Costa Rica Eco and Adventure Travels

It been quite a while since I've made an entry to this blog. Personal quiet time is hard to come by for me. Recently though, I was fortunate enough to travel to beautiful Costa Rica for an Eco-Adventure that I'll never forget. Throughout ten days we traveled from the east, to the central valley and finally ending on the Pacific coast of the country. At times, the areas we traveled ranging through rivers, lakes, volcanos, cloud forest and beaches were quite remote, but always the Ticos (Costa Rican people) were incredibly hospitable and kind.

Some friends and family have asked to see pictures so I'm sharing a link to a video with some of the photographs and clips we took along the way. My only regret though, was missing the opportunity to catch one moment that was incredibly beautiful. It will always be engraved in my mind. I wish I could share it visually, but imagine traveling though the dirt roads of a remote countryside with scattered minuscule towns and very humble corrugated tin roof homes. As we drove by one of thoses homes in the drizzling rain, there was a girl about 8 years old in her yard, barefoot and in colorful dress. With arms outstretched to both sides and face turned up to the sky she was spinning. Her huge smile radiated pure joy. I'll never forget that moment. So much joy from just being alive, being in the moment with no fancy toys, no one else, just the rain. That's how I'll remember Costa Rica. That's how I felt in those forests, jungles and beach... pure joy in being alive, the meaning of "Pura Vida".

Not Naked, But Still Afraid: Shark Valley

Sometimes, the things we fear the most are the least of our problems. It's the unexpected things that cause the most damage. Such was the case on a bicycling trip to the Florida Everglades that my husband and I naively embarked on April 25th. Don't get me wrong. This is a wonderful place to visit. It's the only such ecosystem in the whole world. Go visit in the winter unless you're in really great shape, up to the challenge or Survivor Man. Take this post as a "what not to do" example. I would do it again... in the winter that is.

Mile 0:

We started out early morning excited and ready for a 15 mile bike ride at one of the four visitor centers of Everglades National Park known as Shark Valley. The park is a paved loop into and out of the swamp. We pretty much knew that if we didn't do it this day, we would have to leave the ride for next winter/early spring season. The scorching heat makes it pretty unbearable in the summer. Everything started out ideally with a bright day and a nice breeze blowing towards us. We were prepared with plenty of water, mosquito repellent, sunscreen, a lets do it attitude and surrounded by plenty of other cyclists as the journey began. As soon as we pedaled away from the visitor's center the excitement started. Immediately, we spotted alligators, slithering snakes, hawks, giant snails and water birds! Photographers with two foot lenses clicked away at close-ups of the gators. I guessed they weren't aware that they can sprint at about 30 miles an hour for short distances. 

Mile 2:
The further we rode, the more people we left behind until we were pretty much alone. At one point in the middle of the solitude, we ran into a handful of German tourists going in the opposite direction. They probably started the loop on the other end. Their fuchsia colored skins were glistening with sweat and looked like they were about to burst into flames. With glassy eyes focusing forward, they weren't smiling. I brushed it off thinking they just weren't used to Miami heat or exercise. Onward and forward we continued.

Happy go lucky before we knew what was in store for us.

Baby Alligators basking on a rock.

Slithering snake

Mile 4:

I start worrying about my husband. He's not used to cardio and he's looking winded and starting to sweat... A LOT. I keep nagging him to drink water and make excuses to stop when I see a patch of shade. Miami decided to break a temperature record today. It was somewhere in the mid 90's with a heat index probably of 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mile 5.5:

Wait, could it be?! I think I see the tower at the halfway point of the loop. It's so far that I can cover it with the tip of my thumb. I ask my husband if he could see it, but he's blinded by the sweat in his eyes. The breeze is still with us, but now it feels more like someone pointing a hot blow dryer in my face.

Mile 7.5:

Finally, we arrive at the base of the tower which is looking like the monolith from "2001: A Space Odyssey" in contrast to the surrounding vast flatness. I'm feeling a bit delirious and I'm imagining that I can hear "Also Sprach Zarathustra" playing from the building. We are both a sweaty mess and looking forward to sitting in the tower while we catch our breath and cool off with the rest of the poor souls that have reached this point. The heat has been brutal and I've been rationing my drinking water because my husband seems like he needs it more. I'm hot, but I'm handling it. Unknowingly, this is when it all starts unraveling for me. As we park the bikes, my husband yells "Take off your hat! You have a huge wasp on it!" I flung the hat across the walkway never actually seeing the wasp except for a large shadowy mass that flew past my leg. This was an omen.

The Tower:

"Oh, this is so pretty!", I'm saying as we walk up a ramp overlooking a lagoon full of rare Florida orchids, blue herons and more alligators. Several park rangers were trimming the vegetation at the facility dressed in long pants, long sleeved shirts and broad rim hats pulled down almost to their eyebrows. Casually, they are having a conversation when we hear "not even mosquito repellent works, they'll bite right through your clothes". As soon as the ominous words register in my brain, the onslaught begins. Flies... biting flies the size of hornets are buzzing us with proboscises like hummingbird beaks. They smack into us just trying to find the opportunity to sink their pinchers into our skin and take some of our precious blood. I look at my husband and his sweaty head seems to be a beacon. It's surrounded by a black swirling mass that barely budges as he tries to swat them off. The last time I could remember being in a similarly terrifying situation was in the jungles of the Yucatan searching for Mayan ruins. My fear of biting insects is well justified as those who know me are aware that I tend to attract them like honey to bears. I take off screaming and running up the spiral ramp towards the top of the tower hoping that the elevation and wind would provide a safe harbor. Unrecovered from the exhaustion, I can feel my body temperature climbing and my heart pounding in my head and ears as I sprint. My husband unable to run from a torn ligament in his ankle had to endure the torture. Three quarters up the ramp the torment stops. It's time to recover and devise a plan for escape.

Florida Alligator cooling off.

Blue Heron fishing.

The Escape:

On the overlook, I still can't see where we originated our trip. All I see is a never-ending flat expanse of grass and water dotted occasionally with islands of shrubs and trees. It looks like nothingness, but don't kid yourself. It's teaming with life. This is the "River of Grass" as the environmentalist and champion of the Florida Everglades, Marjory Stoneman Douglas dubbed it. I think of the Native Americans that lived near these areas and the hardships they learned to live with. If I was sent here for an episode of Discovery Channel's "Naked and Afraid", I would have tapped out in the first 5 minutes.

A hot mess on the tower overlook.

The clouds were starting to darken on the horizon and we felt the need to leave before getting caught in thunderstorms. We still had 7.5 miles to ride back. The escape plan didn't involve much strategy. It basically consisted of running to the bicycles and peddling swiftly, hopefully outrunning the flies. Vultures were hanging around the bike racks probably waiting for someone to drop from the blood loss; I didn't find it amusing. So, I jumped on my bike and peddled as fast as I could leaving my husband behind. It was each man for themselves at this point, but just when I thought I was safe... the flies were back. The wind had died down leaving my scent close to my body and this time they crashed into my ears, neck, and back. My only defense was to use my cap as a continuous fly swatter for the remaining seven miles. Nothing was going to slow me down, not the view, not the heat, not my husbands foot, nothing! The goal was to make it to the visitor's center PRONTO! The only thing that momentarily distracted me from my aim were two Japanese women I came across. They were cutely dressed, looking fresh, peddling leisurely, enjoying the scenery and not a single fly on them. I rocketed right past them in disbelief, envy and disgust.

Vulture waiting by the bike racks.

Finally, we arrived back at the visitor's center. My sense of relief was immense and I quietly thanked a pantheon of gods. Making a bee-line to the air-conditioned gift shop, I could have kissed the floor! In the end, we looked worse than the German tourists we ran into at the start of our journey and as we stumbled to the parking lot, back by our car... more vultures waited.

Beautiful flower among the terror.

Disclaimer: Please don't let our experience dissuade you from visiting Shark Valley. My recommendation once again is to visit in the winter when it's cool. More animals are visible and insects are almost nonexistent. You can ride bikes, hike, or even take an open tram tour through the park. Check out the park website for more information at: http://www.nps.gov/ever/index.htm. After you're done, you can visit the Miccosukee Village, go for an airboat ride or try your luck at the Miccosukee Resort and Gaming Casino. 

We Are One: Happy Earth Day!!

Happy Earth Day!!

Today we come to the conclusion of the "We Are One" photographic series for conservation awareness with a mosaic of our planet created by the published photographs.

As I'm writing this, I'm listening to the weather news for April 20th, 2015 in Miami, Florida. The temperature was a record 92 degrees Fahrenheit (33.3 C) for this time of year. We seem to have skipped spring and headed full throttle into summer. At the same time another one of many cold fronts this year is forecast to hit the northern east coast of the United States and California is struggling with severe drought. Our weather is erratic to say the least. Greenhouse gases are at a record high and the melting glaciers and permafrost only serve to release more methane. The drone of deniers of science facts continues to assert paralysis over action while time ticks by. We send spacecrafts to find life on other planets when we can't seem to take care of life on our own.

Maybe it's time to change how we view Earth. It's not just a rock with water in space that creatures live on. It's a living, breathing organism just like a body made up of cells, except in this case the cells are life forms. The erratic weather and geological changes are symptoms and compensations due to illness. The survival of the organism is dependent on the cells being healthy and interacting in a symbiotic nature.

As humans, we are in a privileged position to be able to reason and manipulate our environment. We can argue all we want whether climate change is man-made of just part of a cycle, but it really doesn't matter. What matters is that we come together as a species to find solutions to avoid making the situation worse and hopefully turn the tide.

For more information on the threatened wildlife presented in this series you can visit the website for the World Wildlife Fund. They do a great job explaining "Why They Matter" to the environment, plants and other creatures (including us) on their species specific pages.

Want to learn more about green life and what you can do? Check out:
http://www.un.org/en/events/motherearthday/
http://www2.epa.gov/earthday
http://www.earthday.org

Sources:
Planet Earth image with creative commons license downloaded from: http://www.nasa.gov/connect/artspace/participate/royalty_free_resources.html#useof

We Are One: Vanishing Eastern Black Rhinos

The Black Rhino has suffered a drastic population decline from about 850,000 in the 20th century to 5,055 individuals in 2013. Three out of four subspecies remain with the Eastern Black Rhino being the most endangered at only 740 animals at last count in 2011. The major cause of this decline is illegal poaching for Rhino horns which are sought after for traditional Chinese medicine and dagger handles in Yemen. Sadly, the coveted horn is made out of nothing more than keratin, the same substance that makes up our nails and hair.

Black Rhinos can be distinguished from other rhinos by their prehensile upper lip in the shape of a "V" that allows them to grasp leaves to eat. They also have two horns while other species of rhinos have only one.

Conservation Status: Critically Endangered
Habitat: Highland forests and savannas of Kenya. Prior to 2010, they also inhabited Ethiopia, Somalia and Tanzania. Their populations have been decreased by 90% over the last 30 years.
Threats: Illegal Poaching is their number one threat followed by habitat loss. Most live in preserves.

Watch the story of the last male White Rhinoceros. With his horns already ground down as a deterrent to poachers, he is still heavily guarded by armed rangers to prevent his demise. The rangers face considerable danger as poachers have been know to kill them as well. https://youtu.be/8r0LyKaf0JU

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_black_rhinoceros
http://www.arkive.org/black-rhinoceros/diceros-bicornis/
http://www.rhinos.org/rhinos/black-rhino
http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/6557/0

We Are One: Mischievous Asian Small-Clawed Otter

The Asian Small-Clawed Otter is smallest of all otters, but still packs a huge load of charisma. These playful little charmers can keep anyone entertained for hours.

Besides their size, they differ from other otters by only having partial webbing on their paws and very short claws that allow for better dexterity. This comes in handy since unlike other otters, they catch their prey with their paws instead of their mouths.

They are monogamous and live in extended families of up to twelve individuals. Being very social, they use various ways to communicate that include vocalizations, marking territory with scent glands, tactile behaviors such as grooming and making sign heaps which are mounds made up of mud, grasses and pebbles that serve to alert that "an otter lives nearby".

Conservation Status: Vulnerable
Habitat: Freshwater swamps, river, mangroves, estuaries, and rice fields of north-western and south-western India, Southern China, Malay Peninsula Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Riau Archipelago (Indonesia), and Palawan Island in the Philippines.
Threats: Most significant is habitat loss followed by hunting and pollution.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental_small-clawed_otter
http://www.arkive.org/asian-short-clawed-otter/aonyx-cinerea/

We Are One: All About Pride, The Lion

Second only to the tiger in size, this big cat has awed humans and has been recorded in history since cave drawings of the Neanderthals.

They are the most social of all big cats and form groups called prides that revolve around related lionesses. Lionesses do most of the hunting in coordinated groups. They are lighter and more agile than the males and males can overheat more easily because of their manes.

The mane serves several purposes though. First, it makes the lion look larger and more intimidating to their enemies, secondly, it protects their necks when fighting other lions, and lastly it plays a role in attracting females. Thicker and darker manes are a sign of good health and higher testosterone levels.

Conservation Status: Vulnerable
Habitat: Sub-Saharan Africa, and about 360 inhabit the Gir Forest of western India. They used to exist in North Africa, parts of the Middle East and Eurasia.
Threats: Habitat loss due to human settlement, cattle farming, hunting or poisoning by cattle ranchers that see them as threats to their herds.

Sources:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion
http://www.arkive.org/lion/panthera-leo/

We Are One: Whoo-Hoo is the Great Horned Owl

There is nothing more cliché than the "Whoo-hoo-o-o, Whoo" call of the night in a Hollywood thriller movie, but it really isn't so far-fetched. The call is probably from the Great Horned Owl, a nocturnal raptor of great range and varied habitat throughout North and South America.

True to their name, they have the appearance of horns on their heads which are just really feather tuffs. Their eyes are almost the size of an adult human, but they are stationary. The bird must instead turn his head which is capable of rotating a full 270 degrees. The wing spans of these creatures run about three to five feet making it a formidable predator of small and mid-size mammals.

This photograph was taken in Ketchikan, Alaska at a raptor rescue center.

Conservation Status: Least Concern
Habitat: From the arctic tree line in North America to rainforests in South America.
Threats: The Horned Owl is protected in the United States. Threats include agricultural pesticides, and collisions with traffic and electrical wires.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_horned_owl
http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/indiana/journeywithnature/the-great-horned-owl.xml
http://www.arkive.org/great-horned-owl/bubo-virginianus/