About 5% of the entire planet's bio-diversity can be found in this small country. Tucked away in the northern most part of Costa Rica, on the border of Nicaragua lies a wetland called the "Cano Negro wildlife refuge". It is hands down the best place to see some native Costa Rican birds and animals in their natural habitats. An hour and a half bus ride took us to the small town of Los Chiles from where we boarded the boat on the river Rio Frios. Our knowledgable and nature-loving guide, Francisco and the "hawk-eyed boat driver", Evan made this a trip of a life time for us spotting and helping us view the wild life throughout the three hour long boat ride. White colored Igrets, Roseate spoon-billed, kingfisher, black-collared hawk, several male and female Anhingas, black vultures were some of the birds we saw in their marshland homes. Iguanas, crocodiles and green lizards were their reptile cousins lazing around! Our excitement knew no bounds sighting a two-toed and 3-toed sloth, a big group of howler monkeys and another family of white-faced monkeys doing acrobatics and jumping from one sky-soaring tree
to another at times with a baby in-tandem. Spotting these is far from easy with all their camouflage in action! With an abundance of un-spoilt nature around them, their freedom has no limits- "Pura Vida" in the true sense!
"Pure life" is the literal translation of Pura Vida, but it goes way beyond that. My take home from this trip and from Francisco today is this essential spirit that most locals seem to harbor, an important life lesson that life is good and being grateful for our surroundings regardless of personal wealth and possessions. The positive energy that this simple and catchy phrase emits out in the universe is probably what keeps the Costa Ricans so content or vise versa!
An evening at the Baldi hot springs with multiple unique hot water springs, falls , pools and water slides and a nice elaborate dinner were a perfect end to this memorable day!
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| CANO NEGRO WILDLIFE RESERVE |
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| A REPTILE FRIEND SIGHTED RELAXING! |
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| IGUANA FAMILY HANGING OUT! |
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