Wednesday, 2/23/05
We're off again - down the steep mountain, through Cañas Dulces, and into Liberia for a brief stop for some to access an ATM machine and others to buy some medicines in the pharmacy. Arthur and I walked over to the central square, and on the way I bought more braid to make more Costa Rican flags for everyone. On the way down the mountain we saw more Indio Desnudo or Tourist trees (so called because they're always red and shedding). They are not like Madrone trees. Their new bark underneath the shedding bark is a dark green.

still Wed, 2/23/05
We drove down the Pan American Highway past where we had come onto it two days before, and then veered right to the Pacific Coast. Had lunch in an OK restaurant on the coast, and drove to our lodge at the edge of a national forest, which is part rainforest and part dry forest. It is extremely hot down on the coast at sea level, so we felt blessed to find out that our rooms were air-conditioned. Ours even came complete with a resident legartijo in the closet!

still Wed, 2/23/05
After a short rest, we met to go on a small tour boat through the mangrove swamps. Our guide was great! We saw great blue herons, small blue herons, egrets, pink spoonbills, cute mangrove swallows (that followed the boat), crocodiles all over the place, multi-colored herons, pelicans, Brahman cattle bird. As we were boating back at sunset we saw a large flock of scarlet Macaws, many trees full of pelicans, a tree full of Brahman cattle birds (like ornaments all over the tree) and a tree full of mangrove swallows. Each bird type looked like it had its own condominium.

still Wed, 2/23/05
Back to our lodge to have dinner - which was by candlelight since the electricity went off.