Today Thursday, June 12, 2008 we had our last trip, which was to Poas Volcano & La Pez Waterfall. As you can see above these are pictures of Poas Volcano, which is actually a crater that measures a mile in diameter and 900 feet deep. Most of the time you can't actually see the crater due to the clouds, however we were lucky today because the blew away as we reached the top. You can see how beautiful it was from the pictures. It is considered to be one of the most active craters in the world, which would explain why there were so many tourists there today. Also, the location of the crater compared to San Jose also creates some popularity points for this tourist, "hot spot". Again, we have not been let down with the amazing eco-tourism locations.
Information from: http://www.infocostarica.com/places/poas.html
After our visit to the volcano, we visited La Paz Waterfall Gardens, which was only a short drive away. La Paz Waterfall Gardens is a multi-million dollar nature park composed of: exotic birds, butterflies, hummingbirds, frogs, snakes, and of course waterfalls! However, the pictures above
are some of the exotic birds that I saw today. Most of the birds above are toucans. As you can see, they are all very beautiful and some were playful. The last picture actually shows one bitting my arm, however it didn't hurt. Also, Peter (a member of our group) actually got attacked by a few of the birds. The birds were one of the more exciting parts of the day.
As you can see above, we saw the butterflies next. They were also very playful and would lay on anyone that would let them. For example, a young girl had close to 10 butterflies on her head and arms at once. Also, as shown above they would even walk up your leg. However, my favorite butterfly is called "the morpho" due to its beautiful wings. When they are closed they show a brown "eye", which allows it to hide from its predators. It most direct predator is actually humans due to deforestation. They are also hunted by the jacamar and flycatcher. However, the most amazing aspect of this butterfly is its wings when they are open, which is a bright blue. The vivid color of the blue morpho’s wings is a result of the microscopic scales on the backs of their wings, which reflect light, causing the butterfly to appear a brilliant iridescent blue. Also, they are one of the largest butterflies in the world, with a wingspan of up to 8 inches. They are a very common butterfly and I have seen numerous ones since I have been on the trip. Their lifespan is only about 115 days, so must of their time is spent eating and reproducing. The morpho butterfly is shown in the first picture above.
Information from: http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/resources/forest-facts/species-profiles/morpho_butterfly.html
After the butterflies, we were able to take a break and eat lunch. Today's lunch was one of the best ones we have had so far. Not only did they serve Costa Rican food, but also American food, which was amazing! After lunch, we continued with the tour and we able to see the frogs, hummingbirds, and snakes! Along the way, we also stopped at a colonial home to see how Costa Ricans lived years ago. As you can see above, I was able to take my picture with a few cows that were used as transportation.
Finally, we made it to the waterfalls. The waterfalls were the best part of the trip because they were all right after another. In total there are 5 waterfalls named: el templo, magia blanca, encantada, escondida, and la paz. However, my favorite was magia blanca (white magic) because if you stared at the waterfall long enough, then you could look to the right and the rocks would look like they were moving! As you can see, the establishment offers numerous spots to stop and take pictures. Overall, today was another wonderful experience of eco-tourism in Costa Rica. Not only do you have the chance to learn, but its also fun at the same time!
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