Monkeys Will Do Anything for Muffins
I awake to the sound of footsteps on the roof and as I emerge from my groggy state, I realize, of course, that the sound is from monkeys. I assume they will pass quickly and try to go back to sleep, but they don't go away, so I am curious and get out of bed.
read more closeI peek outside to find my neighbor holding the basket of muffins close to her while shooing the monkeys away. Apparently there was a muffin raid this morning.
At first we take the basket of muffins inside. The white-throated capuchin monkeys patiently linger in the surrounding shrubbery, picking their fur and watching us. Some hang upside down from the roof while others swing from pendulant hibiscus branches and perform other acrobatic movements. Great photo opportunities!
As other guests awake, we don't want to hoard the muffins, so we return them to the table. But when we do, the monkeys try to approach, showing their teeth to try to frighten us away. We shoo them away and eventually, are forced to return the muffins to the safety of the kitchen where the monkeys can not get to them.
Unfortunately, before any of us got up to prevent the muffin theft, two muffins were robbed. One of the lucky monkeys sat in the tree next to our porch, eating the muffin much like you or I would. Mmmmm... I hope he liked it because it will be the last muffin he gets if I have anything to say about it.
I am scheduled for a canopy tour today. Several years ago, president Jimmy Carter went on this tour.
It is one of the Original Canopy Tours and is owned by Jinetes de Osa. It departs from the lodge at 8:30 am. Wearing comfortable shoes and remembering my hair tie (clips don't work because you have to wear a helmet) -- I'm off!
The canopy tour was fun. I joined a lively group of six others, plus our four or five guides. The platforms are heartily built and don't wobble. All necessary safety precautions were carefully met and we all had a really great time. Having guides who, though they may do the same tour day in and day out, still enjoy each and every tour as if it were unique, make the canopy tour fun. There were nine platforms and six cables. A good time was had by all.
I returned to Jinetes de Osa in time for lunch (spaghetti with home made tomato sauce) and then I left again to go photograph frogs. One of my guide friends has access to a private farm and he knows where to find the frogs. We hiked through mostly primary rainforest and then up stream, through the stream to the frog's hideouts.
Here we found the green-jeans frog and the Golfo Dulce dart frog -- the most poisonous frog in all of Costa Rica. The frogs seemed to always disappear whenever I tried to take a picture. So, I spent my time photographing the waterfalls. We return just before dark and share a few beers at the bar.
A quick cold shower (there is hot water, I just prefer cold water when it's hot) and I'm ready for dinner, which I completely devour. Chicken breast, broccoli and a baked potato. I left nothing on my plate. With all that walking I must have worked up an appetite. It's Saturday night, the only night that the local disco is really hopping, but I'm exhausted, and I have to get up really early tomorrow. I'll try to make it there next weekend, if I'm still here.