The forest at night

Tonight I went for a walk in a forest after dark.

It was a transitional forest -- which means it´s the area between the rainforest and cloud forest. It was very windy, very misty and more stars in the few clearings than you have probably ever seen in your life.

If our tiny group hadn´t been with a guide, we would have never noticed anything. But he knew which holes to shine his flashlight into so we could see tarantulas, which branches held tropical birds tucked in for the night, beak in feathers, fast asleep.

We saw ant hills that looked like they might reach volcano size in a few more years (ok, maybe this is a slight exaggeration, but still.... I was impressed), ant highways and a tiny pygmy frog waiting for mosquitos to emerge from a bromelia plant.

The English couple in our group wanted to know what were the sounds we heard (crickets and katydids) and what the little blinks of light were that kept popping up everywhere. They had never seen fireflies before!

It´s amazing what you take for granted depending on where you grow up. For the kids here, tropìcal birds and olingos (kind of like a monkey) are no big deal. For my friend Stacy and I, they were exciting to see.

Actually, come to think of it, it has been years since I have seen a firefly in my backyard. I remember my sisters and I used to catch them as kids or sit on the porch watching them emerge on summer evenings. Why don´t I see them anymore at home?

Note to self: Must check into this to find out if it means I´m too busy to notice or if they´re disappearing.

P.S. I saw a North American wood thrush curled up on a branch sleeping. Our guide told us they come here to Central America to escape North American winters. I am slowly learning that these birds are wise creatures. Very wise indeed.

P.P.S. BEST MONDAY EVER!!