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Llanos de Cortés Waterfall
My waterfalls trip finally happened yesterday and here is the first of three we visited plus some other interesting sites that I will be sharing about in the coming days. Yesterday was a wonderful day in many ways and typical of my frequent adventures as a retiree in Costa Rica.
The Llanos de Cortés Waterfall (link to their commercial Facebook Page) which of course is Catarata Llanos de Cortés in Spanish! 🙂 And yes, it is spelled correctly for them and the adjacent community. The other spelling with a “z” instead of the “s” is simply a different family name. 🙂 I’m familiar with having a “different” family name. I’m Doggett not Daggett! 🙂
Last Shot from the Pacific
Of course there’s more photos and even more wildlife I haven’t shown like the White-nosed Coati and more butterflies, but I have them in the Christmas Trip 2021 Gallery, so check it out if you want more! 🙂
This was another favorite rainforest shot from Cristal Ballena that also includes the sea, so I just had to add it as my last post on that trip. As you can see, the rainforest not only surrounds the hotel, but flows all the way down to the ocean and the national park beach. It’s a beautiful place that I enjoy visiting and will probably go again someday. Now back to shots from my garden, the neighborhood and the little coffee farmers’ town of Atenas. For awhile anyway! 🙂 I’m trying to schedule a one-day waterfall trip and then in February I’m back to a tree house at Maquenque Lodge, Boca Tapada. 🙂
“If man doesn’t learn to treat the oceans and the rainforest with respect, man will become extinct.”
~Peter Benchley
Tico Times article: Costa Rica Tourism in 2022: Demand is back
Most Read Blog Posts 2021 is Humbling
I finally figured out how to get to historical statistics on my WordPress Blog/Website, wanting to see what kind of nature photos more people are interested in. Well, it was not my nature shots in 2021 but the posts labeled “Cancer Update” that all had over 200 readers or “hits” with none of my nature posts over 200 except the weird exception of an old one on a Truck Centipede. So THANK YOU for being interested in my health! It has been a long slow recovery still in process but I am so much closer to “normal” now and I was quite active on the last trip. I see my oncologist tomorrow and hopefully not many more times needed after that. 🙂
¡Pura Vida!
Flowers to Brighten the Day!
I have a whole gallery of flowers from the Cristal Ballena trip but here’s just five favorites to help brighten your day! 🙂
2022 Adventures Planned
As of today, I have only five of my typical six-night trips planned, less than the every two months goal, but I expect to add some 1, 2 or 3 day trips in-between! In fact, in January there is a day-trip planned for north of where I live to photograph 2 more waterfalls! That will be the last two photos I need to complete my next photo book on the Waterfalls of Costa Rica which I’m titling “WATERFALLS: The Music of Costa Rica.” 🙂
This year’s schedule includes two totally new places along with three repeats of Favorites! Below each of the 3 favorites I’ve added links to my photos from previous trips there. I can’t imagine having a better retirement than I have in Costa Rica! 🙂 There’s always something to look forward to in nature! And a growing Photo Gallery that I’m proud of! 🙂
And the “Feature Photo” at top of Post is also one from Captivo Lodge Website, the view from my room there – supposedly! 🙂
February in Maquenque Eco-Lodge Tree House
This is the lodge where I’ve photographed the largest number of bird species and where I get to sleep in a tree house near the birds and monkeys! 🙂 Photo at right is the “Tarzan” tree house room on my 2020 visit there. See the Lodge Website or my photos linked below from two previous incredible trips there:
April at Guayabo Lodge for Birds, Indigenous History & 2 Volcanoes
This is the first new location for me this year that will have a lot of good birding on campus and in a nearby private reserve, along with a visit to the Guayabo National Monument, an Indigenous Archaeological Site; plus Turrialba Volcano and Irazú Volcano, two of the biggest in Costa Rica that I have not seen yet. See the Lodge Website or specifics on these tours I plan to include from the hotel:
- Guayabo National Monument Tour (with video) or Monument Website
- Turrialba Volcano Tour or NP Website
- Irazú Volcano Tour or NP Website
- Birding in Aquiares River Reserve (owned by lodge)
July Birthday at Playa Cativo Lodge
This is the other new location for me on the other side of Piedras Blanca NP from an earlier favorite, Esquinas Rainforest Lodge, but this time on a beach on Golfo Dulce in an even wilder rainforest. See the Playa Cativo Lodge’s Website or YouTube has a lot of videos from there. The feature photo at top is the view I expect to have from my room and the dining room. 🙂
September Back to Quiet Banana Azul in Caribe
Check out the hotel’s website or see my photo galleries from 4 previous relaxing visits there:
Christmas Return to Arenal Observatory Lodge
Check out the lodge’s website or my photo galleries from two previous adventures:
- 2020 December 21-27 (also at Christmas)
- 2018-May 4-9
This is an all-around favorite for just about everything! They are 2nd only to Maquenque Lodge for the number of birds I photograph; one of best rooms & room visitas (I always get Room 29!) 🙂 ; excellent restaurant; fabulous forest trails; the tallest and best birding tower in Costa Rica; a beautiful waterfall; other wildlife besides birds; sitting at the base of the volcano; and close to multiple other great birding reserves and the biggest butterfly garden in the country! 🙂
See my CR Trips Gallery for all the places I’ve visited here.
Expect some stunning new photos in 2022! 🙂
¡Pura Vida!
Uvita Trip Gallery Completed
Click the above gallery image or:
https://charliedoggett.smugmug.com/TRIPS/2021-December-21-26-Cristal-Ballena-Uvita
Happy New Year!
¡Pura Vida!
Brown Booby – A Unique Bird
On the Whale-Watching Boat Tour we spent some time at “Whale Rock Island” watching two kinds of very unique birds, the Brown Booby and the Magnificent Frigatebird which I will post about next year, next week. 🙂 Read about the Brown Booby on eBird or see my Brown Booby Photo Gallery. I’ve seen them only one other time. Here’s three favorite photos from this trip . . .
Return Flight via Drake Bay
The return flight was from Palmar Sur, the closest airport to hotel but it has no ground crew, thus the co-pilot has to do everything from wheel blocks to loading luggage! 🙂 But Palmar Sur does have a new terminal building as does Drake Bay that we stopped in on the way back to San Jose and Drake Bay does have a ground crew! 🙂 I just love the sights from these short flights across Costa Rica. Below are 7 favorite shots from my return flight to San Jose . . .
Cachicama or Carton Wasp Nest
This one is almost identical to one seen recently in my gardens with the ID coming from whatsthatbug.com which I hope is scientifically based. 🙂 It was photographed on the hotel property which is considered a rainforest. See what the other one looked like in my Carton Wasp Nest Gallery.
¡Pura Vida!
Rhinoceros Beetle
Injured or with a broken horn was on my terrace Christmas Eve in Uvita until the maid got rid of him. They usually have a long black horn as long as his head width. This one seems to have been broken off. See my Rhinoceros Beetle gallery for what the horn usually looks like. He was at first on his back and could not roll over (lots of beetles have this problem!) as seen in 3rd photo of gallery. I turned him over for topside photos, then he later climbed up the outside door as shown in second photo of gallery.
There are so many strange and interesting insects in Costa Rica and some scientists say that there are still many that have not been identified or named yet. I have better photos in my Rhinoceros Beetle Gallery or you might like seeing the similar Hercules Beetle Gallery or another similar Longhorned Borer Beetle Gallery or for my whole collection of More Insects CR (non-butterflies) with more than 80 species of unusual insects I’ve photographed in Costa Rica. I think that insects are incredibly interesting!