Dia Ocho -- Safari Night

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(Costa Rica is months ago, but I am determined to have it stay in the forefront of my mind by spacing out blog posts!) We've moved from the very comfortable surroundings near Manuel Antonio and traded them for a cabin about 1 1/2 hours north along the coast outside the small town of Tárcoles.

Cerro Lodge

Cerro Lodge

Here we found the Carara National Park (sadly, no time to explore) and the Tárcoles River with a fantastic river boat ride.

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In eight days we've moved from cloud forest lodge to beach resort and have now entered the true safari part of the trip, complete with rustic (but as we found out, quite comfortable) cabins with their most unique open-air baño, sans an outside wall. The main building is the general lounge and "restaurant" with picnic tables. It's covered by a roof but without walls or screens  It's like camp!

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Upon arriving at our new digs we immediately set off for the aforementioned river boat tour. Another wonderful guide who was part of the tidal river's sizable clean-up efforts some years ago. What joy he must feel knowing that all the garbage pulled from this river (it had been essentially a dumping ground) was now home to so much wildlife including crocodiles and countless birds.

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As I wait for my hair to dry in the humid night air and enjoy a tasty dinner served up in Crockpots, I'm again amazed by the incredible spottings from the afternoon:

  • Magnificent Frigatebird

  • Anhinga

  • Wood Stork

  • White Ibis

  • Boat-billed Heron

  • Yellow-crowned Night Heron

  • Great Blue Heron

  • Tri-colored Heron

  • Little Blue Heron

  • Snowy Egret

  • Great Egret

  • Tiger Heron

  • Green Heron

  • Northern Jacana

  • Black-necked Stilt

  • Whimbrel

  • Willet

  • Spotted Sandpiper

  • Black Vulture

  • Turkey Vulture

  • Creseted Caracara

  • Scarlet Macaw

  • Mangrove Swallow

  • Ringed Kingfisher

  • Green Kingfisher

  • Hoffman's Woodpecker

  • Tropical Kingbird

  • Rufous-naped Wren

  • Great-tailed Grackle

  • Blue-gray Tanager

  • Barn Sallow

  • Black-crowned Night Heron

  • Cattle Egret

  • Clay-colored Robin

  • Fiery-billed Acari

  • Cinnamon Hummingbird

Plus, American Crocodile, Black Iguana, Green Iguana and Jesus Christ Lizard.

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