We first saw this enigmatic bird on our first visit to Costa Rica two years ago in the Gandoca/Manzanilla Reserve in the South Caribbean zone; then we saw it in daylight, which is a pretty rare thing.

As dusk falls a strange call can be heard, loud and pretty scary! The Great Potoo appears ready to hunt.

Bwah Bwah rings out in the night and there atop a large tree we can see its huge eyes in our spotlight

After experiencing this eerie encounter over a couple of nights I found it possible to imitate the call of this nocturnal hunter and eventually found I could call him/her down to within a few metres, though still high in the trees. Suddenly it lands close by and I try my best to get a photograph; conditions are very harsh , dim light and my flash is underpowered. Soon I have a few “interesting shots” . This contimues over several days and we also find the Potoo at our next house rental and get more pictures.

It would be fantastic to get a clear shot in daylight but however much I scanned the trees the Potoo stayed hidden who knows where? However any contact with this uncommon hunter of the night is priceless. We will be back to continue the search!

There are plenty of interesting happenings in and around a house in the jungle, like the afternoon that Richard was down in the garden and suddenly heard something coming toward him, out of the forest at speed. That can be quite a scary moment, wondering what on earth it could be but already knowing it is probably too late to get out of the way.

Branches were crashing, leaves were rustling, Richard started to back away and then out of the forest there appeared a huge……… amphibian! The beast broke cover, shot across the garden, with no chance of a photo and disappeared into the undergrowth on the other side. Later we looked it up, it was a bufus toad and there were we, expecting to see a puma!

There is also the hazard of the Sticky Frogs, these guys will stick anywhere. As soon as night falls they are out on the prowl, doing their thing – splat, splat, and there they are. One little chap seems to think nothing of zooming in and attaching himself to a table or wall or even Richard’s shirt or glasses while he is still wearing them! By morning there is no sign of them.

Sticky Frog (House Frog)

Less welcome are the ants. We have seen swarms of Army ants. When these are on the move the only advice is to stay out of the way and let them pass, even if it happens to be through your house. The Fire ants are just a nuisance with their sharp, stinging bite but even they can be intimidating when they attack in numbers. Stand around too long in their territory and they will scale your shoes and get in amongst your socks, clinging and snapping for all they are worth. The Leaf cutters are the most endearing; they go about their business, cutting and transporting and are much too busy to bother humans. We respect them accordingly and take great care not to disturb their trails as we walk through the grass.

Moving up from Punta Uva we are now in one of our favourite spots on the Sth Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. It’s very different here from the secluded, golden beach of Punta Uva. Playa negra is a wide sweep of black sand that stretches from Puerto Viejo around a bay toward Cahuita. From the road the beach doesn’t look much; you need to be right down at the shoreline to appreciate just how beautiful this stretch of coastline is, raw and undeveloped. There are no buildings at all on beach side of the road and the debris that litters the beach is coconuts and palm fronds and, in some cases, whole trees that have been washed up from some distant shore.

We are staying in the Bird House again, a small wooden rental house down a sunny lane opposite the beach. The house has an upstairs balcony with comfortable chairs and a hammock and is surrounded by a tropical garden that brings in the colourful birds that give it it’s name. We can hear them all around even when we cant see them .

Of course there are other  things to see too; snakes for example. So often its just a fleeting glimpse as they cross a path, too quick for an amateur to make an identification. Snakes are really hard to see.

One snake that is quite easy to recognise is the green vine snake; these are a beautiful bright green with a pointed snout and large, glassy eyes. They are non venomous though we were told they could give a nasty bite. We had seen one at close quarters before when we spotted it in grass and were able to observe it for a while.

Extras in the bathroom

The Bird House gave us an opportunity this time to see another of these amazing creatures. and sooner than we expected. After we had moved our cases in,  a quick  visit to the bathroom revealed a three foot specimen curling its way around the shower head.

Playa Negra

This is civilisation, Jim – but not as we know it.

There are many places in Costa Rica to see  these wonderfully coloured birds, and good opportunities to get that special photo. Villa Toucan is aptly named and will afford the photographer and bird watcher alike with close encounters with this enigmatic creature. However skill will be required to get that perfect shot, these guys are smart and fast and will provide a real challenge to the photographer.

Three species can be seen at this location; Chestnut Mandibled are the largest, Keel billed with the “rainbow” colored beak and Aracaris are the smallest and perhaps the most approachable.

Keel - billed Toucan

Chestnut -mandibled Toucan

I saw up to 12 of these wonderful birds at one time as they often moved throught the vista in a united gang, attracted by fruiting trees. Each species has an unmistakeable call, Keel bills announce their arrival with a frog like croaking, Chestnut with high pitched calls not unlike that of seagulls.With good weather prevailing the Toucans would arrive and show off right in front of the villa. Using my Canon 7D AND 100-400 zoom I was indeed able to get decent shots of two of the three species. Close encounters with toucans are always magical and being able to record the moment is a real priviledge.

There are so many accommodation options on the stretch of coast between the small town of Puerto Viejo and the end of the road at Manzanillo that anyone can find what they are looking for, except, of course if you want a high- rise, everything- you- need, all- inclusive, Mega-resort.

There are none of those.

Cycling this road (there are several rental places but you do need some form of formal ID, passport or photo driving licence) it’s a real pleasure to see the weather worn signs and little roads leading off to hammock hotels, boutique establishments, restaurants and lodges. The narrow road is quiet, newly surfaced and edged with green. Trees, huge leaves of the heliconias, great ropes of vines, and lush undergrowth predominate between the tiny hamlets of Playa Cocles, Playa  Chiquita and Punta Uva. Glimpses of the beautiful coast line come and go from view.

The villa stands in lush grounds within the Gandoco-Manzanillo Reserve

This time we chose to stay in Punta Uva;  a tiny community situated by a beautiful stretch of beach and backed by a mountain of rainforest. Our rental villa was located off the main road and up two hills along a  forest path suitable for 4WD only.  We had been warned that it was a steep climb but when we arrived at Villa Toucan we were delighted to see just how worth it our off-the-beaten-track location was. The villa stands high above the forest with views across the tree tops and way down to a sea. Parrots and toucans abound, flitting across the open space that is the villa garden.

An interesting additional guest drops in to say hi!

A walk down to the road gave us little surprises, like the huge iguana crossing in front of us and a family of cute coati, babies behind, single file. The air was thick and hot under the trees but ahead of us was a another reward for leaving the rental car back at the villa – that beach and water as warm as a bath.

We were at Arenal Volcano again for a few days.

The first thing we noticed was how clear it was, great view right to the crater rim. October is really a great time to visit the Arenal area; the Volcano was looking magnificent from the Observatory Lodge. There were a couple of heavy downpours and a pretty impressive thunder storm (enjoyed from the lodge hot tub!) but in between, heavenly blue skies and beautiful views over Arenal lake.

The second thing we noticed was how ‘quiet’ it was, the volcano that is; no rumbles or hissing, no rocks tumbling down the side, no red glow at night. Apparently it has been this way for almost a year. The last time we were there, about 18 months ago there was plenty of action – ah well, that’s volcanos for you, part of the attraction, part of the danger is their sheer unpredictability.

Sam and Mike climb the larva flow for a closer look

We walked in the National Park,  just a few kilometeres down the road from the Observatory Lodge.  We took the trail that leads to the Old Lava flow and climbed up for an even better view. What an amazing sight! The volcano may be having a snooze but it certainly hasn’t lost any of its magic.

Take a look in min-eguides/ Panama / Casco Viejo

Not Just A Pretty Face

Having returned from Panama City a couple of weeks ago we have been reflecting on just how much there is to see and do. For anyone with two or three days in the city as part of their holiday/trip it’s just a case of deciding what interests you most and going for it. With a week at your disposal you can see the whole list or choose from other options to visit places outside the city, many of which are easily do-able in one day.

Arriving by air, Panama City is an impressive sight. Though we are not big fans of concrete jungles we were ‘wowed’ by our first glimpse of the Bay of Panama with its sleek band of skyscrapers that march right down to the water’s edge. What we didn’t know at that point is that Panama City is not just a pretty face, it’s interesting too and easy to negotiate once you get your bearings.

Our Top Ten

Listed in no particular order…….

1) Ancon Hill

2) Metropolitan Natural Park

3) Amador Causeway

4) Canal Administration Building and Goethals Monument

5) The Panama Canal and Miraflores Locks

6) Casco Viejo

7)Punta Culebra Exhibition

Corridor Sur and  Skyscraper watching

9)Handicrafts

10)The Malls

What we didn’t see/do (or number 11)

Inevitably there were things that we missed. Even though we were in Panama City on three seperate occasions during our trip, it’s still difficult to cover everything. But we did have opportunities to talk to plenty of other travellers and hear their opinions, good and bad and I’ll share some of these at a later date.

It’s goodbye Panama tomorrow so the last couple of days we have been fitting in those last ‘must see’ places from our list; one of them is Casco Viejo.

Street Market

The old town of Casco Viejo can be seen from various vantage points throughout the city; Ancon Hill , Amador Causeway and Metropolitan Park, to name a few. The red roofed, low rise buildings give an impression of by-gone times, even from a distance. This is, in fact, the ‘old town, but not the oldest. The original town was sited  further up around the bay of Panama, but when ‘Panama  Viejo’ was sacked and burned by dear old Henry Morgan, the Welsh Privateer it was rebuilt on a new site.

Casco Viejo dates back to the 1600′s. Along the narrow streets there are a mixture of beautifully restored buildings three storeys high, with balconies and red tiled roofs and mere shells, supported by props and with trees growing inside. It’s a long way from finished but it’s not too hard to imagine what it could be like. The town stands on a small,

Charming street vendor in Kuna dress

rounded point so sea views are never far away. There are several squares with street cafes and local sellers where a Panama Hat or the intricate ‘Molas’ of the Kuna people can be bought.

For a complete contrast there was one more trail we wanted to walk so it was an early start and a ride out back to Soberania Nationa Park and, this time, the Plantation trail. This trail  ran, as it’s name suggests, through a plantation up to around 19oo when competitive cocoa production elsewhere forced it to be abandoned.  Now you would never know; apart from spotting an occasional cocoa pod the jungle has reclaimed eveything.

The great thing about this trail is that it borders a river that runs through a deep ravine so that much of the time you are looking down and through trees. Its a great view. Having said that, a couple of cinnamon woodpeckers we spotted were way up in the canopy. We saw the tiny Geoffrey’s marmosets, Cappuchin monkeys and a huge troop of Howlers that drowned all other sounds in the forest with their eerie, booming voices. It was fantastic finale to a great trip. We are looking forward to telling you all much more about Panama in the coming weeks!

Great sign - tead it

Start of the Plantation Trail

Causeway from the air as we land at Allbrook

Back from  the islands we have come full circle and are staying back in the Balboa district of Panama City for the final leg of our journey.

Marina - Flamenco Island

The Amador Causeway is just a ten minute drive away from here. It is a series of three islands, Flamenco, Perico and Naos that have been connected by a road and palm lined, pedestrian walkway that juts out into the Bay of Panama. We had seen the causeway several times, from Ancon Hill, Metropolitan Park and from the air and  it always looks like a beautiful place to visit. The causeway was constructed from materials excavated from the ‘Culebra Cut’  (part of the canal) and helps to form a protective breakwater.  It was off limits for many years but now the area has been opened up to the public and is a place for Panamanians and visitors alike to relax.

Our new boat?

Looking towards the City from Flamenco, at the end of the Causeway

A stroll along the walkway is a great way to spend a few hours; there are benches at regular intervals where you can sit and enjoy the view of the glittering modern city across the bay, the ‘Old City’ of Casco Viejo, and watch hundreds of pelicans plunging into the water for fish. On the other side of the causeway the huge ships can be seen ‘queueing’ for their turn to travel through the locks on their way to the Caribbean. And everywhere there are yachts and vessels of every size.

There are ‘family’ (four seater) and ordinary bicycles for hire and a safe ‘lane’ away from the road for a faster transit of the causeway! We took a taxi to Flamenco, which is the furthest island in the chain and made our way back on foot. It was hot and sticky, we took our time, pausing  periodically to rest our legs and take in the view. Our final stop -off  was at ‘Mi Ranchito’ for breaded shrimps, ‘patacones’ (fried plantains) and Yucca fritos.

City view