Catching Waves and Waving at Monkeys

Hola Amigos,

Today was our last day on the Osa Peninsula and we were like fishermen casting about for that little pull followed by a wild ride. Our first cast was early in the morning into Herrera Botanical Gardens. We met Tom the owner and guide who over the past 20 years has been transforming what had been an old cow pasture back into the jungle that it had once been. He came down here with the Amigos program ( like Peace Corps), stayed on to start a guide service with a friend, and started this project as a way of showing the value of keeping the forest as forest and showcasing the many trees and plants that can benefit both humans and wild creatures. We hung out on his veranda at first munching on one of the fruits of the jungle "custard apple" while watching 2 trees, one full of white face monkeys and the other with "howler monkeys". I learned that if you want to get along, you don`t show your teeth when you smile or look at them directly ( they consider that a sign of agression) also scratching yourself and leaning to one side and then to the other indicates that you feel at ease ( however don`t try this at home). I learned a lot about trees and plants, one curious fact I`ll share is about the passion-fruit. It has little nubbins on the vine which are" fake butterfly eggs". The butterflies see them and think someones already been here so they don`t lay any more and thus save the vine from destructive caterpillars.

We took our siesta then for a couple hours. For gringos the siesta is the time when your almost dead from the heat and pass out hopefully in some horizontal shady spot. Later we went off looking to do some kayaking in the mangrove swamps here, but unfortunately the tide was out and that place would be mostly mud. So we lit out for the beach we met some friends on the way who dropped us off at Playa Plantares. A beautiful sandy and empty beach with great waves rolling in. We splashed about as the sun set gloriously over the palms. We walked home as dusk settled lit up by millions of tiny lightning bugs. Then another friend picked us up.

Hasta luego, see you soon. Gilberto.