Pedro y Maria.
Tres Piedras
Pedro with the first of the pineapple crop.
Tres Piedras
Maria's and Pedro's place.
Tres Piedras
Maria and the interior of the house.
Tres Piedras
The living room at Maria's and Pedro's.
Tres Piedras
Sleeping quarters at Maria's and Pedro's.
Tres Piedras
In the kitchen at Maria's and Pedro's.
Tres Piedras
Master bedroom at Maria's and Pedro's.
Tres Piedras
The bodega at Maria and Pedro's, under construction.
Tres Piedras
The water tank. One part of an excellent story by Pedro.
Tres Piedras
Orb weaver.
Tres Piedras
Orb weaver and web.
Tres Piedras
View from the mirador near Maria's and Pedro's.
Tres Piedras
Pedro, Michelle, and Maria hiking.
Tres Piedras
Checking the catchment basin.
Tres Piedras
Testing the bridge on the way to the waterfall.
Near San Juan de Dios
On the trail to the waterfall.
Near San Juan de Dios
The waterfall.
Near San Juan de Dios
Keeping a wary eye on the intruders.
Near San Juan de Dios
Pedro enjoying a swim.
Near San Juan de Dios
Balsa fluff with seeds.
Near San Juan de Dios
On the way back to Tres Piedras.
Near San Juan de Dios
Allen, Pedro, and Maria at Vista del Valle.
On the InterAmerican Highway north of San Isidro
The caretaker's residence and common rooms.
Avalon Reserve and Biological Station
Pedro, Maria, and Allen at Avalon
Avalon Reserve and Biological Station
The rare and elusive perro verde.
Avalon Reserve and Biological Station
Michelle's and Allen's cabin at Avalon.
Avalon Reserve and Biological Station
Chickens and chicks.
Avalon Reserve and Biological Station
Wood-fired hot tub.
Avalon Reserve and Biological Station
Hiking in the cloud forest.
Avalon Reserve and Biological Station
Daniel captures the first of many frogs.
Avalon Reserve and Biological Station
An anxious forest resident.
Avalon Reserve and Biological Station
Luckily we have a guide who knows his way through this.
Avalon Reserve and Biological Station
Trout for dinner, from the farm up the road in Division.
Avalon Reserve and Biological Station
Daniel, the guide, chef, and plumber.
Avalon Reserve and Biological Station
Our room at the Hotel El Chirripo. The hotel's patio restaurant is a nice place to watch life in the main plaza in San Isidro.
San Isidro
Tico house where we enjoyed breakfast before hiking the Chirripo trail.
San Gerardo de Rivas
The Thermometer. Does it take your measure, or is it just really hot? (Julian, our guide, on the left.)
On the trail to Cerro Chirripo
Farms below us.
Cerro Chirripo trail
Bromeliad in bloom.
On the trail to Cerro Chirripo
Old Man's Beard.
On the trail to Cerro Chirripo
Probably a black-billed nightingale thrush.
On the trail to Cerro Chirripo
Flowers forming berries.
On the trail to Cerro Chirripo
Afternoon clouds moving in.
Cerro Chirripo trail
The lodge (Albergue Chirripo).
On the trail to Cerro Chirripo
Windows of the guest rooms at the lodge.
Albergue Chirripo
Our room.
Albergue Chirripo
Dining area.
Albergue Chirripo
Kitchen.
Albergue Chirripo
Los Crestones.
Albergue Chirripo
Starting the final trail to Cerro Chirripo.
Albergue Chirripo
Green lizards, common along the trail.
On the trail to Cerro Chirripo
...and they're startlingly blue underneath!
On the trail to Cerro Chirripo
Baru Volcano in Panama, visible at the right.
On the trail to Cerro Chirripo
Michelle and Julian.
On the trail to Cerro Chirripo
Chirripo Lake.
On the trail to Cerro Chirripo
The final stretch to the top of Cerro Chirripo.
On the trail to Cerro Chirripo
The last pitch leading to the top of Cerro Chirripo.
Cerro Chirripo
The Caribbean coast, barely visible.
Cerro Chirripo
Michelle and Julian at the top!
Cerro Chirripo
Allen and Julian at the top!
Cerro Chirripo
The trail back to the lodge. Pacific coast in the distance.
Cerro Chirripo
Looking towards Uran.
Cerro Chirripo
Looking towards the Poas and Irazu volcanoes.
Cerro Chirripo
Michelle and Julian enjoying Michelle's birthday lunch.
Cerro Chirripo
Clouds moving into Moraine Lakes valley.
Cerro Chirripo
Bunchgrass and Los Crestones.
Near the Chirripo lodge
Ice from water-supply pressure-relief valves.
Chirripo lodge
San Gerardo de Rivas.
From the Cerro Chirripo trail
Celebrating Michelle's birthday!
San Gerardo de Rivas
Our room. Beautiful space, gracious design, gorgeous tropical hardwoods.
Wilson Botanical Gardens
View of the mahogany tree from our balcony.
Wilson Botanical Gardens
Balcony of the dining room, site of much morning birdwatching.
Wilson Botanical Gardens
Dedication.
Wilson Botanical Gardens
Attractive bromeliad.
Wilson Botanical Gardens
Another species of bromeliad.
Wilson Botanical Gardens
Orchids.
Wilson Botanical Gardens
Outside our cabin.
Wilson Botanical Gardens
Heliconia.
Wilson Botanical Gardens
Our cabin, seen from the grounds below.
Wilson Botanical Gardens
Cicada shell.
Wilson Botanical Gardens
Queen of the Night.
Wilson Botanical Gardens
Queen of the Night.
Wilson Botanical Gardens
Michelle with the Queens of the Night.
Wilson Botanical Gardens
I've forgotten what this is called...
Wilson Botanical Gardens
Looking roughly north from a mirador.
Wilson Botanical Gardens
Plantains.
Wilson Botanical Gardens
Young pineapple (pina), a ground-dwelling bromeliad.
Wilson Botanical Gardens
Butterfly.
Wilson Botanical Gardens
Date palm flowers.
Wilson Botanical Gardens
Mahogany tree (bare during the dry season).
Wilson Botanical Gardens
Cicada.
Wilson Botanical Gardens
A stand of giant bamboo.
Wilson Botanical Gardens
Ginger.
Wilson Botanical Gardens
Balsa tree.
Wilson Botanical Gardens
One bird in the bush. (A Social Flycatcher.)
Wilson Botanical Gardens
A Cherrie's tanager on the bananas.
Wilson Botanical Gardens
Silver-throated tanager eating papaya.
Wilson Botanical Gardens
The primary colors of birds. (Blue-gray tanager, Cherrie's tanager, and green honeycreeper)
Wilson Botanical Gardens
No one gets any of *my* papaya. (Buff-throated saltator)
Wilson Botanical Gardens
Cherrie's tanager and groupies.
Wilson Botanical Gardens
Hummingbird at dusk. (Probably a beryl-crowned hummingbird, also known as the charming hummingbird)
Wilson Botanical Gardens
Blue-gray tanager.
Wilson Botanical Gardens
Green honeycreeper and silver-throated tanager.
Wilson Botanical Gardens
Fiery-billed aracaris in the mahogany tree.
Wilson Botanical Gardens
Fiery-billed aracari in flight.
Wilson Botanical Gardens
Crested Guan.
Wilson Botanical Gardens
The road to Palo Alto.
Somewhere near San Vito
Green water in the caldera. (Sometimes it's red.)
Irazu Volcano National Park
Allen waiting for the clouds to clear.
Irazu Volcano National Park
Lost souls in the ash plain.
Irazu Volcano National Park.
Coatimundi.
Irazu Volcano National Park
Malachite butterfly (Siproeta stelenes).
Butterfly Farm, La Guacima
Monarch caterpillar.
Butterfly Farm, La Guacima
Blue Morpho.
Butterfly Farm, La Guacima
A Heliconius butterfly; not sure exactly which species.
Butterfly Farm, La Guacima
A swallowtail butterfly (Genus Papilio; not sure which species).
Butterfly Farm, La Guacima
Owl butterflies emerging from the chrysalis.
Butterfly Farm, La Guacima