Day 10 and 11- Farewell Dinner, Reflections, and Trip Home

I hope you have enjoyed reading this blog of our 2019 STEM Expedition. In 2017 we went to Iceland. In 2018, Panama, and now in 2019 we conclude our Costa Rica STEM Expedition. We love traveling with educators and other people that have a love of science and STEM and are life long learners. Several of us have gone on two or more trips together. We hope you will consider joining us for the 2020 STEM Expedition to the Galapagos put together again by Holbrook Travel and their unique approach to experiencing the wonders of the natural world through travel! 

If you want to start at the beginning of this blog, scroll down to the bottom right side of this page and click on "older posts" until you get to Day 1. This final entry captures our reflections about this amazing trip.

For our last evening we met in a private dining room at the hotel for our farewell dinner. 

Joyce shared some of the "quotable quotes" that were collected from our participants and speakers throughout the trip. Without the context, you may not know the essence of each quote but those on the trip certainly will!

"Tug on anything in nature and you will find it connected to everything else." ~ John Muir

"Quit chopping the weed and the rainforest comes back with a vengeance." ~ Jack Ewing

"Incredible biologically diverse paradise … lots of plants here". ~ Josh

"One of the highlights of this trip for me was coming across a group of white-faced capuchins on our morning walk at Selve Verde".

"Just another sloth."

"The biodiversity is in your face every time you turn around. The variety is amazing and the photo opportunities are plentiful."

"I feel like I’m in a giant terrarium."

"It’s not that poisonous – don’t worry!"

"The tabasco sauce didn’t break – Josh’s head broke the fall."

"There’s no better place to be bitten by a snake than in Costa Rica." ~ Jack Ewing

"Look! It’s another red speck!" ~ Jim

"There are more people on the back of that truck than there are on this bus!" ~ Josh

"Bromeliads in telephone line = ‘electric plants’"

"There is always going to be another mountain in front of you."

"There is never a reason to waste."

"Sometimes life will give you a new opportunity you are not looking for that will change your life forever."

"Do you see any whales?"

"Make it sustainable, balanced, in harmony."

"There is no excuse to not learn about something."

"Always try to be better than good."

"You are not coming here to see people, you are coming here to see nature."

"Seeing different people and things gives you a better vision of the world."

"I’m sorry I was allowed to buy toothpaste."

Each us had an opportunity to share a memorable take away from the trip. Katie summed it up with this poem she wrote:

Costa Rica 2019

by Katie Schlotterback

Numbing our tongues and making chocolate bars,

Getting stung by wasps and seeing stars.

Leaf cutting ants were an amazing site

And the army ants were always ready to bite.

Howler monkeys woke us from our sleep,

But we didn’t complain, nope, not a peep.

We hiked up and we hiked down,

Wearing a smile and never a frown.

Could that be a little red fleck?

It's getting closer, it’s a red speck.

There were many new birds every day,

Using the spotting scope was surely the way.

Most frogs were colorful and small,

Whereas tress were green and tall.

Dress warm, dress warm we all were told,

Volcano Irazu will be cold.

Rain forest, cloud forest and the beach,

In Costa Rica, they’re all within reach.

Crocodiles and sloths were a sight to see

Thanks for this trip and being with me.

The success of this trip can be attributed to Holbrook Travel and our outstanding guide, Jimmy Trejos Camacho. Not only is he an exceptionally talented guide, he is a naturally gifted teacher and leader. Spending 10 days in Costa Rica under his expert guidance with a unique itinerary put together by Holbrook will forever be stamped in our memories of this trip. We ended by sharing our favorite "Jimmy moment" which was concluded by Jim MacDonald who introduced his new "traveling companion." Jim collects a stuffed animal from each country he visits and gives it a name associated with the trip. These animals travel with him. Last year it was a coati from Panama named Claudio, after our Panamanian guide. This year it is a sloth named Jimmy! 

 Our dinner ended with kind words from Jimmy and what guiding means to him,  gratitude to Jimmy and all our participants for making the trip a success, and a big thank you to our driver, Jose, for safely driving us through Costa Rica.

The next morning it was off to the airport where we continued to see sloths and red-eyed tree frogs!

We look forward to reading our new books, personally signed by the author, on the flight home.

The Costa Rican people live by the mantra of "Pura Vida". It means living peacefully, positively, and in the moment with happiness, joy, and gratitude for all the good things in life. These simple two words reflect the profound appreciation for the beauty of life that surrounds us and all the people in our lives. What a wonderful way to live. I wish you all "Pura Vida."

Day 10- Farewell to Savegre and "Blowing in the Wind" at the Irazu Volcano

Today is our last full day in Costa Rica. We had some free time in the morning for one last stroll through the beautiful gardens of flowering native plants at the Savegre Ecolodge and Nature Reserve.

Besides quetzals there were many other species of birds we spotted at Savegre. After catching a fleeting glimpse of a long-tailed silky flycatcher yesterday, this morning I found a pair feeding on berries in a tree near the main lodge, close enough to take good photos. The crest of this pretty yellow and blue bird reminds me of a cardinal. 

Also spotted throughout Savegre were collared white starts, rufous collared sparrows, flame-colored tanagers, and hummingbirds.

It was time to say goodbye to Savegre and head back over the mountains for our last ecosystem- the tallest and most violent volcano in Costa Rica- Irazu.

We passed many people walking up the mountains for an annual Costa Rican pilgrimage to the Basilica de los Angeles where a carved representation of the Virgin Mary "La Negrita" is kept to pay respects to and ask for and celebrate the miracles of their patron saint. Over a million faithful Catholics are expected to make this grueling walk, called the Romeria, which can take several days. Jimmy plans to do the walk with his sister after we end our trip.

As we approached the city of Cartega, we could see the massive Irazu Volcano looming in the distance. Within the Irazu Volcano National Park, Irazu is the highest active volcano in Costa Rica, at just over 11,000 feet at the summit. It's eruptions have been very violent and explosive, emitting a lot of ash. The last eruption was in 1994 and is due to erupt again. Let's hope it holds off until we leave!

It was a long winding trip up the volcano, passing through several microclimates. The volcanic eruptions have made the soil very fertile on the mountain and excellent for growing onions, potatoes, cabbages as well as raising dairy cattle.

Once we got to the top, above the tree line, we knew why Holbrook and Jimmy said to wear warm clothes. It was about 50 degrees but felt even colder with the wind chill. The wind was so fierce. Despite the chill and the wind, it was a beautiful clear sky day with amazing views.

The combination of wind and volcanic activity created a desolate moonscape appearance. This vast area of grey soil and rock stretches for quite a distance within the rim of the crater. It was like walking on a vast beach.

Jimmy pointed out the minerals in the rock and how light it felt. We noticed the poor man's umbrellas which only grow at high elevations but seemed a bit stunted here.

We braced against the wind and followed the walkway up to a stunning view of the main crater and the beautiful azure lake.

A gust of wind suddenly caught the visor of Page's hat and lifted it into the air where it then plunged into the crater. I wonder how many hats are sitting in the bottom of that lake!

There was an old stone tower "restaurado por LL Bean" (translation: restored by LL Bean). LL Bean is one of our favorite stores for outdoor clothing and gear in Page's home state of Maine. We climbed the tower and were treated to a magnificent 360 degree view. We could also see another one of the Irazu craters in the distance.

We made our way back to the bus for the trip down the mountain. Hey, has anyone seen Jimmy? Where is he hiding?

We stopped midway on the mountain for lunch at a popular restaurant. From our table view we could see a steady stream of pick up trucks going down the mountain with several men (sometimes 10 or more) sitting a top a load of potatoes. Someone remarked, "There are more men on the back of that truck than there are potatoes!"

By mid afternoon we arrived in San Jose to spend our last night in a beautiful hotel filled with artwork. I particularly liked this huge wall hanging- a hand hooked rug depicting images from Costa Rica.

Tonight we had our final farewell dinner which I will describe in the next blog entry.

Day 9- In Search of the Resplendent Quetzal and Riding Horses Through the Forest

Our group rose at 6:00 AM just as the sun was rising over the mountains to look for the resplendent quetzal, a magnificent bird revered by the Mayans and Aztecs. 

This rare and threatened bird is found in the high cloud forests of Mexico and Central America and is heralded for its exquisite beauty. It has a glittering iridescent sheen and tail feathers twice the length of its body. It is one of the most longed for sightings by birdwatchers and is considered the most beautiful bird in the world. Several breeding pairs of quetzals live in the area and the Quetzal Research and Education Center is found here on the grounds of the resort.

Following Jimmy, the group hiked up a steep hill on the Savegre property and met up with another group and their guide. 

Everyone waited patiently, quietly focusing upward on a tree where the quetzals feed on the small, tiny wild avocados. After waiting several minutes, a female flew in and perched on the tree. She was beautiful but because her coloring is much more muted than the male's ornate feathering, everyone was hoping they would also see a male quetzal.

After watching and taking photos, both groups hiked to a different site where quetzals had previously been observed. No quetzals there. The groups hiked to a third site where everyone was rewarded with a male quetzal landing on the avocado tree. He stayed perched on the branch long enough for everyone to have a clear view and take photos. 

Wow! Two quetzal sightings on our first quetzal-seeking hike! Jimmy clearly brings us good luck!

Back to the lodge for breakfast and a morning hike to the mountain top to experience the oak forest. Since it is quite a long climb up to the top, we took Savegre's jeep to save time and energy so we could hike down. We all squeezed into the back of the jeep for the long, steep ride up the mountain to over 10,000 feet.

The change from low tropical forest to a high elevation oak forest ecosystem was quite striking. Tall oak trees towered overhead in this rich and voluminous montane forest. The oak trees were distinctive in that their lichen-laden trunks were extremely tall and straight with branches and leaves at the very top. Mats of moss covered the forest floor.

Jimmy provided an overview of this diverse montane ecosystem and pointed out the trail named for the founders of Savegre Lodge.

We gathered for a group photo before a couple of us took the jeep ride back down the mountain to save wear and tear on our bad knees. Jimmy proceeded to lead the group down the very steep mountain trail.

The hike down was quite steep and very scenic. At one point Jimmy, in an amazing feat of strength, 😉 had to hold up a falling tree with his birding scope to let the hikers pass!

The group made it back down in a couple hours just in time for lunch as the mist was rolling in to the valley.

After lunch we had a little time to walk around and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Behind the main lodge, fishermen were fishing in the trout stream.

Our afternoon adventure was a chance to experience the forest trails on horseback. Some of us went for a trail ride with Jimmy while others chose to walk around Savegre.

We met down by the stream and waiting for us was a very rag tag pack of horses, including two mares with their foals. These certainly were not pampered show horses but don't let their looks deceive! They were the most rugged, sure footed horses well used to climbing the narrow, steep, rocky and muddy trails. We even crossed a couple rock strewn streams with water up to the horses' knees and fortunately they knew right where to put their feet. The two foals scampered along  with Jimmy, in the lead, obviously used to years of riding horses on his father's ranch. Is there anything Jimmy cannot do?

We returned with the rain showers and another delicious dinner at Savegre's restaurant which must hold the record for the biggest burgers in Costa Rica!

It was another amazing day, with, sadly, one more day to go.

Day 8- Hacienda Baru, Savagre, and the Chacon Family

This morning we headed out to a very different ecosystem- a very high cloud forest in San Gerardo de Dota, where we will be passing over the mountains at 11,000 feet to get there. Joyce pulled up the Google map to see the route we would be taking and this is what Google found. Hmmm...this will be an interesting road trip! 

With our excellent driver, Jose, I am sure he will figure out how to get us there!

We drove along the beautiful blue Pacific heading south. Our next stop was at the Hacienda Baru where we would meet Jack Ewing and have a talk on rainforest conservation.

Jack Ewing, who is in his mid 70's, greeted us with a glass of guanabana juice in a screened hut in the rainforest. He started off his talk with the history of Hacienda Baru and the story of how he and his family ended up there.

When he graduated from University of Colorado, he was sent to Costa Rica by his father's cattle business to run cattle operations in Costa Rica. At that time he thought nothing about clearing forest to raise cattle and enjoying sport hunting in the forests. 

After awhile he developed a fascination and love for the rainforest and his transformation from cattle rancher to environmentalist and naturalist began. Rather than cutting down the forests of Hacienda Baru, he gave up cattle ranching, purchased the land, and began restoring the rainforest. He moved his family there and raised two children who initially grew up without electricity, phone, and other modern conveniences. He gave up hunting after sadly gazing  at a jaguar killed by a neighboring rancher and realizing these beautiful animals deserve to live their lives without being killed for human sport or retribution for killing livestock. 

He told an amusing story of how, with the help of a local law enforcement officer, he was able to stop hunters (who used dogs to track the animals) from hunting on Hacienda Baru's land by focusing on their dogs, rather than the hunters themselves. Over the years, cattle ranching and rice farming was phased out in the area as people saw the benefit of ecotourism. The local people helped with reforestation and creating wildlife corridors to bring back many of the species that were eliminated during deforestation. In return, this brought jobs in ecotourism to the area. In 1995 the President of Costa Rica declared Hacienda Baru a National Wildlife Refuge.

Jack told many wonderful stories, some that are recounted in his books, Monkeys Are Made of Chocolate and Where Tapirs and Jaguars Once Roamed. He told us stories about venomous snakes and how if you were to be bitten by a venomous snake, Costa Rica would be the best place for that due to widespread well stocked clinics with anti-venom and medical staff well trained in treating snake bites.

He told the amusing story of how he still climbs trees at his age and wants to hold the record for the oldest tree climber at Hacienda Baru, but his record was shattered by a 76 year old woman who came to Hacienda Baru and completed the high ropes climb. He has 2 more years to tie her and 3 more to regain the record! You can read his amusing story about tree climbing in the golden years by clicking here! Oh, if only we could all be so spry at that age!

His greatest wish is to see the tapir come back to Hacienda Baru in his life time.

Several of us bought one of his books and he graciously signed copies. The essays are highly entertaining and I would recommend these books to anyone interested in reading more about the rainforest and tropical ecosystems (see links above to Amazon for ordering his books).

As we were waiting to go to lunch at Hacienda Baru's restaurant, ever acute observer Jimmy spotted a walking stick insect on a tree. Observe how different this walking stick is (top photo) from the one we found in Carara National Park (bottom photo).

Lunch was another delicious casada (typical Costa Rican meal) accompanied by freshly made watermelon juice.

After lunch we continued toward the mountains, climbing higher and higher and higher- our ears were popping. We stopped at a roadside rest stop and restaurant for a restroom break ("happy room") and sipped coffee while  watching hummingbirds. The sign says we are at 3,100 meters which is 10,170 feet, almost twice as high as Denver! We could feel the altitude and the air was crisp and cool. We could look down on the clouds in the valley below. Washing my hands in the restroom I could feel how cold the water was up here! The vegetation changed considerably.

Back on our bus we continued to climb up to about 11,000 feet and then down the mountain toward the Savegre River Valley. The road started to get very narrow and steep, sometimes room for only one vehicle.

As we slowed down into a village, Jimmy stopped the driver, hopped off the bus, and got back on with a big grin on his face saying, "Page, I found that rhinoceros beetle for you!" From a previous conversation about coleoptera, Jimmy knew I wanted to see a live rhinoceros beetle and sure enough, he spotted one with his eagle sharp eyes (Jim McDonald's face is priceless in this photo!). We passed it around on the bus and kept it in a bag until we arrived in Savegre.

As we entered through the gate of the Savegre Hotel, Nature Reserve, and Spa, we could tell this was a very special place. We checked into our "cabinas" and roamed around the beautiful gardens and grounds of this luxurious ecolodge high up in the river valley of the Robledal Forest, next to Los Quetzales National Park. The view from our rooms was picture perfect! The air was cool, a bit chilly, but felt so refreshing after being in the hot, humid forests.

We stopped for drinks in the bar (sangria, our favorite!) before our pre-dinner talk in the lounge overlooking the trout stream. The bar had beautiful stained glass art of different birds, including the quetzal which we hoped we would see here.

Our pre-dinner talk was by Señor Marino Chacon, son of Efrain Chacon who founded the ecolodge. He warmly greeted us and proceeded to tell us the remarkable story of how this beautiful luxury lodge came to be.

The story is summarized on this sign in the reception area of the hotel but there is so much more to it that Señor Chacon (son of the original founder) shared with us.

Picture two lost hunters in a valley where there were no settlers, overnighting in a small cave (just an outcrop of a large boulder) until they could find their way back the next day. They made it back to their village and were so enthralled with the valley they found, that they went back on foot several times, clearing the way with machetes and staying in the "cave". They felt they had discovered paradise. 

They started clearing the land with machetes to raise cattle and slept in the "cave" for two years, going back and forth to the village where their families lived. Picture them moving the cattle up this vertical mountain. There were no roads, electricity, nothing but pristine unowned land.  They built a hut, planted orchards and crops, raised livestock and eight years later Mr. Chacon moved his family there. Back then in Costa Rica if you homestead for ten years you could get a title to the land from the government.

When the family arrived, the only way in and out of the valley was the path Chacón had made for moving his livestock and harvests. It would be many years later before that path was replaced with a road into the valley.

Mrs. Chacon taught the children to read and write and improvise with what they had since they lacked access to basic necessities such as pens, paper, and even toothpaste. By now their family had grown to 11 children. He joked that his parents kept having children so there would be enough students for the government to build a school in the valley, which it eventually did!

They made cheese and the father would trek to the city to sell the cheese and crops to earn money. People learned that he had trout in the streams on his property and they came there to fish. Word of mouth brought more and more anglers to their property so they built a few cabins so the anglers could spend a few days there. It became so popular and well known that they expanded and the rest is history- from arriving  lost in the valley with nothing, to sleeping under a rock outcropping, to a hut without electricity, to a few rustic cabins, to today's gorgeous luxury resort- it was truly a remarkable tale of perseverance and vision. Most of all, he stressed how the challenge is to make sure the resort maintains harmony with the environment. Today Savegre holds the highest rating from the Costa Rican government for sustainable tourism.

After a delicious dinner, we hung out in the lounge, enjoying the warmth of the fire pit and anticipating what tomorrow will bring in this mystical cloud forest environment of peace and tranquility.