At 09:21 AM 9/19/97 -0700, you wrote:
>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:
>

Excellent ideas. I always stuffed a sock in the drain and kept pulling it
out during the wash process. Ususally I had laundry done. I either bird
or sleep when I am someplace good. I guess you could take all your old
clothes, wear them until laundry is imminent and make a donation to the
locals instead. That is not a sarcastic remark. In many countries they
are far less well off than us and I tend to lighten my load as I go. One
pair of binoculars is in Manu Park as far as I know and others have
benefitted with books, clothes, tent (with a local cook who did fantastic
service for us in Kenya), etc.

Sorry for my typos in the previos message -- I think it remained readable.

I did leave out on book that is easily overlooked

Ridgely & Gwynne's A Guide to the Birds of Panama (with Costa Rica,
Nicaragua, and Honduras). It's handy if you hit more than one country.
Howell and Webb's book for Mexican Birds is truly the best of all but
doesn't cover far enough south to give info on many Costa Rican species.

Gotta run. Any questions? Ask them, I'll try my best,

Bob
taylorrt at geocities.com