C o s t a R i c a

And the Proyecto Lapa Verde

I lived for 3 months in this tiny, rainy, and wonderful country volunteering for the "Proyecto Lapa Verde", which aims at researching and conserving the endangered Great Green Macaw (Ara ambigua). While in Costa Rica I had the most intense experience of my life, not only work related, but also as I interacted with "tico" culture.

I was stationed in the tiny town of Boca Tapada, located 10 miles from the Nicaraguan Border in the Northern Zone.

We had to use telemetry techniques to located collared macaws, and then find them, and observe their behavior, migratory, and feeding habits. Never dull, the work pumps you up into top shape, as there is a lot of hiking up and down hills as we search for the birds. The place gets over 200 inches of rain a year, and with the heat, you are constantly drenched either with rain or sweat. Personally I prefer the rain. The experience was nothing like I had ever experienced before. And I took with me good and bad memories. A unique test to myself which I not for one second regret having taken.

After every 3 weeks of work in the field, I got one week off vacation. It was then when I did most of my traveling and exploring within the country. San Jose, Costa Rica's capital, is a compact yet bustling city full of contrasts. People are really helpful and friendly. The warmth of their character is a welcoming experience. They have a unique habit of belittling evertything, which has earned Costa Ricans the nickname "Ticos" (as in 'chiquitico, momentico' the ending 'tico' is used often in their Spanish). San Jose also has vibrant and exotic nightlife. Salsa, merengue, Reggae, Techno, there is everything to dance to and the Discos are open until at least 4am on weekends. They get full on weekdays too. My stays in San Jose were nothing but intense. I was assaulted for 40 cents, met a lot of cool people, and partied like an animal.

From San Jose I often took bus trips to the Beaches. Visited Manuel Antonio and the beaches south of Dominical. I think Manuel Antonio, though beautlful, is overrun with tourists, but further south around Dominical, the beaches are even more beautiful and unspoiled. Marvellous sunsets, where the sea, the jungle, and the mountains meet with violence. and rainbows the next morning as icing on the cake.

Most of the time though, I lived in the northern lowlands. Either in Puerto Viejo or Boca Tapada. When the days were clear(a rare event, usually in the mornings) we could see the Central Volcanic Range (and Volcan Poas), as well as the erupting volcan Arenal.

I saw Arenal quite a few times burping steam, though I was too far to hear the rumbles. An impressive sight, even from a distance.

Check out the link to:

Proyecto Lapa Verde

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