Hola from San Jose,

After two days in Corcovado we had say goodbye to the people at Coopeunioro.  They were very good to us so it was difficult to leave.  Once again we sat on a wagon pulled by the tractor for close to 2 hours.  Fortunately this time there was no rain.  We were able to enjoy the scenery but the ride was very bumpy.

When we got back to the small town, Las Palmas, we found our bus and started our long journey back to San Jose.  We were told it would take 6 or 7 hours to drive back.  We were all very tired and spent the time resting and watching for animals (birds, sloths, monkeys) in the trees. 

To return to San Jose we had to drive through the Talamanca Mountains.  As we drove higher the temperature dropped and it began to rain.  Eventually we reached an area called Cerro de la Muerte or "Mountain of Death".  It was given this name because long ago people crossing the mountain would sometimes die because they were not prepared for the cold temperatures.  We took the temperature at the highest elevation, over 3,000 meters, and it was 12 degrees Centigrade.

At the top of the mountain we stopped for a short walk in an ecosystem called a paramo.  It is a shrub land that occurs at altitudes above the cloud forest. The climate is cold and wet.  The main plants include grasses and shrubs. Some of the shrubs grow tall enough that they look like short trees.  I have attached a picture from the paramo (To the right, click on the image to see it enlarged). When I walked through this region I felt like I was back in Cleveland on a cold, wet day.

We finally made it back to San Jose and spent our last night in Costa Rica. Our flight didn't leave until 1:00 so we had time in the morning to eat breakfast and think about our 11 days in this beautiful and peaceful country.  We decided we would not be sad leaving, but happy that we had the opportunity to travel around a country with so many different things to see.  
I have attached a picture of the Tropical Biology Class to this message (To the left, click on the image to see it enlarged). Before I close I would like to thank 2 people who helped me organize this trip and send my messages back to you. Joseph Crowley (joseph.crowley@globalstar.com) of Global Star (http://www.globalstar.com/) provided me with a satellite phone that I used for some of my communications. If it were not for Joseph I would not have had the confidence to pursue this real time project.

The second person I would like to thank is someone who has become a good friend.  His name is Carlos Fonseca (go@costaricatravel.co.cr).  He is the owner of Costa Rica Natural Travel (http://www.costaricatravel.co.cr) and the person who made the arrangements for our trip.  Because of Carlos our trip was well organized, we stayed in unique accommodations and we saw a wide variety of locations in Costa Rica.  If it weren't for Carlos, I would not have had the courage to take students on this magnificent trip.

I hope you have enjoyed reading my email messages and seeing the pictures as much as I have enjoyed sending them to you.  If you have any questions or would like to see more pictures, please email me at bkapley@aol.com.  Have a great summer.

 - Mrs. Kapley