viscera are visible to the naked eye
in the glare of the light.
We arrive back at the reception
desk of the Arenal Oasis wild frog
sanctuary as the droplets of rain
begin to turn into a deluge; once
more during this sojourn here in
La Fortuna, Gustavo and I are
forced to don our lightweight
ponchos and raise our umbrellas.
N
3 .
ow, for those of you with
a lesser sense of adven-
ture or a distinct distaste
for groping along in darkness, you
can visit La Paz Waterfall Gardens and Peace
1 . Green and Black PDF (Dendrobates auratus). Image by Eric
Lodge for a magnificent introduction to all of
Isselee.
Costa Rica’s endemic wildlife. Birds,
2 . Pacific PDF (Phyllobates vittatus). Image by Dennis Jacobsen.
herpetofauna (snakes in a fabulous
3 . Green-crowned Brilliant Hummingbird (Heliodoxa jacula).
serpentarium, frogs and toads, plus lizards
Image by Ondrej Prosicky.
scuttling amongst the exhibits), monkeys,
sloths and large felines are all to be found here. 4 . The ranario at La Paz. Image by Gustavo Lillo.
None of the caged animals in this facility could
5 . Blue Jeans PDFs (Oophaga pumilio) and Green and Black PDF.
survive in the wild; they have either been
Image by worldswildlifewonders.
confiscated by the government from illegal
pet ownership or rescued from the jungle.
Those individuals incapable of rehabilitation
are welcome to live out the rest of their lives
on 28 hectares (70 acres) of privately-owned
and managed land, of which 16 hectares
(40 acres) are prime cloud and rainforest. The
remaining 12 hectares (30 acres) - originally
pastureland - is in the process of being
reforested.
As Costa Rica’s number one ecological
attraction since its opening in autumn of
2000, La Paz offers visitors 3.5 km (2.2 miles)
of hiking trails and viewing platforms.
Designed by Bernardo Picado (formerly a
conscript for the National Park System), the
park was fabricated without cutting
down a single tree or interrupting any
of the natural vine systems. Even
building supplies and materials were
hand-carried on foot; zero heavy
equipment was utilised in the
woodlands.
Gustavo and I meander along the
impeccably-manicured tracks, over-
flowing with the native flora of the
Alajuela Province. Like tiny helicopters,
Green-crowned Brilliant Humming-
birds (Heliodoxa jacula) dart around
the myriad of feeders in a frenzy of
4 .
5 .