Call me Steve Erwin

    When I put pictures up of this site, I can’t imagine someone’s heart not melting.  The other day we saw the most darling little white bats hanging upside down in a tent they made out of leaves.  Today’s cute animal alert was twofold: tiny baby peccaries (which look much like furry pigs but smell – literally – like the BO of an unshowered football team after a game) and a troop of howler monkeys.  The howlers were incredibly darling, and the family included two little babies alternatively trying to swing on the branches and riding on their mothers’ backs.  The monkeys were so entertaining, their facial expressions look just like people.  And they definitely were showboating for the large crowd that eventually gathered, staying right around the bridge and swinging down so that they were at eye level.  I wish that I had a prehensile tail, they seem so incredibly useful.

   Where this cute overload is occurring, La Selva, is one of the most famous tropical biological research sites in the world.   Our first site, Las Cruces, was a botantical garden and important for ecological research, while the second site was a study in sustainable development.  La Selva feels like a stereotypical rainforest, and it is fantastic.  Picture the rainforest in tourist pictures, and thats where I am.  There is water dripping at all hours when hiking through the forest, and animals are everywhere – not just the monkeys and peccaries, but poison dart frogs and lizards and birds.  Unfortunately, I’ve only seen one snake, and it wasn’t colorful OR poisonous.  I did however swim in the river with the caymen downstream.  It turns out it was a caymen, even though a passing security guard tried to convince us it was a crocodile and we should vacate the water; of course we neglected to do so.  Ironically, our professor received a call from the La Selva staff telling her we were in the water with the caymen – and making sure we knew not to “stress” it! By splashing too close. At least they were worried about protecting the right organisms?

    Our first full day here (the day of the crocodile swim) was Costa Rica’s Independence Day.  We were given the day off to go to the nearest town and watch the morning parades, where every school in the area is represented by a marching band of sorts (its all drums with an occasional xylophone).  The amazing part was  how good all of the kids were; even children looking younger than 8 were playing those drums better than I do playing Rock Band (if you don’t understand this metaphor, you are missing out on a video game revolution).  But regardless, they were very impressive musically, and many were dressed in traditional Costa Rican dress.  We also had the opportunity to purchase ice cream and other food, which was much welcome – masterful scientists this site may have, but not masterful (or even decent) chefs.  A trade that I am willing to make.   

    Tomorrow we visit the Dole banana plantation, and the next few days are devoted to faculty led research projects (of mysterious content).  After that is time for our first independent project (EVERYBODY PANIC!).  I need to approve my project with my teacher, but the idea my partner and I have now focuses on the Golden Orb Weaver (Nephila), a spider who spins a web with a tensile strength, by diameter, stronger than steel.  Though we would be questioning a few unique features of its web rather than jumping on the profit train and attempting to construct a bulletproof vest out of the thread (a project which, by the way, is actually being undertaken).  Wish me luck.  Me and AIG.  

Pura vida!