 |
| Rain dripping off my Guarumo or Cecropia Tree |
I’m experiencing a wonderful afternoon rain as I post this. After a sunny morning.
See also my photo galleries on:
Tropical Blossom Haiku
 |
| In My Home Garden Atenas, Costa Rica |
-o-
INTERESTING NEWS FROM COSTA RICA:
Environmental agency orders suspension of pineapple farming project
which means that the American imperialists (Del Monte) cannot destroy any more of our wetlands and forests. Yay! I’m glad that the government here is defending our environment. This particular case is on the Osa Peninsula near Corcovado where I just traveled. Costa Rica is recognized internationally for protecting its land and environment and has 25% of the land set aside as national parks or reserves. And don’t feel sorry for Del Monte. There is plenty of legal land they can build pineapple farms on with plenty of cheap labor to make them rich!
which means that the American imperialists (Del Monte) cannot destroy any more of our wetlands and forests. Yay! I’m glad that the government here is defending our environment. This particular case is on the Osa Peninsula near Corcovado where I just traveled. Costa Rica is recognized internationally for protecting its land and environment and has 25% of the land set aside as national parks or reserves. And don’t feel sorry for Del Monte. There is plenty of legal land they can build pineapple farms on with plenty of cheap labor to make them rich!
The Dollar is at its highest value in Costa Rica right now, meaning a good time for U.S. people to visit or vacation or buy property here when you get more colones for the dollar, as much as C581 this article says. It had been at around 530 for a long time which was good, but this is better! 🙂 Best in the last 7 years says the article!
Maracas are Flourishing!
 |
| Maraca Plant or Shampoo Ginger My Garden, Atenas, Costa As always: Click Image to Enlarge |
I had the gardeners clean out my garden today, cutting back the plumbago which was taking over everything like a plant-eating monster and this is part of what was opened up. New surprises every day in a garden! And I used to be happy with one or two of these flowers! 20+ now! This sure is different from gardening in Tennessee! 🙂
See also My Garden Photo Gallery or the bigger FLORA & FORESTS gallery
Blue-Gray Tanager Haiku
Photos of Hotel Aguia de Osa, Drake Bay
 |
| My Front Porch Hammock & Bay View Aguila de Osa Lodge, Drake Bay, Costa Rica |
 |
| My Front Door & Outside Chairs Aguila de Osa Lodge, Drake Bay, Costa Rica |
 |
| My Room, All those windows have only screens. High ceiling with Fan! Aguila de Osa Lodge, Drake Bay, Costa Rica |
 |
| One of 3 Flights of Stairs UP to Rooms on Top of Hill Aguila de Osa Lodge, Drake Bay, Costa Rica |
 |
| One of 3 Flights of Stairs DOWN from Rooms on Top of Hill Aguila de Osa Lodge, Drake Bay, Costa Rica |
 |
| Exit Sign from Drake Bay Community Trail to Hotel Aguila de Osa Lodge, Drake Bay, Costa Rica |
 |
| 3 Meals a Day Overlooking the Bay Though some trips included a box lunch on the day trip Aguila de Osa Lodge, Drake Bay, Costa Rica |
 |
| Gourmet Meals Served Three Times a Day! Plus Happy Hour with Appetizers! Aguila de Osa Lodge, Drake Bay, Costa Rica |
 |
| Hotel’s Fleet of Boats is Important to Guest Transportation! Aguila de Osa Lodge, Drake Bay, Costa Rica |
 |
| As Are the Boat Captains! Aguila de Osa Lodge, Drake Bay, Costa Rica |
 |
| A Familiar Scene Coming and Going from the Hotel Aguila de Osa Lodge, Drake Bay, Costa Rica |
 |
| And the Hotel Pier is Really the “Front Door” to Hotel You get here by boat or by walking a trail. No road for cars. Aguila de Osa Lodge, Drake Bay, Costa Rica |
I loved it here! Being gone the bulk of the daytime on adventures kept me from missing air-conditioning, which in the hot and humid coastal rainforest would have been better for resting inside during the day. But who does that with all the things to do during the day? At night the ceiling fan was more than adequate and I actually turned it off two nights and used the blanket.
The tour possibilities, guides and all other staff were simply great in every way! One family went deep-sea fishing and the kitchen cooked one of their fish for their dinner that night and the rest of us got a little as part of the appetizers! The food was excellent as was the food service. I highly recommend Hotel Aguila de Osa for anyone considering Drake Bay. Of course I have not tried any of the other hotels here to compare. This was not my best birding location, but was very good and a big variety of total animals to see both in and out of the park. I was disappointed I did not see a wild Tapir, though people on other tours did. Wildlife is always unpredictable and sightings cannot be scheduled!
It is not easy to compare this to my visit to the southern end of Corcovado Park at Carate Village and the two inns of Luna Lodge and Lookout Inn. That was on a 2009 Birding Tour from the states and the link is to my old PBase Photo Gallery of the total trip that included San Gerado de Dota in the mountains, so more than Corcovado. It was my first trip to Costa Rica and I fell in love with the country immediately! I may have seen and photographed more birds on that trip, but this was a better and more relaxed trip with more variety. And though Luna Lodge is very nice with gourmet food, Aguila might have even better food and my room was better. But glad I’ve seen both ends of this great rainforest park! Next time I may try one of those lodges on the east side of park.
Though not made yet, I will soon have a “Trip Gallery” on this trip in a new area of my Costa Rica galleries simply called TRIPS. And of course as always I use every trip to increase my collection of bird photos and other categories of photos in my big gallery called Charlie Doggett’s COSTA RICA. If interested in Costa Rica you might enjoy exploring my galleries.
And this concludes the Blog reports on my recent Corcovado-Drake Bay trip, though more photos may pop up here in the future. A 6-day trip is the longest I have made since my move here and I like longer visits in the same location! A friend has scheduled a week-long trip here soon for birding and will be in a different hotel every night. He may see more birds but will be physically exhausted by the end of the week! I’m too old for that now! 🙂 Pura Vida!
My TRIPS Photo Gallery on this Drake Bay Trip
And my Lodges & Hotels of Costa Rica photo gallery
Costa Rica to soon unveil its first hydrogen-powered bus!
Water Scenes at Corcovado-Drake Bay
 |
| Sunrise from the Front Porch of My Room Aguila de Osa Lodge, Drake Bay, Costa Rica |
 |
| Little Stream on Hotel Property Aguila de Osa Lodge, Drake Bay, Costa Rica |
 |
| Complete with a Swinging Bridge! It connects a trail around the total bay. Aguila de Osa Lodge, Drake Bay, Costa Rica |
 |
| Pedrillo Falls Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica |
 |
| Little Falls Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica |
 |
| Part of the Continuous Beach Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica |
 |
| Ranger Station like this at both Pedrillo & Cañon Island Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica |
 |
| Part of the beach is rocky like this Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica |
 |
| Mangrove Boat Trip Drake Bay, Costa Rica |
 |
| Mangrove Floating Hyacinths & Dense Forests Drake Bay, Costa Rica |
 |
| And of course, lots of Mangrove Trees that grow in the brackish water and attract wildlife Drake Bay, Costa Rica |
My TRIPS Photo Gallery on this Drake Bay Trip
About Corcovado National Park (Wikipedia) and About Drake Bay (Wikipedia)
Flowers & Other Plants at Corcovado-Drake Bay
A little sample of the beauty of the rainforest:
 |
| A short street in the village of Drake Bay called “Hibiscus Way” Drake Bay, Costa Rica |
 |
| Red Hibiscus Drake Bay, Costa Rica |
Sorry, but I do not know the name of most of these flowers and other plants.
See also my Photo Gallery called Flora & Forests
My TRIPS Photo Gallery on this Drake Bay Trip
About Corcovado National Park (Wikipedia) and About Drake Bay (Wikipedia)
Trees & Forests of Corcovado-Drake Bay
Just a tiny sample of the lush forests around Drake Bay & in the Park:
 |
| This massive root structure is on property of Hotel Aguila de Osa Drake Bay, Costa Rica |
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
| Hotel Aguila de Osa Drake Bay, Costa Rica |
 |
| Mangoes on the ground for animals to eat or to rot Common all over Costa Rica this time of year – We can’t eat them all! Here on public trail through Aguila de Osa Hotel, Drake Bay, Costa Rica |
 |
| Mango Tree Along public trail Drake Bay, Costa Rica |
 |
| Public Trail Near Hotel Aguila de Osa Drake Bay, Costa Rica |
 |
| Park Trail, near Pedrillo Ranger Station Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica |
 |
| Bamboo at Aguila de Osa Lodge Drake Bay, Costa Rica |
See also my Photo Gallery called Flora & Forests
My TRIPS Photo Gallery on this Drake Bay Trip
Mammals & 1 Insect from Corcovado-Drake Bay
 |
| Malachite Butterfly Drake Bay, Costa rica |
 |
| White-faced Capuchin Monkey Drake Bay, Costa rica |
 |
| Red-tailed Squirrel Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica |
 |
| White-nosed Coati Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica |
 |
| Agouti Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica |
 |
| White-lined Bat Mangrove Forest, Drake Bay, Costa rica |
 |
| Proboscis Bat (said guide) or Gray Sac-winged Bat Mangrove Forest, Drake Bay, Costa rica |
 |
| Land Crab Mangrove Forest, Drake Bay, Costa rica |
 |
| Spotted Dolphin Near Cañon Island, Drake Bay, Costa Rica |
My TRIPS Photo Gallery on this Drake Bay Trip
About Corcovado National Park (Wikipedia) and About Drake Bay (Wikipedia)
Sunrise at Drake Bay
 |
| Sunrise from my cabin at Aguila Inn Drake Bay, Costa Rica |
You generally awake early here with 5 am sunrise, birds singing and today howler monkeys! Three of us guests had a 5:30 am two-hour birding walk down the bay to town of Drake Bay, up in the hills, and back to lodge for 8 am breakfast. A good morning, seeing a lot of birds, though my only camera is the cellphone, which means not as many photos. My camera has been in a bag of rice for two days, and still doesn’t work, so it may not be humidity. Just don’t know.
Relaxing around the lodge the rest of today with maybe a walk through forest. I’m posting this in the morning today, Friday, my last full day here. Tomorrow a relaxed morning here and a 2 pm flight back to San Jose and home by 4!
I highly recommend Aguila de Osa Inn! Relaxing place, fantastic food, great tours and other possible activities.
My TRIPS Photo Gallery on this Drake Bay Trip