Friday, January 27, 2006
ARACHNOPHOBIA
The Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge is located along the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica. It extends from the town of Manzanillo to the Panamanian border and covers 5013 hectares of land plus 4436 hectares of sea. (A hectare equals 2.471 acres.)
While my former RMHS colleagues Lesa M. and Scott S. were visiting me in mid December, the three of us booked a tour to the refuge. We got up early one morning and drove in their rented car less than 10 minutes down to Manzanillo. It's the last town accessible by road along the coast.
We arrived at 8:00 am as scheduled and were outfitted as recommended: high rubber boots, long pants, hats, binoculars, cameras, water bottles, granola bars and plenty of bug repellent! We were well prepared. But little did we know....
A man approached us as we emerged from our car. There was no greeting or introduction. It was all business.
"If you park there you can give me $500" were the first words out of his mouth.
I wasn't sure I had heard him correctly. Neither were Lesa and Scott. We looked at one another for some assurance.
"You can give me $500" he repeated in what appeared to be all sincerity.
"What?" Lesa cautiously questioned.
He responded "You part there under that tree and a coconut is likely to fall on your car. It will cost you at least $500!" Then he smiled.
We all smiled. That was Tino our guide. Clearly he had a sense of humor. And we were to enjoy it and him throughout our tour.
Another couple joined us. They were also from the States and teachers coincidentally enough. The three of us looked at one another after noticing that the two of them were wearing shorts and tennis shoes. Were they clueless?
Turned out they were delightful, inquistive and adventurous. I really admired his daring. But more about that later.
Tino quickly began by identifying the trees and bushes along the trail that lead us out of town. Soon we were hiking away from the sea and up into the secondary forest. Before long we came to the primary forest.
The way was not clearly marked. Frequently there were forks in the trail. At times it was difficult to see if we were actually following any kind of path. I discarded all notions of acting as a guide for other friends of mine who might want to hike there.
Plus the professional had so much knowledge to impart. We were shown how the inner portion of the banana tree could be used as a splint. Scott, RMHS trainer par excellence, found that especially interesting. Lesa and I were fascinated to see how the inner fibers of the banana stem between the fruit and the flower could be used for tea bags.
We were introduced to several kinds of birds. More were heard than seen, however. Some were difficult for me to locate even when Tino and my companions tried to point them out to me. The binoculars were of no help. Very frustrating!
We saw monkeys and sloths too. I was especially excited at the sight of my first two-toed (technically two-fingered) sloth even though it was only a big ball of reddish brown hair high in a tree. This species sleeps nearly all day long. So I shouldn't have been disappointed, right?
At the deepest point of our excursion into the refuge was a small pond. It was there we were told to expect to see Caimans. Sure enough one was sunning itself on a log. Again I was the last to see it and only after numerous failed attempts by all the other members of our party to help me. More frustration!
Caimans look to me much like crocodiles, only smaller on average I'm told. This one was maybe four feet long. Didn't appear all that threatening to me. Not from our vantage point anyway.
Tino stopped occasionally to look down into the large leaves of plants that stood 4-6 feet high along the sides of the trail. These were newly formed leaves shaped like a giant cone about 3 feet long and 6 inches or so wide at the top. Rays of sunlight hit some of them in such a way as to make them bright green and translucent.
It wasn't clear what Tino was expecting to find. After several unsuccessful attempts he asked if one of the guys would help. Scott and I hesitated long enough to give the other fellow an opportunity to step forward. He did.
He grabbed a particularly large leave and bent it toward him. The others of us gasped when we saw the dark image of a creature moving near the base of the cone. I assumed it was a huge spider.
To the amazement of the gringos in the group, especially our new amigo, out flew a bat. And almost immediately a second one followed. We could see there were more shadows still in the cone. And sure enough out flapped a third and fourth in quick succession. Before he let go of the leaf the fifth and final one escaped.
The whole episode lasted only a few seconds. The images will stay with me for a long time. Only my experiences with bats in the Maldives were more memorable. (That's a story for another time.)
There were plenty of insects on this tour. The Leafcutter Ant is among the most fascinating. They appeared crawling single file on the ground and on tree trunks carring small pieces of green leaves. (Did you know that they are actually "farmers" and grow their own food, a type of fungus, underground?)
The trail we were on passed right through a very large colony of these ants. It was nearly the size of a tennis court. There were countless little volcano like entrances. I was reminded of the 1998 animated film A Bug's Life.
Tino placed himself in the middle and asked us to gather round him. He then stomped his feet on the ground several times. Within a few seconds ants with very large heads came storming out of the nearby holes. These "soldiers" were ready to ward off the threatened attack.
Spiders were eveywhere. Many were big with interesting markings and intricate webs. Tino would point them out and tell us to stay clear. So it was shocking, to say the least, to see him grab one right off its web!
He proudly announced "This is a Golden Orb Spider! It's harmless!"
"Really? Really? Really? was my repeated response while I watched in amazement as it crept up his arm, across his shoulder, onto his neck and then his head.
He explained to us that the silk strands were used as cross hairs in gun sights. We each were given a piece of the web. (Did you know that a human hair is 30 times greater in diameter than the strand of a spider web?) I couldn't take my eyes off that spider.
Then Tino looked directly at me and said "Would anyone like to hold the spider?"
"Art!" Lesa or Scott or both of them were quick to suggest. What an perfect example of that old saying about the best defense is a good offense.
At first the suggestion simply didn't compute. Then I looked at them in disbelief. "Who needs enemies with friends like this?" I thought. There was no way...!
"I will" said the other fellow and he stuck out his hand. No sign of fear whatsoever. He seemed to relish the opportunity.
After experiencing the "thrill" he approached me with his pet spider. His motives were clear. So his offer came as no surprise.
"Here, Art, it's your turn!"
I mumbled something. Clearly it was incoherent. Even I wasn't sure what words came out. In any case nobody seemed to care what I said. All eyes were on me.
There was a chorus of "Go ahead, Art!"
Even the tour guide chimed in. Perhaps he considered it encouragement. I considered it betrayal.
I was about to say "How could you turn on me, Tino?" when all of a sudden it was as if I was transfixed. My muscles were no longer receiving messages from my cerebral cortex. I was witness to the unthinkable.
"Okay!" I stammered. There were smiles on all the faces. (Could the spider have been smiling too?)
"There's nothing to fear"Tino said to me and perhpas the spider as well.
"Nothing but fear itself" I was tempted to say.
The spider easily made the transfer and eagerly began to move up my arm. What on earth was I doing? What was it doing? My senses were on overload.
Does arachnophobia mean anything to you? The photograph taken by Lesa of me and the Golden Orb Spider could well be the classic illustration. You'll agree when you see it.
That's my most vivid and lasting memory of the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge tour. The bats come in second. And the Eyelash Palm Pitvipers are in a category all by themselves. (See previous posting.)
The rain fell gently as we neared the end of our hike. What would a tour of the rain forest be without it? Tino joked that he was prepared to refund our money if it hadn't rained.
The last few kilometers were along the coast, much of it on cliffs overlooking the Caribbean. There were impressive coral outcroppings just off shore. The panoramic views were particularly picturesque.
Words cannot explain how grateful I am to Lesa and Scott for coming all the way down to Costa Rica to spend a week with me exploring the wonders of wildlife on the Talamanca Coast. In another posting I'll write about the tour the three of us took through the Moin-Tortuguero inland waterway. It too was an awesome adventure!
While my former RMHS colleagues Lesa M. and Scott S. were visiting me in mid December, the three of us booked a tour to the refuge. We got up early one morning and drove in their rented car less than 10 minutes down to Manzanillo. It's the last town accessible by road along the coast.
We arrived at 8:00 am as scheduled and were outfitted as recommended: high rubber boots, long pants, hats, binoculars, cameras, water bottles, granola bars and plenty of bug repellent! We were well prepared. But little did we know....
A man approached us as we emerged from our car. There was no greeting or introduction. It was all business.
"If you park there you can give me $500" were the first words out of his mouth.
I wasn't sure I had heard him correctly. Neither were Lesa and Scott. We looked at one another for some assurance.
"You can give me $500" he repeated in what appeared to be all sincerity.
"What?" Lesa cautiously questioned.
He responded "You part there under that tree and a coconut is likely to fall on your car. It will cost you at least $500!" Then he smiled.
We all smiled. That was Tino our guide. Clearly he had a sense of humor. And we were to enjoy it and him throughout our tour.
Another couple joined us. They were also from the States and teachers coincidentally enough. The three of us looked at one another after noticing that the two of them were wearing shorts and tennis shoes. Were they clueless?
Turned out they were delightful, inquistive and adventurous. I really admired his daring. But more about that later.
Tino quickly began by identifying the trees and bushes along the trail that lead us out of town. Soon we were hiking away from the sea and up into the secondary forest. Before long we came to the primary forest.
The way was not clearly marked. Frequently there were forks in the trail. At times it was difficult to see if we were actually following any kind of path. I discarded all notions of acting as a guide for other friends of mine who might want to hike there.
Plus the professional had so much knowledge to impart. We were shown how the inner portion of the banana tree could be used as a splint. Scott, RMHS trainer par excellence, found that especially interesting. Lesa and I were fascinated to see how the inner fibers of the banana stem between the fruit and the flower could be used for tea bags.
We were introduced to several kinds of birds. More were heard than seen, however. Some were difficult for me to locate even when Tino and my companions tried to point them out to me. The binoculars were of no help. Very frustrating!
We saw monkeys and sloths too. I was especially excited at the sight of my first two-toed (technically two-fingered) sloth even though it was only a big ball of reddish brown hair high in a tree. This species sleeps nearly all day long. So I shouldn't have been disappointed, right?
At the deepest point of our excursion into the refuge was a small pond. It was there we were told to expect to see Caimans. Sure enough one was sunning itself on a log. Again I was the last to see it and only after numerous failed attempts by all the other members of our party to help me. More frustration!
Caimans look to me much like crocodiles, only smaller on average I'm told. This one was maybe four feet long. Didn't appear all that threatening to me. Not from our vantage point anyway.
Tino stopped occasionally to look down into the large leaves of plants that stood 4-6 feet high along the sides of the trail. These were newly formed leaves shaped like a giant cone about 3 feet long and 6 inches or so wide at the top. Rays of sunlight hit some of them in such a way as to make them bright green and translucent.
It wasn't clear what Tino was expecting to find. After several unsuccessful attempts he asked if one of the guys would help. Scott and I hesitated long enough to give the other fellow an opportunity to step forward. He did.
He grabbed a particularly large leave and bent it toward him. The others of us gasped when we saw the dark image of a creature moving near the base of the cone. I assumed it was a huge spider.
To the amazement of the gringos in the group, especially our new amigo, out flew a bat. And almost immediately a second one followed. We could see there were more shadows still in the cone. And sure enough out flapped a third and fourth in quick succession. Before he let go of the leaf the fifth and final one escaped.
The whole episode lasted only a few seconds. The images will stay with me for a long time. Only my experiences with bats in the Maldives were more memorable. (That's a story for another time.)
There were plenty of insects on this tour. The Leafcutter Ant is among the most fascinating. They appeared crawling single file on the ground and on tree trunks carring small pieces of green leaves. (Did you know that they are actually "farmers" and grow their own food, a type of fungus, underground?)
The trail we were on passed right through a very large colony of these ants. It was nearly the size of a tennis court. There were countless little volcano like entrances. I was reminded of the 1998 animated film A Bug's Life.
Tino placed himself in the middle and asked us to gather round him. He then stomped his feet on the ground several times. Within a few seconds ants with very large heads came storming out of the nearby holes. These "soldiers" were ready to ward off the threatened attack.
Spiders were eveywhere. Many were big with interesting markings and intricate webs. Tino would point them out and tell us to stay clear. So it was shocking, to say the least, to see him grab one right off its web!
He proudly announced "This is a Golden Orb Spider! It's harmless!"
"Really? Really? Really? was my repeated response while I watched in amazement as it crept up his arm, across his shoulder, onto his neck and then his head.
He explained to us that the silk strands were used as cross hairs in gun sights. We each were given a piece of the web. (Did you know that a human hair is 30 times greater in diameter than the strand of a spider web?) I couldn't take my eyes off that spider.
Then Tino looked directly at me and said "Would anyone like to hold the spider?"
"Art!" Lesa or Scott or both of them were quick to suggest. What an perfect example of that old saying about the best defense is a good offense.
At first the suggestion simply didn't compute. Then I looked at them in disbelief. "Who needs enemies with friends like this?" I thought. There was no way...!
"I will" said the other fellow and he stuck out his hand. No sign of fear whatsoever. He seemed to relish the opportunity.
After experiencing the "thrill" he approached me with his pet spider. His motives were clear. So his offer came as no surprise.
"Here, Art, it's your turn!"
I mumbled something. Clearly it was incoherent. Even I wasn't sure what words came out. In any case nobody seemed to care what I said. All eyes were on me.
There was a chorus of "Go ahead, Art!"
Even the tour guide chimed in. Perhaps he considered it encouragement. I considered it betrayal.
I was about to say "How could you turn on me, Tino?" when all of a sudden it was as if I was transfixed. My muscles were no longer receiving messages from my cerebral cortex. I was witness to the unthinkable.
"Okay!" I stammered. There were smiles on all the faces. (Could the spider have been smiling too?)
"There's nothing to fear"Tino said to me and perhpas the spider as well.
"Nothing but fear itself" I was tempted to say.
The spider easily made the transfer and eagerly began to move up my arm. What on earth was I doing? What was it doing? My senses were on overload.
Does arachnophobia mean anything to you? The photograph taken by Lesa of me and the Golden Orb Spider could well be the classic illustration. You'll agree when you see it.
That's my most vivid and lasting memory of the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge tour. The bats come in second. And the Eyelash Palm Pitvipers are in a category all by themselves. (See previous posting.)
The rain fell gently as we neared the end of our hike. What would a tour of the rain forest be without it? Tino joked that he was prepared to refund our money if it hadn't rained.
The last few kilometers were along the coast, much of it on cliffs overlooking the Caribbean. There were impressive coral outcroppings just off shore. The panoramic views were particularly picturesque.
Words cannot explain how grateful I am to Lesa and Scott for coming all the way down to Costa Rica to spend a week with me exploring the wonders of wildlife on the Talamanca Coast. In another posting I'll write about the tour the three of us took through the Moin-Tortuguero inland waterway. It too was an awesome adventure!
# posted by Art Peekel @ 12:29 PM 
