Costa Rica: City, Felines and Dryness

IMG_5902

Starting in San Jose, Costa Rica, the nicest part I noticed during the brief overnight-to-morning stay was the view outside the downtown hotel balcony.

IMG_5903

Hence, the only pictures there.

After snapping the visual evidence above, it was time to scramble around to locate a bus-through mazes of different companies’ terminals-and journey elsewhere. Specifically, to Canas.

IMG_5904

Being in Costa Rica, first thing’s first: Big Cats.

IMG_5908

At Las Pumas, the staff cares for assorted rescue animals. This jaguarundi, they wrote, had deformed legs so she could not live in the wild. Her friend was a three-legged Jaguarundi who got that way because she got caught in a trap trying to hunt chickens.

IMG_5906

Ronia, the margay (who is a bit hard to see in this image) lives at Las Pumas because some people tried to keep her as a pet. Not an appropriate domestic cat, but so small and cute you could see why someone would attempt at such. She jumps very high distances like it’s nothing.

IMG_5923

Next stop was Palo Verde.

IMG_5925

It was described as a tropical dry forest with lots of migratory birds. Tropical dry forest, yes: hot, arid, and replete with flora. The anticipated abundance of avian fauna wasn’t as present as expected, though.

IMG_5938

Many of these friendly mammals were present throughout the forest and dwelling area. We also saw some monkeys here and there; no felidae were spotted, but since we’d visited Las Pumas before, my desire was appeased.

IMG_5917

Ascending the hot, dry, rocky cliffs could get quite brutal, but vast views made the journey worthwhile.

IMG_5934

Plus, flatter, lower areas, offered opportunities to refreshingly dry off in the wind.