Two Volcanoes Today!

Volcanoes Irazú and Turrialba are almost twin volcanoes with a road connecting the near tops of both in the rural vegetable farming mountains just northwest of the lodge. The rich volcanic soil is great for growing vegetables and many are shipped to other countries including the states.

Turrialba is active right now, so we saw it from outside that park, but I have photos below of both. My one disclaimer is that there is not as much to see at these two as the Poas Volcano north of where I live and I do have past posts and photo galleries on my two visits there, plus a gallery on my visit to Rincón de la Vieja northeast of Liberia which is more like a miniature Yellowstone with lots of bubbling mud pots, hot springs and fissures. And Tenorio is similar. But my favorite is Arenal Volcano National Park for birding! You only see the volcano from outside. They are all interesting! And Stijn was an excellent guide again today! He made photos of me on his phone which I don’t have to share yet. And later I may do a post on the many interesting flowers and a couple of insects I photographed at Irazú.

The principle crater at Irazú can still be active.

Below are separate galleries on Irazú & Turrialba with 5 shots from each . . .

Continue reading “Two Volcanoes Today!”

A Young Dutch Hero for Me

Yesterday morning Stijn (he pronounces it sort of like the English word “sang”) who is taking a year away from a university in Holland to “see the world” is for now a tourism intern here at Guayabo Lodge (after spending time first in Indonesia). He does all the jobs here including front desk, restaurant waiter, and was my guide to visit the archaeological site and National Monument Guayabo. We are kindred spirits as he too loves to travel and do nature photography. (He’s a good photographer too!)

Stijn and Charlie at Archaeological Site. beside a 2000 year old road.

Read on to see more photos of the archaeological site and then the stairs that I tumbled down last night when Stijn again came to my rescue. 🙂

Continue reading “A Young Dutch Hero for Me”

Gardens of Guayabo Lodge

I shot most of these photos on my arrival afternoon, Sunday. Please be aware that I’m in one of those places with a weak internet connection. Yesterday I uploaded the photos for the blog okay but when I tried to view them online I got only words with no photos showing up at all. If that is happening to you, you may see the photos I’ve chosen for the blog on the beginnings of my Gallery for 2022 April 3-8 Guayabo Lodge. Of course the gallery is incomplete until after the trip. For now it is an alternate way to see my blog photos if you are not seeing them as I could not yesterday, 🙂 And the problem may have been my blog host yesterday because I’m seeing them okay today! 🙂

Bird of Paradise Flower
Continue reading “Gardens of Guayabo Lodge”

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 . . .

Continue reading “South Pacific Parks to be Improved”

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
Continue reading “Most Common Wild-Mammal for Me”

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

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 . . .

Continue reading “Nature As Art”

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.
Continue reading “Rainforest Vistas”

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!

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
Continue reading “Maquenque Iguanas”