Category: Hotels-Lodges

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“Up on the Farm”

Yeah, I know, the old expression is “down on the farm” but here I’m literally UP on a farm in the mountains north of Cartago, Costa Rica on the slopes of Turrialba Volcano. You do know that the best coffee is “mountain grown” and this farm grows coffee along with many vegetables and animals – and just happens to also have a small tourist hotel! 🙂

My room is the left upstairs window in that building seen here from the farm.

So on my arrival day I’m featuring a few photos about the farm location of my lodge/hotel, the Guayabo Lodge, the closest one to the archaeological site and National Monument Guayabo which I’m scheduled to visit tomorrow.

Not only am I sleeping on an active farm but also in a beautiful garden with flowers that mostly grow only in the mountains here. Maybe that will be tomorrow’s post since it will probably take a long time to process photos from the national monument tomorrow. 🙂

Here’s 7 favorite farm shots from my arrival day . . .

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South Pacific Parks to be Improved

Squirrel Monkey, Osa Peninsula

In Sunday’s Tico Times it was announced that Costa Rica’s National Parks located in the less-traveled South Pacific Area will receive the equivalent of $1.7 million USD infrastructure improvements which affects some of my favorite National Parks and Reserves like Marino Ballena, Corcovado, Piedras Blancas, Golfito Wildlife Reserve, and La Amistad International National Parks. I have visited all but La Amistad, the nearly inaccessible wilderness park on both sides of the Costa Rica/Panama border.

This will help tourism in that area and provide basic infrastructure needed with anything from a road or trail to a bathroom. Maybe even make La Amistad accessible to an old man! 🙂 They say this about it: “This protected area is vital for Costa Rica biodiversity and conservation. The rugged terrain and intense jungle make it difficult for tourists to visit. You won’t find convenient amenities there.” I slept 3 nights in the adjacent Bribri Yorkin Indigenous Reserve which is probably as close as I will get to that park.

Below are links to my “Trip Galleries” for parks in this area that are some of my favorites . . .

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Most Common Wild-Mammal for Me

Some tourism ads and photos/videos from visitors to Costa Rica make you think you will see Monkeys and Sloths everywhere you go, which is not true. Except for the aggressive White-faced Capuchin Monkey, all other monkeys are quite shy and elusive, but if you try, you can find them and photograph them all over the country, especially in the rainforests. Sloths are even more shy and difficult to see and photograph. But if you check my CR Mammals Gallery you will see the many photos I have of both monkeys and sloths or photos a total of 28 different mammals here! But the one wild mammal I see the most often and in the largest number is the White-faced Coatimundi or generally just “Coati” or the local Spanish name of “Pizote.”

Though in the Raccoon family, they are quite different and we do have raccoons here also! 🙂 See the “Treehugger” website’s 11 Interesting Coatimundi Facts. They live from Mexico south to the northern fringes of South America, so mostly a Central American animal. You frequently see them in large groups or families sniffing around the ground for grubs and beetles (feature photo at top), which is their favorite food, though they are omnivorous and do eat fruits, frogs, lizards, and other small creatures and plants. Read more on Wikipedia.

The shots below are some I made on my recent trip to Manquenque Lodge . . .

White-faced Coati, Costa Rica
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Maquenque Trip Gallery

In case you did not see the links in the last few posts, I have my trip gallery up and ready to visit in my big photo gallery. In some ways my “Trip Galleries” are my main photo galleries with them feeding specific theme galleries like Birds, etc. Plus if you are considering a visit to one of the places included, the photos will give you a good idea of what to expect. Click the print screen image of the gallery below or use this address: https://charliedoggett.smugmug.com/TRIPS/2022-February-14-19-Maquenque-Ecolodge-Reserve-Boca-Tapada

 “We take photos as a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone”

– Katie Thurmes

¡Pura Vida!

SALE ON MY PHOTO BOOKS – 25% OFF March 4-6 only with discount code: BOOKFAN in Bookstore

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Nature As Art

Or I sometimes say “Leaves & Nature Things” for photos from nature that I consider “The Art of God” or just “Nature As Art” which was the name of my photo business in Tennessee. These shots from my recent Maquenque Ecolodge visit are some that I consider “art” along with the landscapes already shared and of course the birds and other wildlife! 🙂 It is all art to me! One shot here for the emailed version of post, then a slide show of 10 more . . .

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Rainforest Vistas

Though I have mostly recovered from my cancer radiation treatments, I can tell from the quality of photos from this trip compared to the two other trips to Maquenque that I have not fully recovered in energy or creativity, but maybe these five shots will provide at least a glimpse of being in the rainforest here in Costa Rica.

Only on water or in a rare clearing can you see the sky which is often overcast as here.
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Mesoamerican Slider

They have been calling this turtle “Red-eared Slider” but it is actually a little different from the North American Red-eared Slider, so now they call it Mesoamerican Slider (Wikipedia) or the sub-species for Costa Rica & Nicaragua of Trachemys venusta uhrigi for you scientists. 🙂 I’m just sharing one photo of it from the lagoon or lake at Maquenque Ecolodge:

Mesoamerican Slider Turtle, Maquenque Ecolodge, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

See more in my Mesoamerican Slider Gallery.

And/or see the Maquenque 2022 Trip Gallery!

Maquenque 2020 Trip Gallery!

Maquenque 2019 Trip Gallery!

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Maquenque Iguanas

I did not include the “Green” in the title, though according to the books this area of Costa Rica has only Green Iguanas and none of the the Black or Spiny-tailed Iguanas, but all four of these photographed below are so different from each other, making me doubtful, even though I know that Green Iguanas come in all colors, have spiny tails, and frequently look like the other Iguana found on the Pacific Slope of Costa Rica. Here’s 4 different ones with all of them photographed on the Farm Hike at Maquenque Ecolodge, 17 February 2022. Note that the lodge is located on the Caribbean (Atlantic) Slope of Costa Rica which has only Green Iguanas according to the books.

Green Iguana, Maquenque Ecolodge, Boca Tapada
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Cool Spider Webs

I’m always amazed at the work of little spiders and really don’t try to photograph their work nearly enough! Early morning is the best time and seeing them at Maquenque on an early morning bird hike reminded me of early walks years ago in the Everglades National Park in the States with thousands of spider webs visible in early morning in those wetlands. Note that on the second or landscape photo below that the web looks like the spider wove a second web on top or an earlier one. Maybe common, but the first time I’ve noticed such.

Spider Web, Maquenque Ecolodge, Costa Rica
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