Jan 1, 2024: Puntarenas, Costa Rica

We took "A Walk in the Couds" tour today at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve in Central America. It took us two hours to reach our destination. We went from very hot and humid to wet and cloudy in a matter of 40 minutes! It reminded me & Julie of the rainforests of the PNW. 51 species of Hummingbirds live here! Climate change has already affected this pristine forest. Scientists have observed a marked drop in local amphibian populations. Twenty out of 50 species of frogs and toads have disappeared since the 1980's. Today, we had a rare sighting of a frog in the niche of a tree. Due to habitat change, this frog has adapted by eating his own skin in the warmer season in order to stay cooler. His skin will grow back when the rains begin, but the number of these frogs has dropped significantly.

Returning back to our ship, we couldn't help but see the high level of poverty in Puntarenas. Tourism is said to be a huge part of the City's livelihood but according to our guide, Jordan, the reality is the city has social-economic problems which have led to increased drug activity, gangs, and homicides. Houses were covered in metal and surrounded by steel fencing and razor wire. I was struck with how very proud & hopeful Jordan is of his country. He holds a degree in Wildlife Biology and has high hopes that his country will recover from some of the effects of climate change and help the people move out of poverty. Jordan gave us several examples of how the Government of Costa Rica is working hard in this area. I absolutely loved his optimism!Read more