Monday, June 4, 2007
Look into My Eyes...
Can you guess how close we got?!? This wonderful creature is a fresh water croc. Our main temptation for this river float was to see the hatchlings. Apparently they hatched a few weeks ago and we did get to see one that was just under 2 feet long, but the majority of what we saw ran between 2 and 2 1/2 meters long. These amazing prehistoric lizards are fast and smart. The word here is that if you see one in front of you that you shouldn't fear him nearly as much as what might be behind you! Apparently these guys will go all the way to the river mouth and can survive quite well with the salt/fresh water mix. Costa Rica is also home to another prehistoric crocodillian...the Cayman Alligator.
Beware the Flying Monkeys - My Pretty!!
We lucked out and caught this little guy mid-river crossing on our Palo Verde trip. This beauty that Ty managed to get is a white faced capuchin monkey. They say it is pretty rare to actually see them crossing the river so we were lucky indeed! There were 3 or 4 that decided to cross before us to the cover in heavier foliage across the river. A few minutes later the rain came down hard and heavy.
Palo Verde
A Spider Lily from the bank of the Tempesque river. We took a two hour river float tour and got many great shots. In addition to being a beautiful flower this very prolific flower has many uses. The plant actually filters impurities from water. If you were to pluck plant, like our guide Marco did, and placed it in a vase of murky river water within 24 hours the water would be crystal clean! The plants are also cultivated, pulped and used to make paper in local communites!
Check the Flickr site to see the huge variety of wildlife we shot.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Sunset - Tamarindo, Costa Rica
After our grueling flight ordeal, we had a nice relaxing day in Tamarindo. Ty took this shot from the top deck of Casa Bambora where we have a 360 view that includes the San Francisco Estuary and the Tamarindo beach. It's a triple exposure bracketed at 2 stop increments and blended with High Dymanic Range software.
Managua
After a long, crazy day of flight mishaps, we wound up in Managua. Karna got off two shots before we were herded back onto a plane.
Managua is the capital city of Nicaragua. It is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Managua, at 12°9′N, 86°16′W. The city was declared the national capital in 1857. Previously, the capital had alternated between the cities of León and Granada. The city has a population of about 1,680,100 composed predominantly of Spanish-speaking creoles and mestizos.
Managua is the capital city of Nicaragua. It is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Managua, at 12°9′N, 86°16′W. The city was declared the national capital in 1857. Previously, the capital had alternated between the cities of León and Granada. The city has a population of about 1,680,100 composed predominantly of Spanish-speaking creoles and mestizos.
Friday, May 18, 2007
The Colosseum, Rome
The Colosseum or Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre (Latin: Amphitheatrum Flavium, Italian Anfiteatro Flavio or Colosseo), is a giant amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome. Originally capable of seating 45,000–50,000 spectators, it was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles. It was built on a site just east of the Roman Forum, with construction starting between 70 and 72 AD under the emperor Vespasian. The amphitheatre, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire, was completed in 80 AD under Titus, with further modifications being made during Domitian's reign.[1]
The Colosseum remained in use for nearly 500 years with the last recorded games being held there as late as the 6th century — well after the traditional date of the fall of Rome in 476. As well as the traditional gladiatorial games, many other public spectacles were held there, such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. The building eventually ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such varied purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry and a Christian shrine.
Although it is now in a severely ruined condition due to damage caused by earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum has long been seen as an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome and is one of the finest surviving examples of Roman architecture. It is one of modern Rome's most popular tourist attractions and still has close connections with the Roman Catholic Church and the Pope leads a torchlit "Way of the Cross" procession to the amphitheatre each Good Friday.
The Colosseum remained in use for nearly 500 years with the last recorded games being held there as late as the 6th century — well after the traditional date of the fall of Rome in 476. As well as the traditional gladiatorial games, many other public spectacles were held there, such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. The building eventually ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such varied purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry and a Christian shrine.
Although it is now in a severely ruined condition due to damage caused by earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum has long been seen as an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome and is one of the finest surviving examples of Roman architecture. It is one of modern Rome's most popular tourist attractions and still has close connections with the Roman Catholic Church and the Pope leads a torchlit "Way of the Cross" procession to the amphitheatre each Good Friday.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
The Scarlet Macaw
The Scarlet Macaw is native to humid evergreen forests in the American tropics, from extreme eastern Mexico locally to Amazonian Peru and Brazil, in lowlands up to 500 meters (at least formerly up to 1000m). It has been widely extirpated by habitat destruction and capture for the pet trade. Formerly it ranged north to southern Tamaulipas. It can still be found on the island of Coiba. It is also the Honduran national bird.
Surfing Tamarindo
Tamarindo, located on the Pacific Coast, is a popular vacation destination in Costa Rica. Tamarindo is surrounded by national parks to its north and south, and mountains to its east.
The beach is a long stretch of white sand and warm blue water. The town stretches along the beach and shops and restaurants are within a short distance.
Tamarindo is well known as a surf town with ideal conditions for surfing and windsurfing. Turtle watching is also a popular activity which occurs in the northern part of the bay when Leatherback Turtles come at night to lay their eggs.
The beach is a long stretch of white sand and warm blue water. The town stretches along the beach and shops and restaurants are within a short distance.
Tamarindo is well known as a surf town with ideal conditions for surfing and windsurfing. Turtle watching is also a popular activity which occurs in the northern part of the bay when Leatherback Turtles come at night to lay their eggs.
Sunset Over Sierra Blanca
Sierra Blanca (also called the White Mountains) is a range of volcanic mountains in Lincoln and Otero counties of south-central New Mexico. The range is about 40 miles from north to south and 20 miles wide, and is dominated by Sierra Blanca Peak, whose highest point is at 11,981 feet (3,652 m)[1]. The peak is located 10 mi west-northwest of Ruidoso and 30 mi (48 km) north-northeast of Alamogordo.
Santa Maria Maddalena
La Maddalena is a church dedicated to St Mary Magdelene. The full name of the church is Santa Maria Maddalena, but this is very rarely used. It is served by the Priests Ministers of the Sick. It was built between 1669 and 1698 by Carlo Fontana and G.C. Quadrio. La Maddalena is the only true Rococo church in Rome. The Rococo façade was completed in 1735, and has since been completely restored. The stucco on the façade is referred to as "icing sugar" by some, and some wanted to rebuild it completely in Neo-Classical style.
Montpellier, France
Montpellier (Occitan Montpelhièr) is a city in the south of France. It is the capital of the Languedoc-Roussillon région, as well as the préfecture (administrative capital) of the Hérault département. Population of the city (commune) of Montpellier at the 1999 census was 244,300 inhabitants, whereas the whole metropolitan area (in French: aire urbaine) had a population of 459,916 inhabitants in 1999. As of February 2004 estimates, the population of the city of Montpellier reached 244,700 inhabitants, meaning a 1.7% population growth per year between 1999 and 2004.
The Pantheon in Rome
The Pantheon (Latin Pantheon[1], from Greek Πάνθεον Pantheon, meaning "Temple of all the Gods") is a building in Rome which was originally built as a temple to the seven deities of the seven planets in the state religion of Ancient Rome, but which has been a Christian church since the 7th century. It is the best-preserved of all Roman buildings. It has been in continuous use throughout its history. Although the identity of the Pantheon's primary architect remains uncertain, it is largely assigned to Apollodorus of Damascus.
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