Birds, birds, birds

I tell you, with Mom and Dad here we're seeing so many more birds than were here before. It may have something to do with the amount of time being spent looking I suppose....

This is the Emerald Toucanet. The funny looking tree is....a funny looking tree. (I'm being corrected. Named a waving palm by some in my family, a fishtail palm in no uncertain terms by another.)

We also got to Los Cusingos as hoped. Hmmm....took a different twist than expected though! As we start to explore the Skutch house/garden area and head off into the paths that run through the property we see a large dark cloud. Oh well, won't affect us too badly we say. What's a little shower? ....Did I say "little?" Torrential downpour. We decide to keep going instead of turning back because it'll be a grand adventure. One of our party didn't 'fess up to the pressing need for a bathroom. Later to be regretted in the mad dash back at the end. Oh, and the search for toilet paper. So we start, miss the path to do the loop and instead head off on the 3 km each way path down, down, down the side of the mountain. Soaking wet. To the skin; through the passports, money, vital papers. Then a little one starts voicing his concerns about falling branches. It's ok, honey, it's just little twigs and leaves. Crash! Down come about 3 or 4 branches almost on our heads--two of us received (thankfully) indirect hits. Finally reaching the path we had started on, we see a large tree across the path and have to crawl our way through the branches. Kids finally start crying. They had been doing so well up to that point. This is also the point at which we find out the need for the bathroom that has been mounting since we started. Walk faster, as fast as we can through the river that has developed at our feet, over the roots and such. Finally we see the end. A "bonhomme" comes to find us, seems relieved that we're ok. Understands that we were scared in the face of falling trees. Points us in the direction of home and a bathroom. (OK, bonhomme is French. Spanish is muchacho.) Back into the truck, off to find some lunch. What a crazy morning! But we all have more or less fond memories.