ZECO TRAVEL TALK

Costa Rica: We had a great day in the Tortuguero Canals of Costa Rica! We saw dozens of sloths, lots of green iguanas, a few basilisks (Jesus Christ lizards) and, of course, more and more birds! The holy grail of the day—and Peter Harrison says maybe even for the trip—was the great potoo, usually a noctural predator!

Panama: Rain caused us to change our plans somewhat and we did a Zodiac cruise in Escudo de Veraguas which was a big hit. Though a bit wet, people loved it! The birders had a clean sweep finding all the endemic species, and the zodiac cruise found the real prize of the day—the endemic pygmy sloth. Everyone returned with a smile. We decided to heave anchor and head straight for Bocas del Toro. Our local guides pulled together a few local boats and some 50 passengers headed over to a bird island called Swan Caye. It was a success in the species department and a true adventure. The other 20 people chose to go to Bastimentos National Park to try to find the poison dart frog, and they also were successful. It was a “fly by the seat of your pants” kind of day, but true expedition style.

San Blas Archipelago: Our Zodiac cruise this morning was excellent—the birders are just in heaven! They have counted more than 200 species already. During our visit to the village market in Acuatupu passengers bought many molas, the traditional, hand-embroidered panel blouses worn by the Kuna Indians. Our stop at Hollandes was the best way to end a day—with snorkeling, swimming and playing on the beach.