I saw a Tapir! and other sightings

 Hi there, I think this dog is from a little town called Sierpe, but I am not sure. Dogs were a cute common sight. They all followed us, begging for attention and food. I am sure he saw something interesting there. Sightings are unplanned and unexpected and that is why many photos don't turn out that great. So I apologize. The important thing is that I got proof that I saw these animals up close! Even if you can't see them so well in the photo...

This is the common potoo, sleeping. Do you see it? It is right between the two lower branches that create a corner.It sits at the end of branches and blends in to escape predators. It  is very difficult to spot a potoo, since it sits there motionless. So we were really lucky to see it. At night, this bird can open its mouth very wide, while also sitting motionlessly, to catch prey like insects.

                                             Humming Bird! There are tons in Costa Rica.

Yes a group of students from out study abroad program saw a Baird's Tapir and we were very lucky. They are the few of the mammals like camels an rhinos that survived the Pleistocene and did become extinct (most likely due to humans over hunting them). This is the largest land mammal in Central America (Wikipedia).This species is considered endangered and right where we saw it, in Corcovado, there is a tapir conservation project going on. While we were hiking up, the professor told us all to look around, and there, right behinds us, the adult tapir was nibbling on some greens and standing right on the path. It was amazing. Some of us kept on saying, "Oh my god!"

Lead by our professor, we followed this mammal intently as it was browsing for fruits. It was an intense couple of minutes stepping silently, with cameras ready. In the end, the professor confessed, "I like to make things fun." It was an actually a white-nosed coati, very common in Central America. 

Didn't get the face...

Scarlet Macaw, Toucan, and a quetzal related bird seen on the hike through Corcovado primary forest.

 Scarlet Macaws are endangered because their nests are robbed by humans for sale as pets. However they are a common sight in Corcovado. Their screams are obnoxiously unmistakable. Think chicken but 3 times more annoying.

Bye friends, a blog about sunsets and bird watching coming up!

Pre Study Abroad 4

not today's sunrise but also beautiful

Today's sunrise was marvelous. I wonder, will I see many sunrises or sunsets in Costa Rica? Probably not, since I will be surrounded by tall trees with lush foliage. Well maybe only when I will go to the beach. Less than a month is left and I have so many things left to do. I am reading books, saving up money, going to doctor appointments, catching up with friends, practicing Spanish, and shopping.

I've been also thinking a lot about my independent research that I will have to do in Costa Rica. It is the hardest thing to come up with, the research question. Of course it is even harder when you haven't seen what you will research on but I can't even come up with what I will exactly study, which type of organism. I've been telling myself birds but why and how? So many research topics interest me that can be applied to any organism

• camouflage vs bright appearance what is more beneficial? what matters more, protection or sexual selection? Although some organisms can change their appearance from bright to dull in order to blend in but stand out during the mating season.
• a relationship between plant and insect, bird and insect, or bird and fruit...whichever one
• Which native or non native plants/animals populate a disturbed area and why?
• competition between native and non native species

For now I'll just get back to reading about Costa Rican birds, hoping to convince myself to study them. Then I'll change my mind when I get to Costa Rica. At least I am starting ahead of time.

Pre Semester Abroad in Tico Land: Costa Rica

*tico is the slang term costaricans use to call themselves.


Tickets are bought. Finances are more or less figured out. One study abroad scholarship received!  CIEE has finally posted the guide book, which I read halfway.


Studying abroad has been my dream since early childhood. I have traveled before, and every time it was a magical experience for me despite the long wait in airports, stomach aches, and restlessness on the plane. The books and shows I've watched about rain forests lured me to pick a country with a rain forest as the top destination.


In Costa Rica, I will take ecology classes and one Spanish class. There will be a lot of field work and traveling from coast to coast and I will even visit Panama's coast. For 2 months I will live in a research station in Monteverde, for one month I will hike and for another, I will live with a costarican host family.


I think my expectations of this study abroad program matches up with reality. There won't be much comfort, insects will accompany us everywhere,  our legs will be tired, and the workload will be large. I am worried that I won't even have enough time to do other things besides studying, like dance at night, or visit museums. I am also worried about my physical strength, I am not a very athletic person. But I have enough time to prepare. I am excited for the challenge, which without a doubt this trip will be.


Once I am in Costa Rica (Feb 8th), I'll try to post as often as I can, at least once a week. However, there will be weeks during which I won't have access to a computer.

my waterproof map of Costa Rica and camera case