Quepos y Manuel Antonio - Dia Uno

Quepos was our first stop  on our travels through Costa Rica. It is a fairly well developed town close to Manuel Antonio National Park. It was pouring rain when we got there and we treked the 20 minutes to the hostel we had booked (Villa Jaquelina). It was well worth the walk.

Dead tired from our travels we unpacked some stuff and got food. Later that night we explored the hostel and nearby area finding house geckos and small dull frogs upstairs on the wall. We continued to search outside in the nearby ponds, ditches.  Nearby the hostel we found two more amphibians that aren't uncommon: Valliant's Frog and Cane Toad.

I found our first snake that night curled up in a crack of a cement wall by someones power meter. Our first Costa Rican snake was a Common Cat-eyed Snake.

Common Cat-eyed Snake

The next day we took the bus to Manuel Antonio National Park with a group of people staying a the hostel with us. There were three Germans an Australian, Chris and I.  The bus only cost 250 colones so 50 cents Canadian.

In the town of Manuel Antonia we bought our tickets and right across the road was a Orange-chinned Parakeet nesting in an old termite nest in a tree. A great start to pur day in my opinion.

Orange-chinned Parakeet

 Our new friends from the hostel asked us if they could follow us around instead of paying a guide since we knew for sure we'd see stuff without one. Frankly we were quite right! Within a few minutes into the park we saw a Sloth high in a tree, a Pale Billed Woodpecker and a stream with many Brown Basilisks and Anoles.

Along this stream we also found a white phase of a Rosenburg's Gladitior Frog. This quite large tree frog was asleep on the stream bank and almost looked just like a rock.

Sleeping Rosenburg's Gladiator Frog

Regaining colour as it woke up...

  As we headed up the trail to the lookout we ran into a pack of White-face Capuchins.  They were very docile and luckily didn't jump on anyone because non of us had food.

White-faced Capuchin

 

  On our hike up the mountain we saw a species of large skink and a large lizard (suspected Giant Banded Anole). The lookout had an amazing view.  But after the hard hike up we were ready for a swim so after a few minutes to catch our breath and take some pictures we walked back down to the beach.

We're all tired from the hike

View from Manuel Antonio Lookout

Swimming on Playa Escondito was refreshing and exactly what we needed ater that hike. Surrounded by green crabs, hermit crabs, capuchins and Black 'Iguana'.

Black 'Iguana' (Ctenosaura similis)

The walk back along the other beach and the old entrance was very nice although our friends decided to leave earlier out the main gate. We saw a summer tanager and got a good look at a large adult Brown Basilisk.


Brown Basilisk

While waiting for our bus we stopped at a bar nearby the exit for a quick beer and saw a hilarious sight. Tiny and adorable Squirrel Monkeys were RAIDING the bar!  They were stealing all the fruit although mostly focusing on the bananas and in the process semi trashed the bar.

 

 

Back at the hostel we went out searching again at night. We know a snake and a turtle got away from us but we did see another Gladiator Frog, Owl sp. (Striped Owl) and a type of nighthawk that I had never heard before. The colouration on the Gladiator Frog was VERY different from earlier today. The only way we could tell it was the same species was the distinct black stripe from it's head halfway down it's back.


Rosenburg's Gladiator Frog

Oli beat-boxing with a portable digeridoo to German rap!

 A great finale to the night was hanging out with the other hostel goers having few drinks. Naturally things got interesting when people pull out musical instruments. The Auz played the digeridoo while the German rapped IN German. I bet this has never been done before!