More of my trip to the province of Guanacaste

I got here on Thursday and since then I have had a lot of wonderful experiences. On Friday I went with the Elon students to learn about recycling and how important it is to do it to preserve the environment and to make sure the animals are fine. On Saturday we went to the largest mangrove in Costa Rica. It is 12 kilometers long and it is beautiful. We took a boat ride along the mangrove and we saw fish, crabs, crocodiles, different types of birds and many howler monkeys. They were so loud! In the afternoon we went to Playa Grande, a beautiful beach very close to our hotel. I could not swim in the ocean because it has a lot of currents and huge waves, but I saw surfers everywhere. Now I want to learn to surf. The sunset at this beach was beautiful!

It's hot!!!

Everyday we've had so much to do! Fishing trips, Mangrove tours, playing at the beach and climbing trees have all been so fun! But spending so much time outside is HOT! We're making sure we drink lots of water and try to spend time in the shade when we can.

Fishing Trip

Today we went to San Juanillo! We got to take a ride with a fisherman to see how they fish. I didn't do much fishing, but we did get to see sea turtles, a whale, and flying stingrays! It was so cool!

My visit to Guanacaste Province

Hi everybody!

Today I left San Jose, the capital city of Costa Rica, to go to Guanacaste in the North Pacific. I am traveling with a group of grad students from Elon University for 7 days. We will be doing and seeing a lot of exciting things. Today on the long bus ride, I got to see many different things and cute animals, like the deer you see in this picture. It was more like a dog, following and licking me everywhere. It was so much fun!

My Elon Friends

I met the Elon grad students today! They all seem like fun so I'm sure it will be a great trip!

Hola

Hi everybody!,

Today I left San José, the capital city of Costa Rica and went to Guanacaste in the North Pacific. I will be traveling with a group of Elon University grad students for 7 days. It was a long ride, 7 hours in the bus. But it was fun to see a lot of different animals and places.

I am at the Miami airport getting ready to get on the plane that will take me to Costa Rica. I am so excited!!!!!

Tropical Toucans of Costa Rica!

One of Costa Rica National Bird

General Info:

Of the 42 toucan species in Latin America, six are found in the lowlands and rainforests of Costa Rica. These flashy, colorful birds are among the most recognizable in Central America, thanks in part to their trademark bill. Despite its large size, the bill is surprisingly light, and enables the birds to thrust deep within tree holes in search of food.

Habitat:

Toucans are found in tropical and subtropical forests in Central and South America. In Costa Rica, these flamboyant birds can be spotted in Carara National Park, Tortuguero, Manuel Antonio National Park, and many parts of the Central Valley and Guanacaste Province.

Toucans are vocal birds, shrieking loudly as they fly in staggered flocks of 3 to 15 individuals. They are playful and often use their oversized bills to stage mock fights or fling fruit to each other in apparent games.

Reproduction:

Once a male toucan has attracted a female, they mate and remain together throughout the nesting season, foraging and parenting as a team. Mating couples dote on one another, feeding their companions fruit and preening their feathers. Toucans always nest in tree holes and lay two to four eggs.

Status in the Wild:

Toucans are a common sight in the regions they inhabit, except where there is widespread deforestation. Fortunately, the populations in Costa Rica are not yet seriously threatened. Habitat loss is the main hazard to these rainforest dwellers and accounts for much of the decrease in wild populations.

Costa Rica Beaches

In Costa Rica the visitor can enjoy lovely tropical beaches, the grandest adventures, the wonders of nature, scintillating culture, all the necessary components of an ideal vacation. No wonder, then, that thousands of tourists have made Costa Rica their top travel choice.

Costa Rica's beaches are surrounded by forests, and have great natural diversity. In many of them there are beautiful coral reefs, where you may dive and explore. In addition, depending on the place visited, you have a series of complementary activities, such as: hikes to mangroves, diving, surfing, sport fishing, hiking on trails or horseback rides.

Thanks to the easy access to many beaches, you can make the most out of both coasts. Most of them have warm water throughout the year, so you may come and enjoy the country any season you prefer. If it's diversity you're interested in, each coast offers different shades and textures of sand, white, yellow, gray and black, product of the constant crashing of seashells on coral reefs.

A little about Costa Rica:

Costa Rica occupies a privileged spot in the heart of Central America. While its territory of 19,652 square miles touches both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the country is surprisingly accessible - one can travel from coast to coast in just three hours by car (or 45 minutes by plane).

Costa Rica is a country in Central America,

bordered by Nicaragua to the north,

Panama to the east and south,

the Pacific Ocean to the west and

south and the Caribbean Sea to the east.

Official name: Republic of Costa Rica.

Population (2010): 4,253,897.

Official language(s): Spanish

Capital - (and largest city): San José