I'm a California boy.
I have lived my entire life in either northern San Diego or San Luis Obispo.
I knew I'd need to learn to live with constant wetness down here. It would be a transition.
It's the jungle...was I expecting a holiday in the sun or something?
I can get used to the rain.
But storms bring much more than just rain down here.
Wind.
Lightning.
Thunder.
I was not prepared for that. I'll be the first to admit I thought I was going to piss myself last night. We had a doozy of a storm blow throw and I was pretty sure the house was going to fall down on me. The big bad wolf was sure huffin' and puffin' outside.
I've slept through some pretty major earthquakes no problem. I've dealt with rowdy neighbors throwing parties until all hours of the night. Sirens. Smoke alarms. Overzealous police officers.
There was no way in hell I was falling asleep with the sounds of angry dragons outside the window last night! I am not exaggerating, the walls shook constantly. I can't confirm it, but I'm pretty sure that storm was out to get me.
I'm glad I wasn't the only one either.
All the kids from the midwest slept through the storm no problem.
The four of us from California... didn't sleep a wink. Thunder like that will have you praying to a creator in no time.
Maybe I'm just being a sissy about the whole thing.
Either way.
I have a new item on my list of irrational phobias: sharks, being stuck in collapsed building, ingrown toenails (don't laugh, they can be crippling), and lightning storms.
On to the day:
The trail system at La Selva is laid out very well. North/South there is a post every 100m and East/West there is one every 50m. This grid system should make it really hard to get lost. All of the metal posts are supposed to be covered in reflective tape and labeled with coordinates on the top so you know where you are.
Key phrase: "supposed to"
In all actually: 9 times out of 10 the damn things are no where to be found!
Luckily there are also a lot of trails that bisect the property. They're paved and normally kept pretty clear.
Look at that. Who wouldn't want to stroll down this quaint little jungle lane?
I know what you're thinking. How can you get lost on such beautifully paved jungle highway?!
Somehow most of the lizards at La Selva failed to get my memo.
Attn: ALL LIZARDS - For my continued safety, please stay on or very near the paved trail from now on. Thanks, Mgmt : )
...
Lizards never listen.
Instead of friendly paved trails I quickly find myself in areas that look like this:
That's not even thick jungle. I got lost in some pretty open canopy today...
Ugh, I hope I learn to stop ignoring my compass soon.
I ran into some cool mushrooms today.
Cookeina sulcipes (Wine glass mushroom) I've heard you can find frogs hanging out in them when they fill up with rain water. I'll believe it when I see it though.
I'm such a softy. Looking at these made me think of wine.
Which my wife loves.
Which made me really start to miss:
We'll be together a soon.
And it only got worse.
Then I ran into this:
Oh come on! Really jungle? Really?!
You're gonna pull on the ol' heart strings like that?
I tried to look at more fungus.
Not the cure I needed though.
In the back of my mind I knew what would make me feel better.
More work wasn't the cure for my wife-missin'-mind.
Before dinner there was only one thing on the itinerary:
Tough gig, I know.
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