My students have no fear of creepy crawly bugs...including this huge tarantula that we found on a hike in the forest. They all stayed calm and handled the tarantula the right way.

This is a hercules beetle that one of my students found down the road from his house. The students took turns posing with it.

tortugas

Aren't they the cutest things ever. These little sea turtles just hatched and are heading to the ocean (one looks a little lost). Stu and I tried to help them along their way and protect them from the various predators.

"Which way guys?"

This turtle is digging his way out.

We haven't seen the mother turtles yet, but the beach in Tortuguero was lined with their tracks.

Unfortunately, this is the aftermath when turtles hatch...part of the food chain. All of the white specks you see in the sand our turtle egg shells.

In the past week we have had two tarantulas come to visit us inside our house.
This one was in our bedroom...look closely at the picture frame on the left.

This is a cute little skunk that hangs out in the hostel at the beach.

These are crazy caterpillars that creep us out on our hiking trail.

Stu putting in some stone steps to the house at the farm.

Some of the animals at the farm...our house is in the background

The biggest cockroach I have ever seen...found in our bedroom!

Teenage scorpion or big spider... who would win the battle?

The baby sloth that our friend Benito is taking care of.

Toucan Sam outside of the house

Do you see the snake?

A beautiful canyon in Nicaragua we swam/waded through

moo

Really cool golden beetle that one of my students found on the way to school

A lizard we found in my sleeping bag

Pretty spectacular place to get engaged huh?

Stu proposed on top of this volcano - Volcan Concepcion

Just a little excited...can you tell?

Another view of the volcano

In lake Nicaragua with Concepcion in the background

arenal

Hiking 25 kilometers from Monteverde to the Arenal volcano

We made it to camp!

Orependulas eating fruit

Deb enjoying the view of Arenal after our 4 hour horseback trek through the jungle - she's a trooper

Deb and Liz coming out of the jungle

Spinner dolphins

Stu deep sea fishing with Wahoo Willy

Holy tuna! Wahoo Willy is the local supplier of fish to restaurant a couple restaurants in Drake Bay.

In the back of a truck after our week long adventure through the Osa Peninsula. A bumpy ride that crossed the same river 23 times.

Liz trying to tame a wild snake :)

Ahhhhhh

Stu with Mr. Caiman

Lick my back and you'll see crazy things

Hike to Arenal

Hola, friends! Stu has come to join me here in Monteverde. Here are some pictures of our hike to the Arenal volcano. More text and stories will come shortly!

On our way back from hiking to the volcano. Lost in an abandoned farm/jungle? Spirits still high. (Only six hours into the hike)

Bushwacking through unknown territory. After the farm, the trail disappeared and the boys took out the machetes. At times, we were standing a foot of the ground because of the crazy, thick vegetation.

After Benito almost stepped on a green and brown "stick" he realized "oh, that's a poisonous one." Liz was quick to identify we had found an Eyelash Viper. Luckily it wanted nothing to do with us.....

Lizard in the wake of the machete path.

This MUST be the last bend in the river? (~ one hour of time had been spent in the river bed. it would be some time until we found anything that looked like a trail.)

Well that just a small portion of this story and our adventures in Costa Rica. Soon to come...our run in with fellow ultra runners, surfing in Mal Pais, trails and projects at the school, housesitting for the Botanists and the first documented case of "hustle" with service in CR!!