charliedoggett.net
 |
| Sunset Over the Pacific From our little 12 passenger Sansa airplane on the hour-late flight back to San Jose. Along the West Coast of Costa Rica ¡Pura Vida! |
 |
| Tractor Cart takes 5 of us and two guides into one of the wildest of parks. It was all day with two “lifer” birds and swimming at a waterfall. Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica |
Possibly my best park visit yet and with two of my favorite guides and two lovely couples, one from Switzerland and one from Germany. And all six young people doted on this old man. But I just finished dinner and too tired to sort and label nearly 1,000 photos, so the report might get spread over the next few days. I’m exhausted and off to bed at 8:00! And tomorrow I return to Atenas, so it could take awhile.
 |
| Red-eyed Tree Frog Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
 |
| Long-billed Hermit Hummingbird Sleeping Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
 |
| Baby Basilisk Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
 |
| Tropical Rainforest Frog Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
 |
| Katydid Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
 |
| Fleur-de-lis Spider Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
 |
| Fleur-de-lis Spider hiding in curled dead leaf Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
 |
| Blue Morpho Butterfly Sleeping They are bright blue on top with underside like an owl butterfly Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
 |
| Red-eyed Tree Frog Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
I got a new guide for this hike who specializes in night hikes, a more mature man than the 18 year-old David. He was really good and helped make some of the photos. His name is Jairo, but the way everyone pronounced it, sounded something like “Hydel,” I almost backed out of the hike because of the light rain and sure glad I did not. Today’s hike in the park was postponed until tomorrow (Friday) because I was the only one going today and they need a minimum of two to afford it. There’s 5 of us for tomorrow. But they do the night hike solo and I was glad as the only one because I got more attention and probably saw/photographed more creatures!
 |
| Baño Frog Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
 |
| Large Cave-man Bathroom (outdoors or out of screened-in area, but private) The lizard behind the mirror is art – not real. But we have real ones too! Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
 |
| Eagle Holds the Shower Head And not shown, a snake is one of the towel hooks Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
This has been a very interesting “rustic” lodge where I cannot wear shoes inside my room, the dining room or the lobby area. That part reminds me of Lookout Inn at Carate with the same rule. The food has been excellent, sort of a blend of Gourmet Tico with items like gazpacho or pumpkin soup before dinner, but still plenty of beans and rice if wanted and all kinds of meat dishes with lots of different veggies and salads. Most tours are with their guides, but a few like kayaks in the bay or the zip-line are provided by other vendors that Danta transports you to. Tomorrow’s park hike will be with one of the Danta guides and they provide our sack lunches and car to park entrance.
 |
| Chestnut-backed Antbird Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
 |
| Yellow-throated Toucan Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
 |
| Yellow-throated Toucan Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
 |
| Masked Tityra, male & female building a nest Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
 |
| Streak-headed Woodcreeper Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
 |
| White-tipped Dove Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
 |
| Red-lored Parrot Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
 |
| Scarlet-rumped Cacique Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
 |
| Scarlet-rumped Cacique Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
 |
| Golden-hooded Tanager Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
 |
| White-shouldered Tanager Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
 |
| Dusky-capped Flycatcher Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
 |
| Clay-colored Thrush Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
 |
| Chestnut-sided Warbler Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
 |
| Charming Hummingbird Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
These are in no particular order, just as they came out of the camera. This was my main activity today. Tomorrow I go to the national park for most of the day. My only new species today are the White-shouldered Tanager and the Scarlet-rumped Cacique.
 |
| Whale’s Tail Beach Uvita, Costa Rica |
 |
| Landing Strip Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica |
 |
| Driving Out of Puerto Jimenez On 30 Minute Drive to Danta Corcovado Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica |
 |
| My Huge Bedroom! A pleasant surprise when shown to my cabin. Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
 |
| Outside Entrance to My CabinDanta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
 |
| Daaaaa – viiiid Welcome receptionist, bartender, waiter, and sometimes cook! Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
 |
| Unknown Lizard (I will look him up when I get home, probably an Ameiva) Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
 |
| Unknown Insect (Look him up at home too!) On my cabin screen, outside! Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
At 6:45 AM my driver takes me through suburban traffic to the airport and the start of one of my more pleasant experiences here, flying in a small plane over the magical mountains to the ocean, Pacific this time. Though the pilot was too close, I still got a different view of “Whale’s Tail Beach” at Uvita and a different view of the landing strip in Puerto Jimenez.
A thirty minute drive to Danta Corcovado is a whole lot easier than the rough hour and a half drive to Carate on the other side of the park (my 2009 trip). Like everywhere in Costa Rica all the people are so welcoming and always smiling. My driver Eduardo helped me with my Spanish and got me to David (pronounced Daaaaa-viiiid here) as the receptionist and later the waiter and bartender in the restaurant. He arranged three tours for me and also put up with me speaking Spanish poorly to him. I later met the birding guide who is also named David.
By noon I was hotter than I can remember ever being here but a little afternoon shower has cooled it down and the two fans in my room help! Ooops! Just as I got to the WiFi spot in lobby the little shower turned to a long and heavy downpour!
I was expecting more primitive housing, though some of you might consider this primitive. I’m basically in a large screened-in porch on a platform above ground with a solid tin roof. Plus I have mosquito netting for my bed. Only cold water, but in the hot tropical humidity, that is what one prefers. The bed is very comfortable and the bathroom is chic primitive and big!
Tomorrow is my morning bird hike and evening night hike. Thursday will be the hike into Corcovado Park – all day! Friday and Saturday will probably be around the property here unless I decide to add another tour. And for unknown reasons Sansa canceled my Sunday flight back, so I am now on a Saturday evening flight home, meaning one less night here. And now you are all caught up on this trip for now! – The adventure continues!
 |
| Corcovado is the largest protected coastal rainforest in Central America Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
 |
| My Room is basically a wall tent on platform with mosquito netting on bed. Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
 |
| Lobby and Dining Room feature rustic furniture and I will eat lots of beans & rice, other basic Tico food Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
 |
| Hope I get this close to an Anteater! And maybe a Tapir! Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
 |
| Night Hike promises frogs, snakes, insects & surprises! Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
 |
| It is one of the few places for the endangered Squirrel Monkey Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
My days will be filled with hiking on the lodge trails on my own, and tours with professional guides
for a birding hike, interior of park hike, kayaking a river, a night hike, and possibly a visit to an indigenous people village, panning for gold, or I might even be ziplining above the forest. This could be one of my most adventurous trips since moving here. All of the above photos were copied from the internet, but I hope to return with many more of my own! They are suppose to have wifi in the lobby, but I doubt it will be strong enough for regular nightly posts. We will see! I had scheduled 5 nights, but this afternoon, Monday, Sansa Airlines canceled the Sunday flight, so I now come back Saturday evening. Adventure is good! said Aesop
 |
| When I got there the ropers from the nearby agricultural university were doing roping trick – very good! Festival de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| FlashBack, the gringo oldies rock band played for two hours, 1-3 – Then others but I’m gone. Festival de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| The original benefactor of the food festival. Festival de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| You paid 3,000 Colones (about $5) and got to sample 20 different international food entries & vote on the best. Festival de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| Individuals & restaurants donated small portions of food to taste. Festival de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
For more photos of food and other vendors, see my gallery 2018 Festival de Vida
 |
| When I left at 2 PM today we were up to 30-something newly registered voters! Festival de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| Mid-day entertainment was mostly dancing today. Festival de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| We did hear the community marching band play. Festival de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| And several dance studios show off their work. Festival de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| Another dance studio. Festival de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
And remember that big name bands & singers are at night, too late for this old man! 🙂
 |
| A food truck showed up today! (Maybe from San Jose) Festival de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| The two most popular foods at these gatherings are Ceviche (raw seafood soup that I don’t eat!) and Granizados (Snow Cones) Festival de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| And next most popular is grilled chicken on a stick with a tortilla of course! Or sometimes it is grilled pork. Festival de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| It is called ceramicas here and just one of many art vendors. Festival de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| Including colorful candles and lots of jewelry . . . |
More photos have been added to my photo gallery on the 2018 Festival de Vida
 |
| It took 6 of us to register 12 new absentee voters this morning and hopefully the afternoon shift will do an ever better job! 🙂 Festiva de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| Registering American Absentee Voters Learn more at https://www.votefromabroad.org/vote/home.htm Festiva de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| During just the first morning we had a guitar-playing singer, DJ, and this Red Cross group drumming on exercise balls and dancing. Interesting! Along with many tables selling food, arts & crafts. Festiva de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| Festiva de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
