Last week one of my good friends from Tampa came for a visit.  I picked him up in San Jose and we spent one night there and then got up the next morning and drove 4 hours over to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica to a small town called Puerto Viejo.  This is one of the southernmost towns in Costa Rica and is not far from the Panamanian border.

We arrived at our hotel (Banana Azul) and settled in.  Here is a picture of our deck just outside of our room.

Notice the palm tree cut-outs in the wood trim  

The view of the beach from our deck

Flowering tree shading the entranceway to the hotel

View of the Caribbean

Dirt road that runs along the beach, the entrance to the hotel is off this road.

View of Puerto Viejo.  Our hotel was just north of town on Playa Negra.

Another shot of our hotel, this one taken from the beach.

They had one of the most beautiful Ravenala's

Note people walking by (for scale)

After relaxing on the beach for a day, we got up the next morning and went to Finca La Isla Botanical Garden located nearby.

Me standing next to the stilt roots

looking straight up

This tree had these funny looking "strings" hanging down.  I didn't see a name anywhere.

A nice colorful bromeliad

GADZOOKS!!!

That Ravenala is E N O R M O U S ! ! ! !

DAVE

One last shot of an A alatum frond.  These palms were beautiful and the pictures don't do them justice.  

Bananas.  These were labeled as Gros Michele

Areca vestiaria

Gorgeous pics...love that stilt palm! that traveler's size is amazing!! If mine ever gets that big, I am in trouble

Oh & you look great BTW  

This next palm stopped me in my tracks!  I thought at first, Metroxylon?  But it was labeled as Pigafetta filaris.  I didn't see any spines though, is it a Piggy?  This palm was huge and the guy told me it was planted two years ago from a one gallon pot.  I knew Piggy's were fast, but is that possible?  

My friend Julio next to it for scale.

and looking up into the crown

A couple of Coccothrinax crinita's

OUCH!

Just swooned into some re-bar . . . .

That "Pig" is AWESOME . . . . .

Heliconia

Bananas

This interesting plant was all over the place and came in different sizes and leaf patterns

Another interesting heliconia

Euterpe

After the Botanical Garden, we went into town for some cold ones and a little lunch.  I had some very good jerk chicken at this place.

Puerto Viejo waterfront

Shops

Puerto Viejo waterfront.  PV reminded me of what parts of Jamaica looked like 20 years ago.  

We spent an afternoon at a waterfront bar.  This was our view, we stayed way too long and drank way too much...

And a couple shots of the beach on our last day.  These were taken at Playa Negra near our hotel.

(junglegalfla @ Feb. 11 2008,10:18)

QUOTE

Gorgeous pics...love that stilt palm! that traveler's size is amazing!! If mine ever gets that big, I am in trouble

Oh & you look great BTW  

!!!  I didn't see the little tiny people next to the Ravenala until I looked back to see what all the fuss was about.  That thing is a monster!

Puerto Viejo looks very appealing.

One last picture.  On our drive back to San Jose, the highway goes over the mountains and through the Braulio Carrillo National Park.  I stopped along the road and took a picture looking back down into the valley.  I'm looking forward to seeing more of this park during the Biennial!

(junglegalfla @ Feb. 11 2008,13:18)

QUOTE

Gorgeous pics...love that stilt palm! that traveler's size is amazing!! If mine ever gets that big, I am in trouble

Oh & you look great BTW  

Thanks Bren!  I must have taken 20 pictures of that Travelers.  It was beautiful.