And an ant eater; that was pretty awesome.
Then we got to check out a bat cave. We walked around on a floor caked with bat feces, in a small, smelly cave that quickly became claustrophobic. It was a little frightening at first, bats flying all around you, darkness. But then I realized I was standing in a bat cave. A BAT CAVE. It was sweet.
Richard was our professor for that day. A nice man with a grey beard and a love for bats, snakes, and everything else that is creepy and crawly. Here he is:
On the 20th, to end our three week field trip/adventure, our professors treated us to an all day hike up a volcano, Rincon de la Vieja, and an evening to watch the sunset on another beautiful beach.
At the end of this 5.5k hike (11k both ways), another freshwater waterfall awaited our arrival. This time it was about 80ft tall and you could climb behind it and jump through the cascading stream. Stereotypical paradise. Something out of the movies. I have never experience anything else like it.
On the way back to the bus, after the waterfall, we decided to take a quick dip at the end of the river. A beautiful little swimming hole that was about 12ft deep in the middle. Nothing like doing a cannonball off of a rock into a freshwater swimming hole on the side of a volcano.
Before the sunset, our professors treated us all to some iced cold cervezas and an afternoon to ourselves. We were pretty excited.
It was then, once again, time to leave and finally move on to our home-base in Monteverde. After three weeks of camping and traveling around the west coast of Coasta Rica, the prospects of a pillow, a hot shower, and a roof over my head was very appealing.
The 21st was a travel day. We stopped at a small zoo and rescue center, Las Pumas, that focused on big cats. Although it was awesome to see these beautiful creatures, after spending three weeks in the middle of a jungle with wildlife all around, seeing a big cat behind a cage and a bird that can't fly is just depressing.
Here, a caged jaguar:
At 4pm on the 21st, we finally arrived in Monteverde, the place I am currently residing...
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