We all met at breakfast, greeting newcomers and welcoming back our alumni. It was fun to see alumni recognize others from previous workshops and greet one another warmly.

We told everyone that the bus would leave at 9:00, and we actually did. We call it herding cats. You can imagine how cats like to be herded!

Arnie and I introduced our driver Paulo, and our guide Saul (to rhyme with Raoul). We were headed from the capital, San José, to the province of Guanacaste. There, we checked into our hotel, and I repeated my lunch of a salad of camarones (shrimps, and pronounced KAH-mah-ROH-nesss) and avocado. I’ve never met an avocado I didn’t like, especially in the tropics where they are so fresh.

On the bus at 2:15, we left for the pier and the boat would take us on a three-hour trip down and back up the Tempisque River in Palo Verde National Park. There was plenty of room, so that everyone had an outside view.

This is a location where one sees lots of crocodiles, to wit one large example above. And we did see lots of them. BIG ones, little ones, and in-between ones. There is something primaeval about these powerful creatures.

Our captain was terrific, and many times in swift currents, backed the boat up and aimed it in a certain direction for a better vantage point.

At one point, we came around a bend in the river and were treated to this wonderful Guanacaste tree, the national tree. Arnie and I always talk about the quality of light, and with the soft, misty background, this specimen really stood out.

We saw all manner of bird life, from Osprey to Kingfishers, Ibis, Egrets, and several types of Herons, among others. Several times, we saw monkeys in the trees, and as I type this at night, I hear Howler Monkeys outside. My normal temptation is to call back, but right now, I am alone, and they tend to come closer … and closer … and closer! Just call me Eliza Doolittle!

People fished along the river banks, cattle grazing nearby.

In one little backwater, we saw some lovely Spider lilies, delicate against their dark background.

Our normal routine in a workshop is to start with a classroom session, but in other countries we have to adapt. We did our first installment on the bus on the way to the hotel, then at lunch, we did introductions. More principles on the way to the boat, and yet more in the boat.

Everyone really seemed to enjoy themselves. It was fun to see them begin to look at things differently.

On our way back, the skies turned rich, and I grabbed this shot looking back with the boat’s wake in the foreground. We have been lucky with our evening skies, and this was no exception.

Back at dinner, there were lots of laughs and kidding, along with great conversation. It has been an excellent first day.

Tomorrow we head off to another park with cascades and the jungle!

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