

We also got an owl recently that had gotten hit by a car. His right eye is worthless. Definitely can't see out of it, but it doesn't seem to be infected though.

I took quite a few great pictures a few days ago. Unfortunately they were on Maria's camera and she left before I had a chance to upload them from her camera

I am going to go now, but as soon as I get a chance I will update with how Rainsong Wildlife Sanctuary is. According to the website there is wireless access at the sanctuary. But if I have learned that here in Costa Rica, that can mean absolutely nothing. This is the country, afterall, that not even the phone company will pick up their phone when you call.

8 more days

Completely unrelated to Costa Rica news.
Thanks to my lovely mom, I now have a ticket to go see 'Wicked' at DPAC on May 14. So excited for it! I've only been to DPAC once to see Leonard Cohen and can't wait to return. I've also heard such great things about Wicked.

Not that I've been all up in the news, but because it is getting closer I have been hearing a bit more the presidential election here in Costa Rica. Voting will be held on February 7th. It is between Laura Chinchilla and Otto Guevara (who I believe is Oscar Arias's handpicked choice). Right now the polls show Laura ahead by 4 or 5 percent. The thought I've been hearing is that she is the most likely to win because Ticos seem to vote out the current party at each election.

It sounds as if Maria is going to return just for the weekend. Probably come in tomorrow. Also two new volunteers are arriving tomorrow. A couple from somewhere in North America. Age-wise I'm not sure, but Earl said he thinks 20's. I have no idea of their duration here, but I will likely leave before them. After all, I leave here on the 29th. Right around the corner.

Another item of note. I've found myself thinking in Spanish more and more over maybe the last month or so. Never anything complicated, but a great realization none the less.

Pictures are not uploading for some reason or another...I will upload pictures when I can whether it is editing this post or a totally new one.

Lebowskito

So we have named the little anteater 'Lebowskito'. This came from us informally calling him 'Little Dude' for the past few weeks.

I am sorry to say that there hasn't been much else new to write about. Just kind of ready to move on. Had a good time here, but days are getting monotonous. Also the lack of other volunteers has been a disappointment.

I also feel as if I have exhausted my photos.

Kind of pointless post, but oh well.

Hasta el proximo vez.

Tengo hormigas...Usted quiere?

There are ants inside my computer. This worries me. Slightly. Not exactly sure what to make of it. My first reaction was something along the lines of, "this is really bad". But it might not be. I don't know how deep they are inside. I'm afraid to unscrew the computer in fear that for one reason or another I won't be able to put it back together. I just occasionally see ants climbing out from under keys. I suppose we'll just see where this goes.

Yesterday I went into Golfito to pick up a squirrel monkey. We were told it was little, emaciated, and weak. The boat left the sanctuary at about 4:30. I didn't get back until 7. The water was very rough. We had to go slower than usual and I had to take more ibuprofen than usual afterward. Well...minus the ibuprofen part, but it was quite a bumpy trip. At least it wasn't raining. Got to Golfito and then waited for maybe 15 or so minutes for the person from MINAE to bring the monkey. Pretty good for tico time. The monkey was brought in a cardboard printer box so I transferred him to the dog carrier I brought which had some blankets and a hot water bottle. Poor little guy looked incredibly weak. I got him situated in the boat the best I could to minimize the stress from the wind and bumpy ride. Even with the effort, it had to be hell for this monkey. So the whole trip back was after it was already dark. Very pretty time to travel in the Gulf. Starry sky and cooler air. Again, I was able to see the flourescent zooplankton in the wake of the boat. (Lo siento Senor Pruitt---No tengo fotos. Yo olvide mi camera un otro vez. Y cuando el caucel estuvo afuera de la caja/cama de el ayer, no tuve mi camera tambien. Voy a explicar el caucel en un momento. Por favor no me golpea demasiado duro). I really hope I have the opportunity to snap a picture of this at some point before I leave. It really is pretty amazing. Got him back here at about 7. We got about 5 mL of Pedialyte (for hydration) down him fairly easily. Earl went to go fill another syringe of Pedialyte and while I was holding him he died. Not terribly surprising considering how he looked though unfortunately.
Two days ago Earl went into Golfito to get another Squirrel Monkey. This one was sent to San Jose because it couldn't use it's back legs. After various tests it was concluded that he has a lesion on his spinal cord. He is being given a nerve regeneration drug. We'll just see how that goes for now.

Yesterday during the tour we were very lucky to see our margay (in Spanish, Caucel). They are pretty much an arboreal cat. They look like a long, lanky house cat. Also they are nocturnal so it is pretty rare to see him out of his dark wooden box during the day. I had seen him for only a moment a couple other times, but yesterday he was out and walking around the tree branches in his cage. This is a very pretty cat. Of course I didn't have my camera though.

Poppy, the pregnant spider monkey, has yet to give birth. We keep saying, "any day now".

Mom and dad. In the background is the little town of Boquete, Panama.

Pictures are uploading very slowly so this will have to suffice for today.

Where do I start?

Sorry, I am way overdue for an entry. I really should have written down some notes every other day or at least once in this past week or so.

So as I mentioned in my last post, my parents were down here. 11 days in Costa Rica and 10 days with me. Yesterday I came back to the sanctuary. I had to catch the launcha out of Jimenez to go to Golfito where I was picked up. My parents had a 12 o'clock flight out of Jimenez back to San Jose. They spent the night there last night and today flew back to the states. Slightly envious of them. The hotel, Casa 69, is just wonderful.

So after we left San Jose after two nights there we flew out to Puerto Jimenez via my new favorite airline, NatureAir.

After arriving in Jimenez we were met by a taxi which took us to Danta Corcovado Lodge. Danta Lodge is an eco-lodge north of  Jimenez on the Osa Peninsula. Danta is another name for the Tapir. A tapir can be said to resemble a large pig or a small cow with a nose that looks (to me) like a very short elephant trunk. They can be hundreds of pounds.They have very endangered and you are lucky to see one. We, sadly, did not see one. My family and I spent 3 nights at that lodge. On the second day there (I think?), we went on a day-long hike into Corcovado National Park. It is the largest chunk of primary forest in Costa Rica. Because of this it also has huge amounts of wildlife, including the largest population of Spider Monkeys. But without a guide it can be hard to spot a lot of the wildlife. We heard plenty of it, but saw very little besides small birds, lizards, and dead agouti. This hike involved crossing the Rio Rincon multiple times. By multiple I mean maybe 20 times. It is a shallow river and it helped to keep a bit cooler. On the other full day we were there we visited the sanctuary so my parents could see where I've been for the past month plus and see all the wildlife. We went on the 9 o'clock tour that Earl gave and then stayed for lunch.

My dad and Sweetie.

White-faced Monkey/Capuchin

Joey, the Kinkajou, after he peed on me.

My mom and Sweetie.

The bathroom at the lodge was beautiful. There are not many times in life when you would like to put a few chairs in your bathroom to kick back and relax.

Our next leg of our adventure was Panama. We might have taken all types of transportation available to man. We caught the 11:30 launcha to Golfito, taxi to the border, bus to David, taxi to Boquete. (Buses are loads cheaper, not too much slower, and a great experience we came to find out. On our way back out of Panama we took almost all the same transportation, but just traded in one taxi for a bus).

Boquete was a very pretty little mountain town. Unfortunately becoming more and more Americanized. It has a gated gringo community and lots of retirees from the states. The temperature was the coldest I had felt since leaving the states. It wasn't unbearable, but I just didn't have the warm wardrobe for it. During dinner on our first night there we got into talking with two women sitting at the table next to us. We then came to find out that one of them lives in Boquete and is a massage therapist. Jackpot. Made an appointment for the next morning and was able cross that off my list. Well, it is always on my list...and I do have a few knots that could use lots of attention. This is beside the point. The next morning we went to her house. I got my massage while my parents sat out on her beautiful back porch and chatted with her husband. After that we went for lunch and then on a hike in the northern part of the town. We had aimed for a trail called the Quetzal Trail, but I don't know how much we were on it. It was very nice to see the many indigenous people who lived up in the mountain. They lived without electricity and definitely didn't own a car.
The following day my dad and I went on a canopy tour. 12 zip lines and 13 platforms in the canopy of the rainforest. It was very exciting. At first I was very worried. More because it was cold and rainy. As soon as we started the zip lines the cold was no problem. Probably all the adrenaline washed the cold away. My dad bought a cd of pictures of our group going through the canopy, but without a disc drive on this computer I wasn't able to put them on it. I have a few my dad took his camera and the others will have to wait until I return to the states.

Not the most attractive picture of me, but it will do.

As we were finishing up and back on the ground.

The place we stayed at was felt very cushy and Americanized. Not what we were aiming for. Don't get me wrong--it was beautiful, but just not the usual kind of place we stay.

I never want to cross the border between Costa Rica and Panama ever again. Although everything is a lot cheaper there.

After we left Boquete we went back to Puerto Jimenez and stayed the night at Cabinas Jimenez. I definitely could have spent more than one night there. I really like Puerto Jimenez as well.
So now I'm back here at the sanctuary. I will be here until the 29 of this month, thus making it 2 months at this sanctuary and approximately 2 months, 3 weeks in Costa Rica.

Lots of good sinks at the places we stayed.

I really will pick up my posting rate given that there is worthwhile things to post about.

Gracias a mis padres por los fotos.

Saludos

Sorry it has been a while since I last posted.
My parents got in on the first. I flew into San Jose and took a cab to the hotel where they were already. Quite nice to finally see them again. Their trip was fairly smooth as well.
Our hotel was called Casa 69. Really a nice hotel. An oasis in the middle of busy, dirty, unattractive San Jose. The barbed wire around it could be a bit misleading, but inside it was very pretty and cozy. The owner, Kurt, always loves a good laugh. The breakfast as delicious as well. Fresh bread, fresh fruit, good coffee, fruit juice (mango or papaya and pineapple), and if you so chose you could pay and get some eggs or bacon, and such.
San Jose was a lot colder than I remembered it. Very windy as well. There is very little wind in the rainforest.

One view of our hotel room in San Jose.

Waiting on our food at a Lebanese restaurant in San Jose.

Currently we are at Danta Lodge which is on the Osa Peninsula just north of Puerto Jimenez, where we go into to get food and supplies for the sanctuary. It is very nice here. We have a little bungalow to ourselves. There are private trails to walk, activities such as canopy tour or kayaking, or just lounging around. Tomorrow, though, we are going to the sanctuary so my parents can see it and get a tour. We will also have lunch with Earl and Carol.

On a bit of a sadder note. I think I may be pregnant. I puked in the new year. Nothing at all happening to celebrate at the sanctuary so I just went to sleep and set with an alarm set for 11 p.m. I woke up twice before midnight to throw up and once after. But by morning, I felt completely normal and it hasn't happened since. Quite strange.

I was not on this plane. Long story short, my bag was though. (I knew fully it was and this wasn't a problem.) I was reunited with my bag. This seemingly flat wheel survived take-off and landing. Planes don't spend a long time on the ground, but just enough to make me slightly concerned.

I meant to post this picture in the last blog, but I forgot. This is Raja, our Jaguarundi. I don't remember this one's story, but I will have to get it again.

Hasta pronto!