Costa Rica,

October 2006

There was so much to see, from the monkeys in the trees outside our room to the sloths and anteaters often nearly hidden over our heads. At right are two- and three-toed sloths we spotted in Manuel Antonio National Park.

Monkeys are always crowd-pleasers. We saw them nearly every day, traveling in small groups: the small, reddish squirrel monkeys; the capuchin, or white-faced monkeys, including some dads carrying young monkeys on their backs; and the larger, black mantled howler monkeys.

Before we left, our doctor told us to pack stronger insect repellent. We never needed it, though the insects were plentiful -- and big. And gross: That lump below is a mass of caterpillars ... we think. We didn't want to get much closer.

In the park, raccoons and coatimundis (right) stole beachgoers bags and dragged them into trees to look for treats. This coati drew the attention of a monkey, who swung by with his little one to try to get a piece of the action. One of our patio visitors was a raccoon, who gobbled up the last of our leftovers before room service could pick up our dishes.

Iguanas, black lizards, geckos and frogs were plentiful, and hermit crabs scurried across the beaches and park paths. Other animals sighted, but not recorded on memory stick: caimans, an alligator, white ibis, a rainbow boa constrictor, two types of anteaters, basilisks, tree frogs ... and more.