jungle - i should log off

Photo: Rio Dulce

November 16, 2011 By Jillian

The direct translation means sweet river, but in the pouring rain it seemed anything but. A popular place for sailboat and cayuco (dugout canoe) trips, the river starts at Lake Izabel and flows to the Caribbean. Along the way it winds through a small Spanish fort and a canyon, only to empty into the Caribbean at Livingston, one of the largest Garifuna settlements in Guatemala.

After waiting two days for the weather to clear up, we decided to take the boat trip to Livingston in the rain and from there catch a ferry to the town where the buses left for Guatemala City. With on and off showers, the boat ride to Livingston was anything but comfortable, but nevertheless the lush scenery made up for the wind and rain.

To see more of our favorite photos from around the world check out our travel photo page. Let us know your favorites and we’ll include them in our photo of the day series.

IF YOU GO: Boat trips to Livingston leave from Rio Dulce at the mouth of the river. We spent a few days at an eco-lodge on the lake. Find your way to the boat dock and you’ll find a whole group of captains waiting to escort you to their favorite lodge. Crossing the river is one of the longest bridges in Central America.

Photo:A Ride Along the Rio Dulce

November 1, 2011 By Danny

In taking the boat ride along the Rio Dulce to the coast we were able to see how life still transpires in that region of Guatemala. I generally pride myself on being able to quickly name where each of our 20,000 photos were taken with only a moment’s glance but this photo gave me a challenge. Sure, now that I know this was Guatemala that looks right but it could have just as been taken in Uganda, Malawi or pretty much anywhere in Southeast Asia.

I actually think the owners of this house have things relatively good. Their house looks big, their river is pretty clean and it looks like their roof is fully functional. I wish I could live in a house with a thatched roof like the one in this photo. Maybe someday!

To see more of our favorite photos from around the world check out our travel photo page. Let us know your favorites and we’ll include them in our photo of the day series.

IF YOU GO: Guatemala is a great country to visit and to learn Spanish. We visited this region on our way back from Tikal. I didn’t particularly like the boat ride along the Rio Dulce, but the rest of the region was pretty cool.

Photo: Tarantula

October 3, 2011 By Danny

In going to Costa Rica, the cloud forests of Monteverde became something of a goal for us. The mountains and forests of the region were something that attracted us and we had initial planned on staying for a few weeks to volunteer and relax a bit. When we got there we found a tourist town in the midst of rainy season and so we realized we’d need to readjust our plans a bit.
Since it wouldn’t be long before heading off for the monkeys of Manuel Antonio, we decided to give a night hike a try. Really, it’s just what it sounds like and not much more. Unfortunately, most of the wildlife we did see was shrouded in darkness and therefore not close enough for our cameras to see in the pitch dark of night. Then we came across this tarantula…it was right next to trail so it was easy to take a photo, thankfully it stayed put and didn’t come after us!

IF YOU GO: Monteverde is a great place to visit and very close to the Volcan Arenal. Driving between the two isn’t exactly easy but there is a transport service that combines with a boat ride for the one way journey. Montverde may not be the site of luxury that Arenal is but it contains all the adventure from night hikes to canopy tours!

Photo: Pausing for Biodiversity

September 14, 2011 By Jillian

There’s a reason why Costa Rica is called “rich coast”. Spanish explorers found a land abundant with lush vegetation, animals and resources, much as the country is today. Our time in Costa Rica was mostly spent enjoying the biodiversity in the country- from the cloudforest of Monteverde to the jungle encroached beach of Manuel Antonio.

Costa Rica is a popular destination for travelers from all over the world. We met plenty of tourists from Europe, Israel and North America who had booked vacation rentals in Costa Rica for group trips for friends or family. We stayed with a friend of mine in Jaco, which gave us the space to decompress, relax and stop and smell the roses a bit. Standing in the jungle in Costa Rica, you feel the activity and life in the land, everything around you is growing, moving, and changing. At any other point on our journey this little guy would have hardly been noticed, but in Costa Rica we took the time to take a closer look at a caterpillar that by definition is in transition. The rich coast indeed.

IF YOU GO: Costa Rica is well known for its rich biodiversity and adventure activities. We caught this guy in Monteverde Cloud Forest, one of the most unique ecological zones we’ve ever experienced. Fortunately it is also the home to lots of zip lining courses, making it a great detour off the Panamerican highway. It is about 4 hours north of the capital and is perfect to enjoy alongside a visit to the nearby Arenal Volcano.

Photo: Spider Friend?

August 2, 2011 By Jillian

I wish I had thought to put something next to this eight legged friend for perspective before I took his picture. Then again, I can’t believe we took the picture, I was busy completely freaking out.

This little friend was on the wall of our “cabin” in Plaplaya, Honduras, on the mosquito coast…. a few inches from my mosquito net. All I could think about as I lay in bed that night was how thankful I was there were no holes in that net. At least the little friend would stay on the outside!

We had traveled all day in the back of a pick up, loaded ourselves into a dug out canoe with an outboard motor and arrived at Plaplaya near dark. With the assistance of an NGO, the village had be set up to host tourists and the small cafe and hotel looked newly finished. That night, in the moonlight, we watched a leatherback turtle lay eggs on the beach, something I’ll never forget. Thankfully I saw no more of this little friend, or his relatives!

To see more of our favorite photos from around the world check out our travel photo page. Let us know your favorites and we’ll include them in our photo of the day series.

Photo: Rio Dulce

Photo:A Ride Along the Rio Dulce

Photo: Tarantula

Photo: Pausing for Biodiversity

Photo: Spider Friend?

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