Top 50 Photographs

Cashew Fruits This is a bin of the fruits of the cashew tree. The cashew nuts themselves are inside the grew part of the fruit, one nut per piece of fruit.

Pineapples for Sale We stopped at a small market on the way from San Jose to Monteverde. Here is a selection of pineapple hanging up next to a small restaurant.

Purple and Red Flowers Unidentified flowers from Monteverde area of Costa Rica.

Violet Saprewing at Feeder This is a Violet Saprewing humming bird on a feeder. Taken at the hummingbird feeders on the way to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve.

Violet Saprewing This is a Violet Saprewing humming bird captured in flight. Taken at the hummingbird feeders on the way to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. (Gallery: Travel Journals > Costa Rica 12 > Top 50 Photographs)

Green Crown Brilliant at Feeder This is a male Green Crown Brilliant humming bird sitting on a bird feeder. Taken at the hummingbird feeders on the way to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve.

Resplendent Quetzel We were lucky to see this Resplendent Quetzel bird in the parking lot of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve.

Black Guan This Black Guan was also visible in the trees next to the parking lot of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve.

Cloud Forest Bridge This is the one and only suspension bridge in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve.

Cloud Forest Flower An unidentified flower seen in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve.

Air Plants A pretty collection of air plants growing near the top of a tall tree in the Monteverde Cloud Forest, seen from a suspension bridge on the Sky Walk.

Thunbergia (Sky Flower) These are flowers from the Thunbergia genus, common known as sky flowers. These were seen along the path in the Sky Trek in the Monteverde Cloud Forest.

Blue-crowned Motmot This Blue-crowned Motmot (identification uncertain) was seen outside the Bat Jungle in Monteverde.

Great Kiskadee A Great Kiskadee bird seen ina tree in Monteverde.

Rose Breasted Grosbeaks Two Rose Crested Grosbeaks in action in Monteverde.

Sunset from Monteverde Sunset seen from the Hotel Fonta Vela in Monteverde. The pacific coast of Costa Rica can barely be made out in the distance.

Unidentified Flower This big, red flower was growing on the lawn outside of the artiest store in Monteverde.

Strangler Fig Hollow Interior Strangler figs grow up around other trees and eventually strangle them, causing the supporting tree to die. Years later, the fig vines remain with a hollow interior where the host tree once grew. This is a picture taken inside of a strangler fig vine, where a host tree once grew, aiming up towards the sky.

Strangler Fig Exterior This is a picture of Strangler Fig vines, long after the host tree has died off and decayed away.

Hamadrymas Butterfly Close Up Close up picture of the head of a Hamadrymas Butterfly butterfly. (Butterfly Gardens in Monteverde.)

Malachite Butterfly A Malachite Bufferfly seen in the Butterfly Garden in Monteverde.

Orange Julia An Orange Julia butterfly from the Butterfly Garden in Monteverde, Costa Rica.

Crocodiles in Water A pack of American Crocodiles seen from a bridge crossing a river in Costa Rica.

Capuchin Monkey A White-headed Capuchin Monkey seen along the trail in Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica.

American Crocodile in River This American Crocodile passed next to our Zodiac in the Agujitas River in Costa Rica.

Zodiac Tour One of the Zodiacs traveling down the Agujitas River in Costa Rica, with a naturalist and guests from the National Geographic Sea Lion.

Snowy Egret A Snowy Egret perched in a tree along the Agujitas River in Costa Rica.

Yellow Crown Night Heron This Yellow Crown Night Heron was seen along the Agujitas River in Costa Rica, during our Zodiac tour.

Green Heron This Green Heron was snatding on a rock in the Agujitas River in Costa Rica.

Sunset over the Pacific Sunset seen from the National Geographic Sea Lion.

Blue Morpho Butterfly The Blue Morpho Butterfly is common, but hard to photograph. When perched, it folds its wings to reveal a dull brown edge coloring. But in flight, the top of the wings shine with a beautiful blue color.

Leaf Cutter Ant Highway Here is a trail of Leaf Cutter Ants returning to their nest with freshly cut leaves to feed to their captive fungus.

Female Golden Orb Spider Another picture of a female Golden Orb Spider, this one in Caletas Reserve, Costa Rica.

Stream and Beach Daphne took this picture of a small stream reaching the ocean at Caletas Reserve in Costa Rica.

Scarlet Macaws A pairt of Scarlet Macaws seen in a tree at the beach at Playa Caletas in Costa Rica.

Another View of Sobralia Orchid A Sobralia Orchid from the Casa Orquideas Botanical Gardens in Costa Rica.

Bees on Brownea A close up of some bees on a Brownea or Venezuela Rose in the Casa Orquideas Botanical Gardens in Costa Rica.

Field of Lavandar A field of Lavandar in the Casa Orquideas Botanical Gardens in Costa Rica.

Flower and Bees The back lighting makes for an interesting view of this flower being pollinated by a pair of bees in the Casa Orquideas Botanical Gardens in Costa Rica.

Red Lored Parrot A Red Lored Parrot perched on a tree at the Isla Coiba National Park, park headquarters, Panama.

Hermet Crab in Hand Close up of a Hermit Crab. (Granito de Oro, Isla Coiba National Park, Panama.)

Round Hermit Crab This hermit crab was thinking about coming out of its shell in order to scurry off. (Granito de Oro, Isla Coiba National Park, Panama.)

Hermit Crab Hideaway The beack of Granita de Oro was infested with Hermit Crabs. When the crabs were not scurring aorund back and forth, they tended to congregate in the rocks or under logs. (Granito de Oro, Isla Coiba National Park, Panama.)

Another Hermit Crab This crab is just looking for a way to get away from the noisy photographer. (Granito de Oro, Isla Coiba National Park, Panama.)

Sunset in Golfo de Panama Sunset over the Pacific Ocean, seen from Golfo de Panama (Gulf of Panama).

Brown Boobies A set of three Brown Boobies on the rocks of Isla Bona in the Gulf of Panama.

Panama Canal Cranes Cranes of the Panama Ports Company, at the southern end of the Panama Canal. Just leave your luggage here, trust us to send it north through the canal.

Centennial Bridge at night The Centennial Bridge crosses the Panama Canal between the Perdo Miguel Locks and Lake Gatun. We went under the Centennial Bridge at night.

Canal Workers in Action When entering a lock on the Panama Canal, the Panama Canal workers go into action. Here is a group of them pulling the rope tossed from the side of the locks, to get to the metal rope that actually secures the boat. The supervisor is the worker with the red helmut.

Gatun Locks Opening Now that the water level has dropped in this chamber o fthe Gatun Locks, the doors are opening to let out ship move north into the next lock Chamber. (Panama Canal.)