• Day 137: Wednesday May 16th

22:00

Three difficult tourists came into the park today, they eventually left but I later saw them by the entrance which begs the question - where were they? 

After breakfast two parks guards showed up with more food. Then the volunteers had a mad cleaning rush before they left - the storm had left behind a lot of leaves and a little mess in its path. 

I raked the yard with the park guard that drives the ATV (four-wheeler) who also used a rake instead of a leaf-blower, and I swept the kitchen and lodge floor. I rewarded myself with a lime-onade ice-lolly before the ATV driver made us lunch. I should add that it was really hot today! I also saw some more butterfly species:

Up Close And Personal (D.Philpot)

Butterfly Covered Shorts (D.Philpot)

Teeny Butterfly (D.Philpot)

Big Black Eyes (D.Philpot)

Then I walked past the gate at the park entrance to search for yet more butterflies and took a walk - came but with 5 but none of the ones I wanted to see but nevermind. After a quick photo/pineapple break I grabbed my hiking boots and walked the upper waterfall trail, and along a new path for a little, and relaxed in the waterfall pool.  On the way back I decided to come down the steeper "left" way where the photographer had ventured that time which returned me to the lower stream and the small bridge that enters the yard. 
 

Bathing In The Light (D.Philpot)

Shrooms Everywhere (D.Philpot)

The Spider And The Shroom (D.Philpot)

Huge Tree Width (D.Philpot)

Huge Tree Height (D.Philpot)

Pretty Veined Leaves (D.Philpot)

White-Green Fungi (D.Philpot)

Brown-Black Fungi (D.Philpot)

Suspicious Gas/Dust Came Out Of These When Broken.... (D.Philpot)

More Shrooms (D.Philpot)

Tiny Shrooms (D.Philpot)

Golden Red-Brown Shrooms (D.Philpot)

Didn’t see any butterflies but did spot a nice group of Howler Monkeys, these Mushrooms on top of the nice waterfalls and pools along this slightly dodgy alternate route down. This is a video of this steep side.  At the bottom I saw this whole shrimp:

Someones Dinner (D.Philpot)

Such A Cutie... (D.Philpot)

Now about 17:00 I decided to snorkel as well.  I checked the data loggers, saw many (20+) Chancho Surgeonfish (including large ones) and many more (50+ easily) Azure Parrotfish (mostly larger ones). It makes a surprising difference snorkelling at twilight and outside of the standard hours where students, volunteers or I might choose to go snorkelling. Of course, I didn't have my camera with me in the water. In the evening I sorted out my photos once again and then slept… in my room… which was a gamble I soon regretted…