Phil, Emma and I traveled to the tiny town of Santa Elena, a center of ecoturism in the Guanacaste region in the northern part of Costa Rica. There are forest preserves there, including the Monteverde Cloud Forest, a private, nonprofit organization; the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Preserve, a governmental nonprofit organization, a portion of the Children's Cloud Forest and other small organizations and farms.
During our trip to Santa Elena, we took the Santamaria's Night Walk. Santamara is an agroturistic organic farm located a short distance outside the small town of Santa Elena. During our hike in the dark, with flashlights and knowledgeable guides, we saw two sloths! Very exciting. One of the sloths was small and very high in the trees, but the other sloth was closer to the ground, and really large, it was amazing to see it, it looked so soft and cuddly (but probably is not!). Interesting fact, sloths have hollow bones, like birds, and that's why they are able to climb to the smallest branches at the top of the trees, to reach the leaves. Science lesson: sloths have changed significantly in recent evolutionary history. Previously they lived on the land, the bones became hollow as they moved up into the trees, and their internal organs have changed as a result of their upside down position in the trees. During our walk we also so scorpions, lizards, frogs and an enormous tarantula in a hollow log sitting on an egg sac. We learned about the trees and various flora and fauna of the area, and our guide talked about the history of the farm, and how it is working to support the forest as portions of the land return to it's native state. I really enjoyed the passion of our guide. He wanted to teach all of us about the importance of the forest, and the value and strength of organic farming practices. I also found myself cognizant of the forest as an earth element, living, breathing, growing and needing to be taken into consideration by the peoples of the world.
We also toured the cloud forests preserve, walked on the suspensions bridges, and yes, Emma and I did the zip lines. Favorite part, walking on the suspension bridges, which shocked me! Afraid as I am of heights, bridges, etc., I was not sure I could do this, but I loved, loved, loved these metal, swaying, high in the trees bridges, I loved walking on them, I loved looking out at the cloud forest an down at the ground, it was incredible!!!!!!!!!! This was one of my favorite things during my six weeks in Costa Rica. The zip line was amazing, too, although I was somewhat less than successful at it. My first zip, I stopped myself in the middle, cause I thought I was going too fast, and so one of the guides had to quickly hand over hand himself out and pull me in, and then I did most of the rest of the zips with the guide, which honestly made it easier, and I could totally relax and just look around at the scenes as we flew from mountain top to mountain top. It was so beautiful.
Santa Elena is beautiful little town, and the people seem to work together to improve the community, protect the forest, and contribute in general to the country. We were only there for a short time, but this place made a great impression on me (and Emma wants to live there!)(of course this may have something to do with slipping out at night and having an adventure with a boy and a bar! 16 year olds!!!!!!!!!!) But I too, think that Santa Elena is on the list of places I could happily live.
Nosotros fuimos a Monteverde, cerca de Santa Elena, un centro de ecoturismo en Guanacaste y el norte parte del país. Hay algunas preserves allí, incluyendo El Monteverde Bosque de Nubes, un preserva sin lucre, privado; Santa Elena Bosque de Nubes, una preserva sin lucre, del gobierno; un parte del Bosque Nuboso de los Niños; y otros más pequeño organizaciones y fincas.
Durante nuestro viaje en Santa Elena, tomamos Santamaria´s Caminata Nocturna. Santamaria es una finca agroturistica, y orgánica. En la caminata, veíamos dos osos perezosos, un pequeño, y un muy largo. Aprendemos que los osos perezosos tienen huesos huecos, como pájaros, y este como ellos están podido estar en los ramas pequeños y muy altas. Nuestro guía dijeron sobre la historia de los osos perezosos. Ellos han cambiado mucho en reciente historia evolutiva, en que ellos fueron habitantes del suelo, y los cambios reciente incluyendo los cambios por huesos huecos, y el cambio a habitantes de los árboles, y también, ahora, sus órganos internos están cambiado por la habite de colgar cabeza abajo. Veíamos también, una tarántula en un tronco hueco en el suelo. La tarántula fue sentir en un saca de huevos. Veíamos otras cosas incluyendo escorpiones, ranas, lagartijas, y varios tipos de árboles muy interesantes. Uno de estos que busque interesante fue uno que crecer de la copa de otro árbol. Este fue el Fica Sufoca (?). Este árbol empieza por los excementos de aves, y está tomando sobre 30 años para este nuevo árbol crecer rodean el primero árbol, cual se descompuesta.
Dos cosas de esta caminata busquen de significados. Los cambios en los osos perezosos, y otras cosas como la Fica Sufocada, muestran que los bosques no están estancados, pero están viviendo, cambiados, en punto de hecho, el bosque es un elemento de la tierra que debe ser tomando en consideración más que la gente del mundo pensar sobre ahora.
La otra cosa me gusta fue la pasión y interés autentico del nuestro guía. Si deseo enseñar todos sobre la importancia del bosque, y de las practicas orgánicas de la finca, fueron fuerte, y hecho un impresión por mío.
Monteverde, y el pequeño pueblo de Santa Elena están un lugar muy hermoso, y la gente allí parece a trabajo juntos uno a los otros por la mejora de la comunidad, por la mejor del bosque, y por la mejora del país. Es verdad que estuve allí solamente por un visita corto, pero este lugar hecho un gran impresión por mío en la actitud, la abierto de la comunidad, y la claridad en que personas allí parecen querer tomar cuidad de este lugar. Pienso que si necesite escoge un nuevo lugar para vivir, Santa Elena y Monteverde yo lo haría vivir allí.
interesting notes on the sloths (which is something I often refer to myself as. But I can see it aint so).
ReplyDeleteAnd VERY interesting observations about the zipline experience. It's so true that when you REALLY push yourself - into scary, unknown regions. Well, you certainly know that you are alive. Sounds like you were very alive on this trip!
Sorry, they (the little peeps in this computer) are making me choose anonymous for lack of a better option, but you know that anyone who calls themselves a sloth is related. It's your sis.
Clearly I need to speak with the little peeps in my computer, I just am not sure what language they speak yet. Thanks for your comments! OH hey, just choose name/url and type your name in.
ReplyDelete