Two practical things to take to Costa Rica - a flat sink stopper and
chigger repellant. I was miserable with chiggers down there but at least
I could stop sinks to wash socks. Birds were magnificant but challenging
to find at times. Enjoy.

*****************************************************************************
Louise Martell
Family and Child Nursing Box 357262
University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-7262
e-mail martell at u.washington.edu
*****************************************************************************


On Fri, 19 Sep 1997, Robert Taylor wrote:

> At 12:10 AM 9/19/97 -0400, Suiebill2 at aol.com wrote:
> >My wife and I intend travelling to Costa Rica and from all the messages I
> >have read of late, it would almost appear as if we could have a tweeters get
> >together down there at Xmas.
> >Someone asked about bird books and I have found one titled
> >" a travel and site guide to birds of Costa Rica by Aarond Sckerak( sp?)"
> > costs$13.56 at amazon.com.
> >Bill Stark
> >Kirkland
> >Suiebill2 at aol.com
> >
> >
>
> Hi Tweeters
>
> I'm a new responder but have eavesdropped on your conversations for awhile
> and certainly appreciate the to-and-from flow of comments and ideas.
>
> re: Costa Rica. Fantastic. Go. Enjoy. Add to your list. Get
> frustrated and enjoy some more.
>
> Books: A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica by F. Gary Stiles and Alexander
> Skutch.
>
> A Travel and Site Guide to Birds of Costa Rica by Aaron D. Sekerak
>
> Suite Guides: Costa Rica by Dennis W. Rogers
>
> All of the above were in stock at Flora and Fauna Books in Seattle in the
> Pioneer Square area. My car is set on "Home" and finds the store
> automatically - it is in a basement and you had better have great will
> power or a healthy wallet because the book offerings are truly
> overwhelming. Butterflies, bugs, dragonflies, plants, animals -- yeah,
> just like their name suggests!
>
> Travel comments: As anywhere (Seattle, Vancouver ore San Jose, CR) watch
> your personal bags. Richard lost his bag (with guides, binos, camera, etc)
> unloading from a cab. The risk is the same anywhere. The solution - know
> what you have and have one person responsible for the cab's trunk ane one
> for the sidewalk, etc. We stayed in Coca Cola (the low rent district of
> San Jose) and had no problems.
>
> Transport: We did local buses and taxis when necessary. Cheap.
> Frustrating but workable.
>
> Good birding locations: The whole country! Seriously, you can Hoffman's
> Woodpecker right in the city parks downtown. La Selva - when we were there
> it required the day before reservations but the plae is great (don't miss
> the Great Currasows, Rubra rubra?, in the botanical gardens. The staff
> know when they wander through. Great trails. Being low budget birders, we
> walked from Sarapiqui to La Selva early in the morning and got a lot of
> unexpected birds between town and the reserve but it is a good walk.
> Hedgerows, roadsides and farmer's fields produce amazing sitings and a
> whole different list of birds than in the rainforest. As everyone says --
> don't be frustrated by the scarcity of birds in the jungle -- they are
> there and just sitting on a log and waiting and listening can be
> productive. Watch the little poison dart frogs hopping on the trails and
> enjoy.
>
> Tapanti good birds and easy access by walking the road.
>
> Braullio Carilio National Park -- they have had some incedents there
> between banditos and tourists. We had no problem three years ago but I
> still hear the cautions. From then or now??? Our best birding there was
> through the tunnel and downhill to the small station where you'll have to
> pay a fee to enter the park. Go uphill into the cover and find one group
> of birds go accross the road and toward the river and get an entirely
> different list. Coquettes were visiting the flowers at the station and
> station manager's house.
>
> Last, but not least, would all of you consider posting a trip report on
> return?
>
> Bob
> taylorrt at geocities.com
>