Costa Rica
Read MoreThe road was long and muddy. Unbelievably muddy. We had walked deep into the cloud forest and arrived at the remote research station. The cool mist swirled around our faces and hung off the vegetation like a veil. Although we could not see the sun, we knew the day was almost over. The cicadas intensified their electric hum. We were tired and drenched in sweat and mud, but most of all we were hungry. We were about to step inside when a cool breeze touched our skin. It felt good so we hesitated at the door. The breeze increased and the mist hanging over the trees was peeled away, layer by layer. then it broke and we could see! Our jaws dropped. Miles of misty jungle spread out before us and at the end of it rose the volcano. Before anyone could speak, one ray of setting sun broke through and illuminated the cloud that capped the peak. Welcome to Costa Rica.
A guided night walk was a great way to explore the nocturnal happenings of the forest. At the beginning I could see nothing for myself and had to rely on the guide to point things out, but as the walk progressed I started to learn where to look and began spotting my own creatures. A frog on a fern, a stick bug on a branch, a huge butterfly hanging under a leaf. The guide must have done this same walk hundreds of times and the monotony of it showed. It was time to turn around and head home and the pace quickened. I was shining my light around half-heartedly when it fell on a leaf, and then past. Wait, there was something on that leaf, I flicked the light back. A small green frog. It looked slightly different from the rest so I asked the guide what kind it was. He begrudgingly wandered over to have A look and his demeanour changed in a flash. His eyes widened and his voice got excited and reverted to Spanish. When it came back to English he explained that this particular species of Glass Frog was not thought to occur in this area of Cloud Forest! He took many photos to document the discovery and I asked him if this meant I would get a tip at the end of the walk? It did not.