One last surprise tour!

 So, they say it's a small world, but no, I think it is just a great world where a particular kind of wonderful weird folk attracts that same kind of awesome folks AND THEN they connect each other with those "kindred spirits".

Such was the case a few weeks ago when I got a reply from the ABV Schmooze list to my announcement that I was headed to Costa Rica. At the time, I was looking to explore southern Costa Rica (I eventually decided ONE weekend at home would be kosher (funny because I then spent the weekend cooking a Jewish meal) and this Worker's Circle comrade has a friend in Costa Rica who just so happens to live in Southern Costa Rica.

I got in touch with her friend and guess what, she has an apartment JUST down the street from my host family. We arranged to have breakfast at the Hotel that my host family has been TELLING me to visit, so I can see the garden.

Ok, I get it, I TOTALLY get it, this place isn't a garden, it's it's own botanical garden! Absolutely INCREDIBLE! So here's ONE LAST (maybe) post full of flowers.

Oh, and moving to the saga of me TOTALLY missing what has been in front of me this whole time. Many MANY posts ago, I mentioned going to the zoo and seeing the Lapa Verde. It's a BIRD, I realized. And yes, my Spanish school was named after the bird- Lapa Verde. When I asked the founder, she explained that many folks were upset about the low numbers of the Lapa Rojo, but the Lapa Verde was just as endangered, but not getting the same attention. 

What does this have to do with today? Well, as we were exploring the garden, I asked about what she is doing down in Limon, and she explained that she and her husband have created a wildlife preserve specifically to reintroduce the green macaw to the region. That afternoon, I was sharing what I had learned with my host family and learned that Macaw isn't a spanish word when Dinia understood what I was saying, but Jose Luis didn't. Dinia clarified that I was talking about the Lapa Verde and I nearly fell out of my seat. Sometimes it can be INCREDIBLY difficult for me to learn information that has been staring me in the face ALL SUMMER! Now I know one of the places for the list for when I come back to Costa Rica.

Anyway, on to the flowers :)

LOOK AT THESE!

ALL the amazing COLORS!

There was a look out point, and this was directly below. FULL of butterflies.

GIANT FLOWERING BROMILIAD!! WOW!

I always smiled when I saw these dudes, but when I saw THIS one, I realized it was the perfect example of both ways that the plant presents, and I love them both!

Another tree that is just begging me to sit in it and read!

At every phase, this is just BEAUTIFUL!

Those pink and purple things are PLANTS!

I was SO happy with my camera that day!