Cantarana y Parque Nacional Braulio Carillo

Shortly after the Volcan Barva trip alex and i went with our tico field assistants to Cantarana in Parque Nacional Braulio Carillo to collect plants for her physiology experiments. It was about eight hours of hiking, but well worth it. Mau, Alex, and I piled into one of the la selva vehicles equiped with field lunches, cooler, ice, mud chains, etc. early the morning of the 12th. Hubert, our driver, put up with our sillyness as we set off to pick up Felix (alex's assistant) and drive up into Braulio. We drove a little over an hour along a slippery dirt track up into the park, eventually stopping near the river to begin our hike.


Hubert joined us for the trip. We set off crossing the river along a rather shady log bridge. Then managed to stumble, litterally across a 2 meter terciopelo. Alex nearly stepped on her, she was coiled near the edge of the trail. unfortunately both alex and her assistant missed the snake entirely, i saw it just in time to shout at alex as she stepped about 4 inches from it. the snake was HUGE, thick as my arm with a head about the size of my fist. and once both alex and felix passed so close, she was alert and pissed, head up. so the guys had to move her off the trail with a branch. and mauricio claimed bragging rights that HIS gringa had spotted the snake before anyone else. probably the only thing he has had chance to brag about when it comes to me in the field.

Then about half an hour up trail we came across yet another venomous snake. While terciopelos are the second most venomous (but most aggressive) vipers in costa rica, the bushmaster is the MOST venomous. and that is what we ran into next. And again, about 2 meters long. just right in the trail. beautiful snake, but definitely not one to mess with. so the guys moved her off the trail as well, with another long branch. only they didnt move her far away so she crossed back, and mau had to move her a second time.

bushmaster

we made it to the shelter at canatarana in time to make coffee and a trash talking session in spanish over lunch. then, once hubert showed that he is man of steel and can do countless pull ups, we headed further along the trail to collect alex's plants. which involved machetteeing the trail beacause no one had used it in over a month. and we saw our third poisonous snake of the day. a tamaga, or eyelash viper. on the way back we found puma footprints circling around our footsteps through the mud from when we had hike up. checking out the intruders, apparently. but didnt see the cat, just the prints.

it was a bit of a scramble but we made it back to the truck before dark, exhausted, covered in mud and sweat, but happy. then it was another ride back of spanish trash talking, where mau tried to set me up with various admiradores that i have at la selva, then tried to arrange a marriage with felix and alex and i. because felix needs two gringa wives to work in his finca. claro. as she and i tried to explain the difference between sexy, flirty and sassy to the boys using spanish. it was an awesome trip, rivalling the one to barva the week before.

when we arrive back at la selva, we had missed dinner, so alex and i cooked up a pesto, salami, cheese and black olive pasta creation with mango and chocolate for desert. then i made to mistake of dropping by the REU toga party on my way to bed, where my room keys and flashlight were promtly confiscated but replaced with a cold beer. i eventually begged off and made it to bed before 1, but thoroughly exausted. getting up the next morning at 6 to work.

mau crossing bridge

Felix moving snake

Volcan Barva

I'm back home after almost 2 weeks of vacation and visiting with friends. its been a crazy month. and by home i mean back in la selva.

last month i got to go with a group of people to volcan barva. it was an awesome trip. alex, one of phil's grad students had some gradens and data loggers to check on and let us tag along. its about a 3-4 hour drive to volcan barva. so bright and early, alex, susan, veronica, andrew and i piled into the 4WD with manuel and headed out for a long day. we stopped by the La Paz waterfall along the way, and had one of the most entertaining car rides i've had in a long time. the last part of the road to barva is unpaved and in pretty bad shape. as we started up, the 4WD couldnt make it up the road, so we had to back down to relatively flat spot to up the mud chains on. but as we started reversing, the right back tire went into huge hole, and the car ened up teetering. so, we pile out (except for manuel) and all got on the front bumber of the opposite side to try and even out the weight as manuel tired to make it out of the ditch without geting the front stuck as well. all the while bad US 80's pop songs were playing (but in spanish) on the radio. picture putting the mud chains on to total eclipse of the heart in spanish. yes, thats right. it was awesome.

The rest of the trip went without a hitch. we made it to the park, just in time to get caught in a down pour. barva is high elevation, 2906 meters. so a nice refreshing cold for us lowland tropics kids. we got to hike to the crater lake, then a bit farther to a lookout near the summit. the weather cleared just as we reached the final lookout.

the hike back involved some naked gunnera pictures. these plants have HUGE leaves. you could stand behind them, wearing nothing, and nobody would be able to tell. you'd be totally covered. assuming no strategically placed herbivory. hypothetically speaking. i of course wouldnt do something like that. back at the gaurd station/entrance the boys had found a baby armidillo which they showed to us before we all piled back in the car for the ride home.

so here are some pictures, enjoy!
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La Paz Waterfall

veronica, me, susan, alex on brigde at la paz

manuel, me, andrew puting on chains

crater lake

alex, veronica, me, andrew, susan