La Reserva Forest Foundation

Lake Arenal and Volcán Arenal from entrance to La Reserva

Yesterday we had the opportunity to visit a nearby exciting place that we hadn't yet visited:  La Reserva Forest Foundation.  I have to admit to harboring a bit of regret for not having gone sooner, as plenty of our visitors would have benefited from experiencing this unique and important site.  La Reserva (http://lrff.org/) is a non-profit foundation dedicated to returning farmland to tropical rainforest with the goals of restoring biodiversity, supporting indigenous peoples and promoting carbon neutrality in an effort to reduce climate change.  They help individuals, families and business offset their carbon footprints by planting trees for tropical reforestation.

Work at La Reserva began in 1998 on a large dairy farm, where the planting of trees initiated a process that has resulted in reforestation of the entire plot of land.  Reforestation occurs quickly in this part of the world and animals come back to these environments in an impressive timeframe as well, as their natural food and habitat returns.

Reforestation!

The land in the photo above was cattle pasture that was completely restored after just a few years.  It is now part of the secondary forest at La Reserva.  Near this spot we repeatedly heard the call of the elusive Long-Tailed Manakin, an example of a species that has returned to this area.  We weren't lucky enough to spot one through the thick foliage, though.  Here is a great link with several recordings of Manakin calls in Costa Rica:  http://web2.uwindsor.ca/courses/biology/dmennill/CostaRica/LTMA/CRLTMA.html

We were fortunate to have several other sightings including a few creatures we'd not seen before.

Henry and a friendly katydid

In the video, a mass of "viejitos" gather on leaves.  Our guide, Thomas, wasn't exactly sure what they were doing and neither were we.  Thomas is a big believer in the value of the yet-undiscovered medicinal products of the rainforest and our responsibility to preserve what rainforest remains.

Baskeball-sized active termite nest

Tree-killer roots

There were several examples of so-called tree-killer roots.  Apparently these are thought to occur when a seed is dropped by a bird high up in a tree.  The seed of the parasitic plant germinates and sends roots down the length of the tree trunk as the tree grows.  Eventually the roots "strangulate" the tree and kill it completely, leaving a hollow cylindrical void in the center of interlaced roots around the periphery.  We were told that there are three types of these plants in Costa Rica.

Wild pepper plant but no salt

Insect fast food

Huevos de caballo

Huevos de caballo is a much catchier name than Tabernaemontana donnell-smithii for this tropical evergreen tree.  It is sometimes referred to as cojones de burro as the hanging fruits always come in pairs.  Though quite popular with species of monkeys and many types of birds, we were told it's actually quite toxic if ingested by humans and the ripe fruit will irritate the skin if touched.

Natural beauty

Erica soaks up the energy of the giant ceiba, the largest tree on site

Our stroll continued through what remains of the primary forest at La Reserva before the skies darkened significantly and the traditional afternoon rain returned.  By this time our crew was eager to finish the forest trek.  After having lived in Costa Rica for a year and a half, the initial novelty of the tropical rainforest we experienced has dissipated a bit for our kids.  They've acclimated to the environment here and no longer view the forest, monkeys, sloths, iguanas and toucans as new or exciting.  This being said, the timing for the end of our walk seemed just right.

We plan on contributing to La Reserva Forest Foundation both to support this impressive organization as well as to do our part to offset our carbon footprint, especially during these years of travel.  They will continue to plant trees both at La Reserva as well as across other sites in Costa Rica in their effort to combat global climate change.  We hope you will support this cause as well.  Please visit their website for opporunties to help.

Volcán Tenorio and Lake Arenal, as seen on the way home

Los Chiles to San Carlos via el Río Frío

Lake Nicaragua from San Carlos, Nicaragua

Time has passed quickly.  We are nearing the end of our planned two years in this beautiful country and have continued to enjoy its riches.  Recently we made our last border run, this time to a new location for our family.  It is required by Costa Rican law that foreigners leave the country every 90 days to obtain a new tourist visa, assuming they do not have permanent residency status.  For this reason, we made a day trip to Nicaragua via a boat adventure on the Río Frío. Though some tourist outfits arrange this trip for a price, we decided to make a go of it on our own.  We had heard that this was a beautiful ride and it surely managed to live up to its reputation.

We left home around 7 AM, and after stopping to pick up a friend who also needed to renew her visa, we drove about 2 1/2 hours on beautiful paved roads to the quiet northern port town of Los Chiles, Costa Rica.

Los Chiles

The folks selling the boat tickets were set up just across the street from the modest immigration building. We purchased tickets for about $12 each, one way.  After a quick passport stamp, we passed our time in a pleasant restaurant with a late breakfast and some cool drinks. We meandered down towards the boat docks and paid a $1 exit fee per person, collected in effort to help support the town itself. We then began the warm and humid wait for the boat itself, which was scheduled to leave at 1.  Our fellow passengers seemed to be equally melted by the heat of the day.

Leaving Los Chiles

The boat operators asked who would be returning the same day so that we can be placed near the front of the boat.  We were appreciative of this opportunity to be near the front of the line at immigration in San Carlos.  We were even more thankful for the fact that the boat actually began moving to cool us all down.  The views did not disappoint either, although we were not lucky enough to see a mother jaguar swimming with her cubs as had been recently seen in the river.

Front row view

Hi-tech pilot's helm

About halfway into the 1 hour and 15 minute trip downstream to San Carlos, we came upon a Nicaraguan army checkpoint that we had heard about.  There were two very serious looking soldiers in full fatigues and with machine guns over their backs.  The situation was made even more bizarre knowing that Costa Rica has no army whatsoever.  They carefully inspected the passenger list and sternly looked over we occupants.  One of them then gave our boat operator some money, the purpose of which was unclear at this point, at least to me.  We would have expected a bribe to go in the opposite direction.  But, checkpoint passed, we moved on.

Stealthy shot of army checkpoint

Unfortunately (though not surprisingly), the reality of the degree of Nicaragua's poverty announced itself as we passed several houses along the water.  To us it seemed like stepping into the pages of National Geographic.

Nica riverfront home

The waterfowl we encountered was as striking as the remainder of the scenery, with herons, osprey, egrets, oropendolas, cormorants as well as plenty of other birds we couldn't identify.  No snakes or big cats ventured out, but token squirrel and howler monkeys made their presence known.

Cormorant

The remainder of the trip to San Carlos was only briefly interrupted by rain and soon after entering the very large Lake Nicaragua we approached the immigration building, which provided the most interesting view of the day for me.

Colorful welcome:  "Nicaragua, the joy of living in Christian peace, Socialism, Solidarity"

We successfully and rather quickly navigated the forms and payments of immigration, in large part made more efficient by our boat operator who wanted to make sure that we got into and back out of immigration in time.  It costs $12 to enter and $2 to leave Nicaragua, at least in San Carlos on this particular day.  The kids were most impressed by a woman who actually typed with an old typewriter on one set of our forms.  She was fast and we were too seduced by her skills to think to take a photo.

San Carlos in some ways resembles New Orleans, we thought

In our 45 minutes in San Carlos, we managed to wander for a few minutes before settling down for a drink near the boat terminal.  Erica and I enjoyed one of our favorite local beers, Toña.  The facilities were spartan and included a plastic tub you could use to fill with water from a barrel in order to flush the toilet.  Or not.

Toña it is.

The combination of cheap prices, ever present poverty and somewhat generally dispirited morale amongst the Nicas has always made extremely generous tipping seem like the right thing.  The women at the restaurant also came to Erica with a jar of cream in a blue tub and asked her to interpret the label to find out its intended use.  Turns out generic Noxzema facial cream can travel a long way.

View from San Carlos

After settling up, we returned into the immigration building, filled out another round of forms and waited to get back through the process to our boat.  We chatted up one of the young officials who turns out to be a big baseball fan.  Despite his enthusiasm, I still couldn't get him to smile.  In my experience, there sometimes is a seriousness in the national psyche of the Nicaraguans not seen as frequently in their neighbors to the south.

El regalo de Dios

Ready for more adventure

The return trip upriver was longer, though not any less pleasant.  There was at least one other couple on the boat (likely from Nicaragua) who had also made a border run for the day to renew their visas and to allow them to work in Costa Rica, which is viewed as a land of opportunity.  After giving a tip to our boat operators/guides for all of their help, he told me that with the tip he could now buy her a ring.  We said that we'd check in on them the next time we come through.

Our happy boat operator couple

Another brief stop at the army checkpoint revealed the reason for the money handover we'd seen earlier.  In San Carlos, our boat guides had bought some bottled water for the soldiers.  A pragmatic but not terribly exciting explanation.

More jungle foliage

Just before dark we revisited the immigration office in Los Chiles and completed the day's task, receiving another round of tourist visas for 90 days.  We reminisced about the day's adventure over tasty dinner and loud, drunken Spanish karaoke before hitting the road towards home, once again.

Las Pumas Rescue Center

Puma!

Though we'd driven by the entrance many times, we'd never managed to actually visit Las Pumas Rescue Center (http://www.centrorescatelaspumas.org/en), just outside of Cañas, about an hour or so from our house.  We've been making an effort to visit some of the places we've not yet managed to see before we leave Costa Rica in December.  Both hunting and zoos have recently been outlawed in the entire country but there are still many animals in need of rescue, primarily from humans, maybe the most dangerous of all animals.  Though some of the animals at this jewel of a place have been injured, it seemed as if the majority were rescued from human homes that could no longer handle them.  The rescue center, founded in the 1960s, provides safe environments for several types of animals including big cats, monkeys, peccaries, otters, many types of birds and even deer, among others.

A curious lora

Mrs. Lilly Hagnauer Bodmer, originally from Switzerland, began the center partially in response to accelerating habitat decline, as deforestation was booming in the northern province of Guanacaste.  The center is now run by a nonprofit organization in her honor.  Their mission statement is "To rescue, rehabilitate and ensure good conditions for endangered wildlife in Costa Rica, and encourage society's respect and appreciation for wildlife through these actions".  Education seems to be an important theme of the center, as many programs on conservation, wildlife management and environmental education are offered.

Jaguarundi

The jaguarundi is a terrific example of an elusive feline we've longed to see in the wild and until now have never had the chance to observe.  The center houses five of the six large cat species found in Costa Rica.  We were impressed with the activity levels of all of the animals, especially the LOUD talking and laughing loras and the more typically sleepy large cats.  All the animals seemed to be quite well cared for, to us suggesting a well run facility.

Magnificent Jaguar

Erica enjoys the views

Tucán Pico Iris or Keel-Billed Toucan

Despite the fact we've done a lot of hiking and exploring in the forests and jungles of Costa Rica, I'm pretty confident this was the best up-close look at many of these stunning creatures that we've had.  This benefit in part offsets the fact that these animals now live in cages, though in a beautiful setting to be sure.  Even for our sometimes snarky teenager, hearing a puma purr just on the other side of the fence was an experience that will not soon be forgotten.

In the past, we'd caught a brief glimpse at a group of peccaries ahead in the distance during a walk but never had a chance to really get a good look at any from close range.  I couldn't help but thinking of our families back in the States, imagining how funny they'd find it that white-tailed deer are worthy of protection with the peccaries here as well.

So a peccary walks up to a deer.  .  .

I'll be adding Las Pumas Rescue Center to the list of places I'd love to visit yet again.