Cool Things in Nature this Week

What we all love about being in the jungle is that everyday is a new discovery. Everyday here nature shows us something amazing. It is apparently baby making time for some things in the jungle. Spiders are carrying egg sacs. And birds are making nests and laying eggs. We are posting a photo of a wolf spider moving her eggs, and two photos of a hummingbird nest that David and I came across on our walk. We used my thumb for scale so everyone could see how e the nest and its eggs are so tiny and perfect.

Big Wolf Spider

Yesterday we mentioned that we found a big wolf spider cleaning out the tents. Today I thought I would post the photos. We used Cenzo for scale. These spiders do have a venomous bite, but in ten years down here I have never met anyone who has been bitten by one.

We're Here!

We are finally here in San Bartolo! We are all SO excited to be here. We got in at dusk last night, but were able to get organized enough to sleep on air beds in our tents. When we woke up this morning I asked the kids how they slept. Cenzo said: " I slept great. It felt like coming home." In the end I suppose Cenzo and David have spent as much time living here as anywhere else. I know it feels like home to Bill and me. David and I walked for two hours this morning beginning around sunrise. We didn't see a jaguar as he had hoped, but we saw lots of birds, some monkeys, and a fox. It was lovely. We we got back into camp Cenzo and Giancarlo were playing with a young tarantula. And later we found a BIG wolf spider while cleaning out tents. It is good to be back in the jungle.

Fun on the Beach

I don't know why the last blog post had such huge type. We will see how this one goes. After our sunrise tour, the family and the BU semester abroad students spent the whole day at the beach, and the pool - which is on the beach. Giancarlo stayed in the pool all day because the surf is too strong for him. Cenzo and David spent a lot of time getting hammered by waves, but also found time to crack a coconut open with a rock and drag a partially burned drift tree down the beach. A good time was had by all and everyone in the family except Bill got sunburned.

Sunrise Tour of the Mangrove

On Saturday morning we took a sunrise canoe tour of the mangrove lagoon that separates the beach of Monterrico from the mainland . It was early and we were tired, but it was worth it. We saw lots of birds, mostly egrets. We saw a lot of men fishing - but got no good photos. This mangrove lagoon is a special ecosystem because in the rainy season it is filled with fresh water, but in the dry season the ocean water washes in and it is mostly salt water. It is home to turtles, caimanes and two endangered species of mangrove, all of which are protected here.

Still at the Market

That last post didn't publish quite as planned... The list of things at the market continued with fresh meat, fresh vegetables, candles, appliances, bicycles, beds and anything else you can imagine... and some things that may surprise you. Yesterday, While in the market without the boys I saw this. It is a box of rainbow dyed live baby chicks, "cinco la mano" or five for 5 quetzales, roughly seventy cents in US dollars. While I took the photo a woman bought a purple one just because she felt bad for it.

This weekend we are off to the Pacific coast of Guatemala, to a beach town called Monterrico.

Things You Can Buy at the Market

You can buy ANYTHING at the market. Here are just a few photos of your options. They include Fresh vegetables fresh flowers