Last updated on December 21st, 2024
I knew when we signed up for this tour that we would arrive too late in the morning (and in too large of a group) to see much in the way of wildlife and that proves to be the case.
Still, it is a lovely day to be out in the trees.
We begin with a walk through the understory where we learn about various plants, observe a large leaf cutter ant colony (the colony is underground, so what we actually see is a lot of sandy-looking soil), uncover a snake, peer through binoculars at the one bird we see (we hear a few others, but even the guide can’t spot them), and check for bats (we don’t find any) sleeping under leaves that they have bitten to form neat triangular tent in which to while away the daylight hours.
It is a pleasant walk and, at the very end I even see a toucan fly by high above. I don’t get a good look at it, but now I have seen one!
The draw here (in a country filled with healthy rain forests) is the aerial tram that takes tourists up into the forest canopy.
However, the tram starts off on not far above the forest floor, giving us another angle from which to view more of the under-story before climbing higher in the trees.
A sloth hangs in a tree near the spot where the tram turns to send us back through the canopy to our starting point.
Ok, that’s not a great picture, but the sloth really looks quite similar to a simple mess of ratty vegetation hanging from a tree limb – of which there is a fair amount around here. Now I am thinking I saw a sloth when we were walking earlier, but I didn’t realize it was more than the rainforest equivalent of a squirrel’s nest. . .
Then, finally, we are gliding high up in trees through the narrow opening in the canopy.
Next time we come to this part of the world we will stay at an eco lodge where we can spend a few days hiking, exploring, and bird watching. Then I will see lots of toucans!