Olympus-OM
[Top] [All Lists]

[OM] Re: Which equipment to Thailand?

Subject: [OM] Re: Which equipment to Thailand?
From: Moose <olymoose@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2006 20:10:37 -0800
HowardPhoto wrote:

>Sounds like the Moskitia area of Honduras. Where in Central America did you 
>go Moose?
>  
>
I'm sure much of Central America is similar. I was in Costa Rica for 3 
weeks.

We spent  few days each in:

Rara Avis, a research station in untouched cloud forest. This is where 
the practice of mounting wire cable trams in the canopy originated, a 
technique now used all over the tropical world that revolutionized 
canopy research. It was reached by what has to be in the running for the 
world's worst road, in an iron trailer pulled by a FWD tractor. I 
thought I might lose some internal organs on that road. Of course, the 
cable line wasn't working when we were there. A huge tree had fallen 
across it. Great place anyway.

Tortuguero. Again a spot pioneered by a research station, in this case 
for sea turtles. And we did indeed get to see a turtle come up the 
beach, lay her eggs and head back to the water. There was a continuing 
battle between the people acsociated with turtle preservation and locals 
who took the eggs to eat/sell. After we watched our turtle, our guide 
messed up the site and broke a couple of the eggs on it, so it would 
look already plundered and increase its chances of survival. This is on 
one of a series of barrier islands on the NE coast. The rivers from the 
interior mostly don't go directly into the sea, but into a sort of canal 
behind the barrier islands. There are big areas of swamp rain forest 
accessible by small boat. Another great place.

Drake's Bay on the South coast. This was a very remote area with no road 
access at all most of the year, and apparently appaling access 
occasionally. The main highway is the sea. The 'road' along the shore is 
a foot path that varies from wide enough to walk two abreast to single 
file only. Here we visited an island for snorkeling and wandering. Saw a 
basilisk lizard and a snake eating a hige bird, among other cool things.

All three of these places had only very limited power from generators 
for a few hours a day. None in the living quarters.

Tamarindo on the W coast. This was the most touristy busy place we 
stayed. Nice beaches, water, etc., but nothing like the tourist areas in 
Mex., etc. Really a pretty quiet little town. No big hotels.

We drove up the central plateau to Volcan Arenal. We got there late and 
couldn't see all that much, as it was only slightly active at the time, 
but it was an interesting trip through a different kind of country. I 
lost my Marks & Sparks umbrella purchased some years before in 
Bournemouth in an odd little town with a park of big topiary animals for 
town square. Bought a new umbrella in the next town, as it was rainng 
again by then.

Went river rafting on a fabulous river (Pacuare?) through a deep jungle 
canyon. Great guide, great rapids, warm water, Pendulo d'Oro (or some 
such name) birds building nests, a huge blue Morpho butterfly fluttering 
over us for some time.

Notice all the past tense in my descriptions. I've been other fabulous 
places that later were ruined, and I know nothing about what may have 
happened to various places we went 15 or so years ago. I still remember 
the friend who went to a little island in Mexico that I had visited and 
found magical. A club Med had since been built nearby, along with much 
other development. The places I remembered were more like garbage dumps 
by then. There was an amazing, narrow section between tall, vertical, 
rock faces on the river trip where I was told they were thinking of 
building a dam, so that may be gone for good.

Thanks for setting off a very pleasant wander down memory lane. The 
slides from that trip are still awaiting their turn in my slow, 
haphazard scanning of old images.

Moose


==============================================
List usage info:     http://www.zuikoholic.com
List nannies:        olympusadmin@xxxxxxxxxx
==============================================

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
Sponsored by Tako
Impressum | Datenschutz