"Hey, hey, we're with dah monkeys!"

Rosie

Hey guys ,
Today we went to the Animal Sanctuary at 8 am. Suzanne did not come . Then we took a 50 min ride on the boat to get there. When we got there, a bunch of Macaws came as if they were greeting us . Then the tour guides welcomed us. One of the owners came out with a peroqueet on his shoulder and on the other , a 6 month monkey with a diaper on . Very very cute ! Then they explained us the rules and the monkey 101 . Then we divided the groups in 2 . We saw some birds , while we were looking at the birds a monkey comes up to people and hugs and climbs on you . She came on me and really I mean really liked my hair she nibbles on you her name is Lulu . Then we continued to look at more birds and monkeys . Then the guide brings out a 2 clawed Sloth . We got to pet it . Then I met more monkeys that came , sat and played with me . You might see some pictures of me and monkeys . Then they took out a Macaw . We also saw some Toucans . Then my mom had a bird on her head . We left there to go snorkeling .

Nous avons eu du plaisir à nager avec des beaux et gros poissons . Ensuite nous sommes retournés et nous avons relaxés . Ensuite moi et Suzanne nous avons sortis pour un souper de la St - Valentin pendant que mes parents sont partis souper quelque part d’autre . Nous sommes allées a Oceano’s et les mercredis c’est la soirée mexicaine. Il y avait trois gars mexicains avec des guitares qui chantaient , c’étais amusant . Ensuite nous sommes retournées à la maison et nous avons regardé un film , mes parents sont arrivés et Suzanne est restée un peu ensuite on c’est couché .

Bye

Tim

Yesterday was a spectacular day animal-wise. Rosie was right in saying that as we arrived at the animal sanctuary, the scarlet macaws did fly out to greet us.

The monkeys were all over Rosie especially the howler monkey named Lulu. There were howls from other wild howler monkeys in the jungle around us--quite a sound ! We also saw a sloth which was a different type then the one we saw in the wild. I really think we lucked out seeing the one in the wild as they normally come down out of the trees once a week to poop and to wash in the water.

After the sanctuary we had another dolphin sighting, it was really sharp as we sat in the front of the boat and watched the dolphins swimming just in front of the boat, very, very fast. We cut the motor and watched the dolphins feed. They seemed to be feeding on a long skinny fish with a pointy nose with an orange ball at the end of their nose. We also saw a yellow sea snake about a foot long.

Today we went for a good snorkel this morning and this afternoon I saw vultures eating at something on the beach. At first I thought it was a dog but Rosie does not think so. Looking at the books we have it may be a kinkajoo. Whatever it was, the vultures were having a feast.

I saw on the web that Ottawa may have had some snow, can someone let us know how much we got.

A la prochaine.


Francine
What more can I say about our visit to our sanctuary after Rosie’s and Tim’s descriptions. But here’s the scoop about this wonderful place…The Santuario Silvestre de Osa in a non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of wildlife indigenous to southern Costa Rica. Squirrel monkeys, spider monkeys, howler monkeys, whiteface monkeys, macaws, parrots, sloths and other wildlife are well taken care of. Some are in cages for their safety because they were saved from humans who mistreated them and also because they are not properly socialized, while others like Lulu, roam free around the territory and will never be kept in a cage. When Lulu reaches her sexual maturity (around 5-6), she will then leave off on her own. It was sad to see all the whiteface monkeys in a cage --one had gone crazy and kept nodding her head up and down. They had found her inside a closet and she had plucked most of the fur off her back….unknown how long she had been there. She cannot be left out in the wild because the other monkeys in the jungle will kill her. The whiteface monkeys are the brats of the bunch -- yet the smartest. They are the ones we used to see with organ grinders, holding a tin cup for tips. They are very sneaky thieves and pickpockets. One of the owner of the sanctuary, Earl, had the baby monkey (6-7 months old) on his neck the whole time. Apparently, baby monkeys need to hold on to their moms until they reach the age of 2. There was a parrot who also hung onto Earl and who was extremely jealous of his wife. This is the parrot that parked itself on my head when another monkey (Sweet Pea) climbed to be in Earl’s arms. Too sweet. The sanctuary is working on a website and will be taking donations. We’ve added our name to their email distribution list.

Then as if on cue, the dolphins came out to play with us as we departed the animal sanctuary. What a sight to see dolphin after dolphin taking turns swimming at the bow of our boat, racing then diving in deeper to give their place to the next dolphin, and again to start this game all over again. Then they would tease us by jumping out of the water around us. Spectacular to see dolphins in the wild. We have learned to appreciate their beauty and more about their lifestyle when we were in Florida a few years ago. At the Seaquarium in Miami, home of « Flipper the dolphin » on the TV show in the 70s, Rosie got to swim with a dolphin after a one-hour education session offered by the staff at the Aquarium. It was interesting to note these same dolphins at the Seaquarium are used for therapy for autistic and disabled adults and children. Far from being « a freak show ride » as in other tropical resorts, the Seaquarium dolphin educational program aims to raise public awareness about dolphins’ wellbeing.

Now, after our visit to the sanctuary, Rosie’s favorite animal is the monkey. Today, Thursday, Feb. 15, we were informed about the major snowstorm in Ottawa….hard to fathom in this draining heat. Thank goodness we have this wonderful breeze in the afternoon coming in from the ocean…..now, back to my nap.