Nicaragua!

Hey everybody,

So I’ve had a couple adventures since my last entry. Once we arrived in Granada after being scammed out of 60 dollars between a money exchanger and a cab driver, we finally got to the Oasis Hostel. From there we had planned to do a boat tour of the islets which is a series of islands on lake Nicaragua formed from a volcano explosion a long time ago. The tour was interesting and the islands beautiful but it felt kinda like tour of just the small but beautiful houses spread out amongst the islands. And for the comparably small price 175,000$ you can buy an island of your own. However, later on that day we did a Masaya volcano and cave tour that was truly amazing. We were able to be driven to the top and got some incredible views of the sulfurous smoke billowing out of the crater. Then to top it off, when we walked to the summit I finally spotted my first Venomous snake the Fer-de-lance. After that we headed down a different side of the volcano to walk through a cave formed by lava flows where bats were pouring out into the night, we even spotted a prehensile-tailed porcupine.

The next day we finished up our stay in Granada by walking around town, then hopped on a bus to make our way to Ometepe Island on Lake Nicaragua. Ometepe is an island formed by two volcanoes, Concepcion and Maderas. Concepcion, the larger and still active of the two towers 5,182 feet from the lake. Hiking this volcano was not even a question so we hired a guide and set out at 5:30am one morning to reach the summit. For the first 3,000 feet we traversed through lowland forest and eventually moved up into a cloud forest and ate lunch just above the tree line. From here alone the views were spectacular and is often a place where many hikers decide to turn back because it only gets more difficult from then on. The trail, which was set by our guide Javier, was basically a straight up route over loose rocky terrain at an incredibly steep angle. Scrambling over the rocks, sometimes on all fours we finally reached the summit after about 5 hours. And although most of our view was clouded by smoke and fog it was still a totally bazaar and unique experience to be that close to such a powerful geologic force. The rocks near the summit were still warm and air vents were whistling out steam too hot to get close to. We then started to head back down, which seamed much more treacherous since a fall could be fatal if you started to roll. And, as the sun heated off the morning fog we got some really great views coming down. We had reached the bottom after a total of 8 hours hiking and we had been sore from that point on for the next three days. But it was definitely worth it. The next day we relaxed at a fresh water spring Ojo de Agua, and then went back to the hostel where we each got a 10 dollar hour long massage.

After that we hopped back on the ferry and made our way to San Juan Del Sur, a surfing town on the pacific coast. San Juan del Sur was a very unique surfing area due to its proximity to lake Nicaragua, which creates an offshore wind almost all the time and helps create some massive waves. While we were there a national surfing competition was going on just north at Colorado beach where USA took home first and second place, with Brazil picking up third. I wasn’t up for getting smashed around with a surfboard so I body surfed the whole time I was there. This proved to be pretty difficult when the surf towered twice over me, at these points I would head back in a build what turned out to be a pretty impressive sand castle with some friends we had made.

After a couple relaxing days at the beach and a day of frisbee golf, it was time for Bailey to head back home, and for me to figure out what I wanted to do next. I decided that I wanted to be around some people I knew so I talked with Landon (toucan man) and headed back down to Turrialba to surprise m new friends. After a 15-hour trip I finally made it going through a tricky border crossing and feeling some serious digestive issues. I had been drinking too much of the water I suppose and after talking to some people at the border, they suggested that I might have some sort of Ameba or bacteria that needed to be flushed out. So they gave me some pills for it and set me on my way. I made it to Turrialba around 9 and was well met by all the old volunteers who were happy to see me back.

Today I am letting my digestive system settle, but tomorrow if off to follow Toucans with my antenna and machete in hand.

Check in later

John

On the Move

Hey gang,

After a month of volunteer working as a field assistant I think I have learned everything I want to about mist netting and data tracking with a GPS. So, after I was presented with the opportunity to travel with another volunteer who was just finishing her stay, I decided to jump on it. I had talked to Landon (Project Leader) about leaving earlier than expected and he was pretty “bummed” but he understood where I was coming from and thanked me for the time and work I gave him.

I have had a great time in Turrialba and am definitely going to miss it and the friends I have made here. Last weekend, Emily, Bailey, Corbin, Ben and I went white water rafting in the Turrialba River And our guide was one of the students here at CATIE so we really had a great time. The water was class 4 at some points and even two of our crew had fallen in at one time. The 4^th of July was also a special occasion, all the volunteers worked together to have a great barbeque dinner.  It was so nice celebrating it with people from different nationalities.

Today is my last day here and it was a great day to go out on. I woke up at 4am without even needing my alarm, then 3 other volunteers and I went out on a PMA session (Programa Monitor de Aves). I removed and helped record the data for 4 Hummingbirds, of the fouler tailed Hummingbird and Little Hermit species. I ended my day by watching some nets we had up then headed back to the hostel to get ready for Bailey, Vivian, and my going away barbeque. It was a great last night.

When Bailey and I leave tomorrow we will be taking a bus to San Jose then another to the Nicaraguan border, and from there we will travel on to Grenada. While there I will be basically following the plan that Bailey had already worked out, which isn’t really much of a plan at all. This is exactly the way I like to travel, taking everyday as it comes. When we will definitely be checking out some volcanoes and some beaches, hopefully I will get in some scuba time and if not then snorkeling for sure.

I hope people are doing well at home,

Pure Vida!

john

A Collared Aracari

PMA work Station

Green Hermit

White-Capped Parrot

Turrialba River Rafting

Last Night in Turrialba

Granada

Granada

Granada, Nicaragua

Scarlet Macaw

From Masaya Volcano

Spotted a Fer-de-Lance

Tracking in Turrialba

Hey all,

I hope everyone back in the states is doing well, I am doing fine. After two weeks volunteering at CATIE (Centro Argonomico Tropical de Investigacion y Ensenanza), I feel that I have a strong grasp on radio telemetry and am having a fun time mist netting Toucans and Aracaris. My days start at the crack of dawn around 5am and I end at 6pm with a three-hour siesta somewhere in the middle. I typically walk over 5 miles a day tracking the toucans, taking GPS coordinates, or manning the nets we set up. When tracking we triangulate the position of the birds every fifteen minutes and make any and all observations we can when we spot them. It is fun and tiring work but I am having a great time learning new skills and gaining unique experiences. I also have the opportunity to help another student here mist netting small songbirds, which requires me to wake up around 4:30am, but as they say the early bird gets the worm…or the early field researcher gets the bird. It is such a delicate process holding a wild bird in your hands, especially the smaller songbirds. Since I have been here we have caught two of the Firey-Billed Aracaris and are still attempting to catch their larger cousin the Keel-billed Toucan (looks like the Toucan on the Fruit Loops box). 

The group of volunteers I work with are great too! There are two girls from Philadelphia, two girls from Montreal Quebec, another girl from Minnesota, a guy from New York, another from Maryland, another from Massachusetts, and another who just arrived yesterday from central California. They are all really unique and interesting people who share a common interest in the outdoors and wildlife. On weekends we often go on day or overnight trips to some of the better sites to see in the area. When I first arrived we had gone down to Puerto Viejo to stay and swim in the Caribbean. The water was so warm and the surf was amazing. Later on we traveled the Aquaires Waterfall where we could jump in the water and slide down a natural rock waterslide. There is a Volcano located really close to where we are staying and we can see smoke rising from the top of it, but officials won’t let us summit it because it is too active and there is a high probability of becoming sick from the noxious fumes. However, there are other Volcanoes down here, which I will definitely get to one weekend. We are also planning a trip to go whitewater rafting on some class four to five water. I also hope to get in some scuba diving, which I think would be an incredible experience in the Caribbean.

Well that’s all for now, I will keep you all posted on my adventures to come,

-John

A Caiman inhabited lake on campus

The Turrialba Volcano

A work station in the Rain Forest

Radio Telemetry Equipment

Firey-Billed Aracari

Fer-de-lance Venomous Snake

Aquaires Waterfall

 Puerto Viejo, Caribbean Sea

Landon Jones and the Toucan Warriors