Costa Rica Day 5 – Arenal

This was our laziest day during our whole trip, which worked out well because it rained on an off all day. That didn't stop Heidi, though, she took off for a white water rafting trip, while the rest of us kept close to the lodge for the day. Sabina elected to take it easy on her poor knee after the strenuous hike the day before, while Caroline, Christine, Sandra and I set off for a 2.5 hike around the Arenal Lodge grounds: 

We didn't have much luck in seeing animals (specifically the fluffy kind) during our hike, but we did manage to learn quite a few interesting things about plants:

• 

  Borrowed from:
  http://www.htbg.com/search.php?family=Marantaceae

  The 'corn-like' plant is actually called a snake plant, in honour of the serpents who tend to loiter around it. The concave petals fill up with rain water that you can drink, and hummingbirds are attracted to it as well...hence the presence of snakes. A hydrated hummingbird is a tasty hummingbird.
• If you happen to be bitten by a venomous snake you should lay still and have a friend fetch help. If you move too much the venom may get to your heart before you find a doctor.

• 

  borrowed from: http://www.flickriver.com/photos/tags/shameplant/interesting/

  The 'sleeping plant' droops if you touch it, as a defense against insects. You can also make a paste of of the leaves to use as an anesthetic for tooth aches. It was really fun petting the leaves of this plant and watching them all wilt simultaneously.

• Eucalyptus trees were introduced to Costa Rica somewhat recently because they grow very fast, very straight and very thick and are therefore used for lumber instead of the native rainforest trees. Our guide compared a very tall eucalyptus tree to its neighbour and told us that the significantly taller eucalyptus was only 20 years old, while the native tree was over 100. As well, the eucalyptus doesn't support any other plants growing on it, whereas the native trees hold untold amounts of additional vegetation.

• Likewise, North American Pine trees were introduced because they shield strong wind. Arenal has planted a bunch on their site because the lodge it on top of a hill and they kept control the wind. Unlike the eucalyptus, pine trees allow other plants to grow on them like their native counterparts. The Costa Rican electricity department (called ICE, which is funny to see painted on posts and rocks in the too-humid city) tried to use them for telephone and electricity poles but the 16 varieties of woodpeckers have rendered them unsafe now. They are in the process of replacing them all now.

• 

  Borrowed from:
  http://fireflyforest.net/firefly/2006/07/21/epiphytes/

  Bromeliads often grow on other trees and collect water. Tree frogs and mosquitoes both use them to lay their eggs in.  

Those triangles above his eyes are pretty eyelashes

Towards the end of our hike our guide pointed out a long thin snake curled up in on a tree stump/light post. We were allowed to take photos of him so long as we kept the flash off so as not to frighten him. I got up very close to use my macro setting, and right after me a 10 year old girl photographed him, but used her flash. This is when the guide casually mentioned that this was the eyelash viper, one of the more venomous species in Costa Rica. If it had bit either of us, the venom could potentially have rendered us blind before paralyzing our muscles, ultimately stopping our lungs, heart and brain. Thanks tour guide!

After we dried off from our guide and had lunch, we got ready and cabbed into town to meet up with Heidi. We had a really great dinner at the Lave Lounge and headed home to get a decent sleep in before our early morning transfer the next morning