El Ranario (Again) (But This Time at Night)

The Frog Pond of Monteverde

(While I took a photo of the nameplate, it's too dark and blurry to read and
I don't remember the name of this one)

Tonight was unexpectedly awesome.  I was exhausted and wet and cold after the tour of Santa Elena and didn't really want to do anything, not even book my horse ride for tomorrow.  I seriously considered going to sleep and missing out on tonight's activity as well as tomorrow's.  But I'm glad I didn't.  I'm really glad I finally forced myself after a 3 or 3 1/2 hour rest to get up and do something!

I went upstairs, booked my horse tour with the hostel owner, and set off in the wind and rain to the frog pond 120 (or so) meters away to use my ticket for the second time.  I had been told to try to come back at night so I could see the nocturnal frogs being more active.

Swamp Frog

The experience wasn't anything like I expected; it was much better. I was handed a flashlight in the visitor's center and set off to the ranario.  The large barnlike structure was completely black; I couldn't see any of the large aquariums housing the frogs.

(While I took a photo of the nameplate, it's too dark and blurry to read and
I don't remember the name of this one)

I could hear a tour being given, but I couldn't see them (every once in awhile I saw a bit of light, and I couldn't even hear them very well).  I felt like I was alone in the great black room (almost).  At the very end, a 2nd tour caught up with me, but I was at the last aquarium tank and had already taken the pictures I had wanted to take, so it was okay.

Hourglass Tree Frog

Using my trusty flashlight (I rather like calling things "trusty"), I explored the ranario.  I wish I had a picture of the inside so I wouldn't have to explain.  There is a circular route set up  with a sidewalk leading from aquarium to aquarium.  Since I went on the tour yesterday, I had a basic idea of where things were.  Surrounding the aquariums and in every little nook and cranny are native plants.  During the day, the room is really quite cool looking.

During the tour I went on yesterday, we managed to find an example of every frog even though some are diurnal and some are nocturnal.  Tonight, however, I was unable to find 5 or 6 of the frog species.  It's possible that those were the diurnal ones, or possible that they were hiding, or possible that they were resting near the back of the aquarium (where it was more difficult to locate them using a flashlight).

The Famous Red Eyed Tree Frog

Red Eyed Tree Frog

Overall, the experience was seriously awesome and I got a few great pictures.  Trust me when I say that taking photos of frogs (some of which move a lot) in pitch black is not easy.  I had to balance my camera and the flashlight at the same time.  The only light used in any of these photos comes from the flashlight.  Camera flashes hurt frogs' eyes.  Even if they didn't, I don't like the unnatural lighting that results from the use of a flash.

And now it's time for bed.  I am exhausted, but really glad I forced myself to get up and go.  Tomorrow will be a very long day as well.  I am going on a horseback ride (yay!) in the morning and in the afternoon I am taking the 2.30 bus to San Jose.  The bus will take somewhere around 5 hours.  I will find my hostel and then the next morning, very early, I go to the airport to go home!!!!

Suspension Bridges and Frogs

It seems like all anyone talks about here in Costa Rica are the ziplines.  Especially here in Monteverde, one of the first questions out of another traveler's mouth is "Have you been on the ziplines?"

I am not particularly interested in the ziplines.  I thought about it and watched a youtube video of someone doing it, but in the end, I think I would be too scared to enjoy it.  Or even if I did enjoy the actual experience, the anxiety and stress leading up to it would negate the enjoyment.

So instead, this morning I got on the Selvetura shuttle bus at my hostel and road to the park where I walked a 2 mile course that included 8 suspension bridges, the highest at over 500 feet.

Suspension Bridge.  I believe this was the first of the eight.

Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), it sprinkled and rained off and on throughout my walk.  I saw almost no wildlife.  The park was quiet as well (ordinarily these forests and jungles seem to be teeming with bird calls and monkey howls and insect chirping).

The only wildlife I saw other than a couple of hummingbirds.

I was actually looking for frogs - I was hoping to see some since it had been raining, but no such luck.  I did enjoy some nice views and the bridges were kind of cool as well.  I managed to slowpoke enough that I was able to have the path to myself for much of the course.

I realize I look so completely dumpy, but I am wearing a 1 pound
money belt underneath my clothes and my handbag is underneath
my rain jacket, which explains all the lumps.

It was alright, but I wouldn't do it again, and I think $20 is a bit much to walk across a few bridges.  Maybe I would feel differently had I seen more wildlife.  I don't know.

Since I didn't see the frogs I wanted to see this morning, I went to the Ranario (frog pond) this afternoon. For $10, I had my own guide and I get to go back for a 2nd visit (some frogs are active during the day and others at night, so if you go twice, you can see all the frogs active).

The "famous frog" as the tour guide called it - the red eyed
tree frog on all the posters and t-shirts.

And now it's time to sleep.  Tomorrow will be a big day.  I'm going to the Santa Elena Cloud Forest in the morning.