Down The River

No rain in Tamarindo as we got on the bus for our river trip. It was a bit of a ride to the river, but well worth it.

Boarding The Raft


As you can see, it wasn't a very big raft. On the other hand it was a fairly smooth ride. This was about as rough as it got, and was really just a ripple.

Shooting The Rapids


Although we were all wearing life-vests, we were told that we didn't have to worry about drowning anyway because the crocodiles would get you first.

Ferocious Crocodile


These crocodiles were just a bit bigger than the ones you used to be able to buy at pet stores. I suppose if about a hundred of them attacked you it could be serious, kind of like being attacked by piranhas. Maybe there were larger ones lurking out of sight and these were just to lull you into a state of overconfidence.

I was more worried about this fellow who loomed up unexpectedly.

The Real Danger


Luckily he didn't appear to be hungry and let us pass without an incident.

We did see a lot of wildlife, birds and bats and howler monkeys.

Birds


More Birds


The little bats were interesting. They were just kind of pasted up against the rocks and were about the size of a quarter. The white spots are lichen and the dark spots are the bats.

Tiny Bats


There are a lot of howler monkeys in Costa Rica and you can hear them almost every night once you get away from the larger cities. They are a bit more difficult to see though. This one was quite willing to pose.

Ready For Your Closeup


After a couple of enjoyable hours on the river we disembarked and headed for lunch.

Disembarking


A tasty tilapia lunch (not the one we were served, however).

Yummy


They do a lot of tilapia fish farming in Costa Rica so there is a good chance that the next time you buy some that is where it originated.

Our trip is coming to an end, but I think I can milk it for one or two more postings. You will simply be astounded my my visit to a..., you will just have to wait.