Payson

We went to Tonto Natural Bridge just north of Payson.
There was a beautiful valley with high cliffs, a waterfall, mossy rocks, and a stream. This is a view of the surrounding valley.

Tunnel

This is looking through the 700 foot long tunnel. The rock was smooth and slippery.

Natural Bridge

The natural bridge is 183 feet high and 400 feet wide. It is the largest natural travertine bridge in the world. The ceiling looks like a gothic cathedral.

Pine Creek

We hiked under the bridge and along The Pine Creek Trail.

Dana Hiking

There were some fun boulder sections.

Dripping Springs

We cooled off by the springs. Then, it began to thunder and rain.

Dana & Lucy

Lucy loved all the attention she got from everyone, and she only peed on the floor once.

The Thorp Men

Love Birds

Ahh, look at the newly engaged pair.

The Family

Frank & Dana

Wendy and Mike stopped by on Saturday because Frank just had to meet Dana.

Where are they?

The girls jumped up on the cabinets after seeing another dog in the house.

Catopoly

Greta helped us play by swatting the game pieces across the board. She liked the tiny ball of string and mouse pieces.

Catopoly

Greta was also the banker.

She must have been giving Dana extra money because Josh and I were broke.

Cat Bath

I gave Greta a bath in the tub. It went better than expected. Now, she's on top of the cabinets, pouting and licking her fur.

Lazy Days

The girls used to ignore the window seat. After I put a towel on it, they love it and spend all afternoon there.

Cactus Blossom

This huge flower was six inches in diameter, and the fragrance was so lovely. I have to say it is much better than any I saw in Costa Rica.

Boulder

This is how she keeps her fur so soft and silky.

Father's Day

Los Orquideas

After staying in cheap hotels with questionable cleanliness and so many bugs we started naming them, we decided to stay in a resort on our last night in Costa Rica.
It was very beautiful and had a swimming pool, jacuzzi, nature trail, and great views of the surrounding hills.

Flora & Facts

This was my favorite flower on the trip. I don't know anything about flowers, but here are some interesting facts about Costa Rica.
















Costa Ricans have a motto "Pura Vida." We would see it printed on everything like soap, beer, and t-shirts. People would occasionally say it to us as a farewell. It's literal translation is - pure life. But, they mean - life is good; enjoy it.














There is no military in Costa Rica. They put all of that funding into education and health care. The country boasts a 96% literacy rate.














The cell phone service was amazing. We would be in the middle of the jungle, and a guide would whip out his cell phone and make a call. How come I live near the 5th largest city in the U.S. , and my calls get dropped all the time?












Costa Rican coffee is superb, and the fruit was heavenly. Every morning I ordered the fresh fruit mix of papayas, pineapple, mangoes, and watermelon.

The typical local cuisine, however, is not so good. The popular dish is rice and beans and some kind of meat. It is very bland and boring. We did like the fried plantain and yucca.


















With the abundance of wood, we saw everything from cutting boards, animals figures, jewelry, and purses made out of wood. This is a woman carved out of wood.

Monkey

This is a White-Faced Monkey crossing a telephone wire.

Sloth

This sloth is hanging from a Cecropia Tree. They spend 8 hours a day eating the leaves, and come down once a week.

Volcan Poas

Poas Volcano is in a cloud forest, and at first we saw nothing but clouds. Just as we were about to sacrifice someone to the volcano, the clouds cleared. It is quite active, and has erupted about 40 times during the last century.
This pretty blue lake is a crater filled with rain water.
Traci is standing next to plants called Poor Man's Umbrella. The leaves are sturdy and feel rough like sandpaper.

Tree Frog

This is a red poison dart frog. They like to live on the wet forest floor near water, and they can live up to ten years.

Tree Frog

This is a green and black poison dart frog. We saw him Carrara National Park. The bright colors warn predators of the toxins they exude from their skin. Their poison actually has medicinal value to humans and is used to treat certain diseases.

Tortuguero National Park

Tortuguero is on the Caribbean side of the country. The sand is so soft and fine that our feet sank down several inches as we walked along the beach.
It is a refuge for thousands of sea turtles that return each year to lay eggs along the beach. We didn't see any turtles since it was not quite that time of year, but we saw lots of lizards.
They get 36 feet of rainfall per year.
This is a Jesus Christ lizard. He can walk on water, and runs upright on his back legs.

Sea Turtle Tracks

These are the tracks of a giant sea turtle returning to the ocean after laying eggs in a nest of sand.

Three-Toed Sloth

We were taking a boat ride on a river when we noticed a sloth in the water. The guide said that sometimes they jump out of trees to avoid predators, and they can swim - but very slowly. The guides pulled him out of the water with an oar. The sloth seemed relieved.
They encouraged the sloth to climb onto a nearby tree, but he refused. Sloths are very strong and have long, sharp nails, so it is difficult to move them.
The sloth ended up taking a boat ride to the dock where they could get more people to help take him to a tree.

Crocodiles

The Tarcoles River Bridge is a popular place for crocodile viewing. We saw 15 of these massive reptiles lying completely still, relaxing in the sun or water. Then, a group of guys put whole (dead) chickens on pieces of string and flung them over the side. The crocs leapt out of the water and fought each other to get the chickens. It was great! I guess this happens all the time because there is a place right next to the bridge that sells chicken.

Bananas

Costa Rica's #1 export is bananas, so we visited a banana plantation. I was surprised to discover they grew upward with their stems on the bottom. The one pictured also has a pretty red flower. There are many banana plant diseases, and there is even concern that someday bananas might become extinct. I also found out pineapples do not grow on trees like I had always imagined; they grow on on the ground.
The banana workers have hard jobs, but they are compensated very well. They get free housing, healthcare, and $450 a month. That is a good income for a Costa Rican.




There was a man selling coconuts nearby, and he had a couple big beetles as an added attraction.








This is a crossing sign for monkeys, coyotes, and people with afros. There are very few street signs in Costa Rica, even in San Jose. Nobody uses addresses. When I asked where a hotel or restaurant was located, people told us how to get there in blocks. One time, I asked a cab driver to take me to Pangaea Hostel at Calle 3 and Avenida 5, and he refused because he wasn't familiar with the hostel, and I suspect he didn't know where those streets were.