Rainforests Stays

                                                Lovely Rainforests

     Besides visiting, seeing and playing in several rainforests over the years I have had occasion to stay and live in three. Each experience was a wee bit different but all were fantastic !

    The Daintree Rainforest, a World Heritage Site in Australia, is a coastal rainforest that runs in pockets for 450 kilometers, and as an upland rainforest the area protects 70 animal species, over 200 bird species, including the cassowary, which I’d never seen, plus many flower and plant species.

    My large cabin had lovely wooden floors and a large sitting area with huge picture windows—the equivalent  of glass walls that provided views of nothing but thick lush greenery. I woke early in the morning to the sounds of nature and enjoyed my coffee sitting on the couch watching dawn arrive and the small birds and critters shake off sleep and eat breakfast. Eventually I waved a fresh cup of coffee under my friend’s nose to wake her so she could also enjoy the beginning of a wonderful day.

     Great care had been taken designing this resort to blend in with its surroundings in an ecologically sensitive way.  Meant to have minimal impact on local flora and fauna, all cabins  were built high on set poles, that required minimal removal of trees. Boardwalks eliminated the impact of pedestrian traffic  that can damage the forest floor. The facility had its own water supply and generated its own electricity.

    We hated to leave this fabulous peaceful place, but Australia is a huge country  and after  a couple of days it was necessary, as we still had much to visit and see.

     In Costa Rica, Chachagua’s hotel was located in the depths of the rainforest on a private preserve, relatively close to Arenal volcano and adjacent to the Monteverdi Cloud Forest Reserve.

      We crossed a waterfall and walked through lush vegetation to reach our cabin. Because the cabins are hidden in their environment, our guide walked us to our cabin the first time. Our cabin was large and the bathroom floor was slated wood;  there were many potted plants and greenery inside under the high windows. The wet rainforest created a lot of mildew on walkways and stairs. The scenery was exquisite and I fell asleep to the sound of running water. Howler monkeys woke us early in the morning, then the singing birds followed and they were a lot more melodious!

    One evening while walking back to our cabin I heard this loud noise that sounded like a single knock on a clay pot, which I learned the next morning was a ting frog talking.

     The lodge dining room was a large railed patio, roofed but all open otherwise with lovely wooden floors. Nature was all around us at every turn!  The resident green macaw, would perch on the patio rail,  almost always visiting close to mealtime. He was free to fly anywhere anytime. He was a bit cantankerous as its mate had died a few years before. Macaws mate for life so more than likely she’d be alone for the years ahead. The food was fantastic—a huge surprise for hotel/lodge fare.

     This pleasant Costa Rican jungle and its lovely eco-lodge provided us an authentic immersion with nature without sacrificing quality or luxury. We could have stayed a lot longer!

   

    In Panama we stayed in the rainforest at a new eco-lodge.  Our patio with its nice big easy wooden rockers and slung hammock looked out on a cove of the Panama Canal river. The facility was large with a large dining building, A short hike in the back was a lovely orchid  and botanical gardens. The butterfly house fascinated my grandchildren. This facility was close to a Eros village with easy access by boat. Some American money had been invested in this native village and I'm not sure the easy access is necessarily good for the native peoples as slowly but surely their culture is being impacted. My grandchildren did have a wonderful time playing with the small native children. This rain forest was the least interesting and was located in a less dense environment than some others.

PANAMA'S RAIN FOREST

                                 Always a Favorite Visit

     Rainforests are one of my favorite places to be, and I’ve been in many of them. One always sees different things and I never cease to be amazed at Mother Nature!

       The canopy of tropical forests is one of the sites with the greatest biodiversity in the world and very little of it has been recorded by man. It is estimated that over 90% of all the world's species are insects that inhabit the top of the rainforest and have not yet been described by science; most of the 1.8 million species have been recorded more than half live in these forests, which is why many scientists have in recent years devoted to the study of tropical forest canopy. The top of tropical forests is of significant importance in the global climate as this type of biome plays an important role in regulating global climate, throwing more carbon per year than any other habitat.

      Panama’s rainforests line each side of the Panama Canal and are host to a diverse community of wildlife and plants. The geographic location of these rainforests offer a rich biodiversity of animals. Panama acts as a land bridge for animals moving  between North and South America. Many species tend to mingle with each other in Panama.

    Some of the most popular species include jaguars, tapirs, deer, anteaters, armadillos, capuchin and howler monkeys. Panama is home to 9,915 plant species, 218 mammal species, 302 bird species, 242 reptile species, and 182 amphibian species.

     Rainforests also help to reduce erosion and sedimentation in the Panama Canal. Without the rainforests, Panama’s transport system and its biodiversity would be adversely affected.

    The Caribbean coast contains the typical tropical rainforest where tropical rain falls year round. The Pacific coast, alternately, features rainforests with very distinct dry seasons each year.     

      On arrival at our rainforest hotel in Gamboa we immediately spotted a group of capybara lounging under a small grove of trees. They are the largest rodent in the world, followed by the beaver, porcupine, and mara (animal resembling a hare). Its closest relatives are agouti, chinchillas, coypu, and guinea pigs. It inhabits savannas and dense forests and lives near water. A highly social species they can be found in groups as large as 100 individuals, but usually live in groups of 10–20 animals. The capybara for its meat and hide and also for grease from its thick fatty skin which is used in the pharmaceutical trade.

     We motored around Lake Gatun visiting several small islands to watch for animals, and it didn’t take long for the capuchin monkeys to find us. Before long they were jumping onto the boats, running along the canopy, and back into the trees. They were very playful. We rode around stopping at several small islands.

    We also saw a small iguana, a good size crocodile, blue heron, some kind of a duck, and a couple squirrel monkeys. They enjoyed throwing a small yellow fruit about the size of an apricot at us.

     What a fun afternoon!