Off to see the crocodiles

We awoke to the sounds of a blustery day, which is a first on this trip. After our buffet hot breakfast we began our journey toward the southern part of Costa Rica. As we left town, we saw a beautiful rainbow over the village of Santa Elena.

The first part of our trek was on a winding gravel road that is currently under construction to broaden and pave. Giovanny calls this type of road a "massage road".

A rainbow over Santa Elena

However, the best vistas of Costa Rica can be seen from the "massage roads".

English is widely spoken in Costa Rica, due in part to the government, which in 2009, made it mandatory for all schools to teach English. Even small 4 room schools in remote villages as seen below, teach English to the students beginning in the elementary grades.

Many homes in the mountains are small farms with animals to supply some of their food.

Traffic was stopped at one section of the highway for a sloth crossing. Our witty tour guide, Giovanny, then asked us, "Why did the sloth cross the road?"

A sloth

Part of the trip to Manuel Antonio was on the Pan-American Highway.  This route stretches from Alaska to the southern tip of Argentina, and crosses the following countries:  Canada, the United States, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, and Argentina. I'll have to add this bit of trivia in my Spanish class. (A map of the Pan-American highway and additional information can be found HERE.)

The Pan-American Highway

We stopped in the town of Jaco, along the Pacific Ocean, for a late lunch in a restaurant with delicious food and large portions.

The next stop was the Jungle Crocodile Safari. As we rode on a boat on the muddy river, Giovanny and the driver spotted over 30 crocodiles. At one area, near the mouth of the river, there were 15 crocs along the riverbank!

Our driver slapped a rag on the water to attract the crocodiles.

This guy was clear-eyed and ready to hunt.

Click HERE to see a video of the croc moving toward our boat.

This bird was taunting death because it was only feet from a crocodile.

Quick break from croc watching for a photo shot

Small Lizard

Mountains serve as backdrop on our croc tour

Chillin' at the edge of the river

Can you find the lizard? It's green & near the center of the photo.

We reached our destination of Manuel Antonio, unloaded our luggage, and quickly returned to the bus to drive to the restaurant for our evening meal. We ate at Ronny's Place which is on a hill with a beautiful sunset view.

Shortly after the sunset, dark clouds rolled in and we were chased inside by the impending rain. It's a good thing we had moved inside because after the light rain, the skies opened up and it poured!

The remainder of the evening was spent relaxing at our hotel.

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