Grecia, Costa Rica
I’ve been doing stuff during my 2 and a half month trip to Grecia, Costa Rica.
My recent volcano post and video about the eruption on Poas nabbed some reader feedback here and viewer feedback on YouTube.
In the spirit of giving the people what they want……here ya go.
Recording a few colorful videos brings you along for the travel journey.
Video Context
Leathery Speed Bump
An iguana a good 4 plus feet in length chilled at the local weekly market; I had to grab a short video of him relaxing without a care in the world.
He was so titanic, I feel like if a car ran over him it’d be similar to bouncing over a speed bump.
Potential harm done only to the car; not the speed bump.
Coffee Please
The local coffee plantations are pure nirvana for a cafe-infused traveler like myself.
The white blossoms are just beginning to bud now as we transition into the rainy low season.
I recorded the plantation scene at mid-day; the vivid colors really pop.
Forest Frenzy
During an early morning traipsing through the tropics I nabbed video of the forest.
A kind expat has graciously shown us around town, including the many seemingly hidden trails we’d have no idea even existed.
One does not wander down dirt roads in semi-rural Costa Rica assuming public land to be the pot of gold at the end.
Or, one does not always assume that generous private land owners freely allow folks to traverse their property.
Most landowners here are hiker friendly and allow public access. But we have heard of grumpy individuals with Cujo-type hounds guarding private properties with tooth and claw (Both the canine and the poorly manicured land owner).
The Bird from Atlantis
The truly unique call of the oropendola sounds like a submerged avian singing from underwater, the tone bubbling up from its depths.
I grabbed video of the call – not the hidden bird – during his trip through the backyard.
The Videos
Godzilla-Sized Iguana at the Market
The Grecia Friday market is generally deemed to be one of the best markets in the entire country.
An impossibly vivid, Jackson Pollock level of Fruity Pebbles goodness teases your peepers as you wander aimlessly through the stalls.
But the guy who caught my eye usually spends his afternoons trampling through Toyko, not lazing in a parking lot, basking in the sun’s embracing rays, at a market in Costa Rica.
Click to watch:
Grecia Costa Rica Coffee Plantation
Finding our way through the fincas each morning seems to be the order of the day.
The cat pounces on my feet while the dog barks grievances at bedside.
Normally, this madness goes down at 5:30 AM.
But you cannot beat the views.
Some of the richest coffee in the world not handpicked by Juan Valdez grows here in the highlands of Costa Rica.
Click to watch:
Grecia Costa Rica Coffee Plantation
She Said the Jungle Took Him
I would be beyond regretful if I missed the opportunity to insert a line from Predator here, being my favorite movie of all time.
Technically, Biddulph hikes through a bosque, or forest, here in the mountains north of Grecia.
I recorded a video recently flashing the thick vegetation, heavy canopy and all one would expect of nature in a Central American forest.
Click to watch:
Exotic-Sounding Oropendola
A familiar friend visited the property recently.
The unmistakable call of the oropendola is like a tropical songbird gurgling underwater. Or gargling its lusty advances to attract a willing mate.
After circling the globe non-stop for 13 years, I have heard nothing like it.
I captured him and a few other bird calls from the backyard.
Click to watch:
Bird Calls Grecia Costa Rica including the Exotic Oropendola
Keep an eye out for more videos and posts from our travels through Costa Rica.
