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Sloths, Squirrel Monkeys, and Scarlet Macaws in Costa Rica...

8/26/2016

101 Comments

 
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As my husband and I have been traveling around Costa Rica, like homeless gypsy wanderers, we have witnessed many things that will forever be seared into our memories. Monkeys and sloths crossing the road, 6-foot pit vipers trying to kill us, a pod of 300 dolphins surrounding our boat, tourists being robbed by a pack of rambunctious raccoons, 30 mammoth crocodiles piled up on the shore of a river, spiders the size of our heads…I could go on and on.


The animal encounters we get to witness are mind-blowing. The diversity of the wildlife in this country truly is remarkable and we rarely have to leave our house to meet a new animal. A few days ago I was once again reminded of the incredible animals that exist in this portion of the country, as I had three up-close, lifetime bucket list experiences, within a 24-hour-period.


My 24-hours of Costa Rican ecstasy began with a bumpy afternoon beach drive on our favorite beach: Playa Linda. The roads in Costa Rica are a special kind of horrible, but this is not always a bad thing. The potholes and multiple river crossings force you to slow down and enjoy the scenery. Creeping along at 5mph, as Andy dodges potholes with his expert driving skills, I happen to notice a large, furry blob clinging to a palm tree. We pull over and admire an adult sloth in the midst of an afternoon slumber.
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Sloths are only found in Central and South America, so it is a treat to see one in the wild. Although there are many sloths in Costa Rica, they can be hard to spot as they rarely move and have impressive camouflage. We are lucky to spot one with our bare eyes, this has only happened to us a handful of times in our travels around this country. Seeing a sloth in an animal rescue center is one thing, but seeing one in the wild is a majestic and humbling reminder that Mother Nature is one spectacular broad.

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Still riding my sloth high from the day before, I greet the next morning as the cloud forest rolls through our valley of jungle, with my steaming mug of potent Costa Rican coffee. Just as I take my first sip I hear a ferocious racket in the sky. 16 rare Scarlet Macaws, who mate for life, are doing a fly-by of their favorite tree. Like a gang, they shriek and holler at the family of green Mealy parrots inhabiting their perch, letting them know who is boss of this wall of jungle.
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Scarlet Macaws only exist in a few small sections of this country, and we are lucky enough to live in one of these areas. We have witnessed a family of 9 flying by before, but seeing 16 at one time is truly a spectacular and unique event, even for this part of Costa Rica.


Just when I think it cannot get better, a troop of 50 rare squirrel monkeys invade our yard without warning. They trickle in, swarming the trees like an undercover squat team, and begin to fly through our treetops.
Squirrel monkeys are the smallest monkeys in Costa Rica, they are about the size of a squirrel and typically weight only 1.5 pounds. Here is a video I caught of them crossing through our own personal monkey highway:
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Squirrel monkeys in Costa Rica: MONKEY CROSSING!


​The chirping squirrel monkeys swarm the foliage, jumping from branch to branch, squeaking back and forth to each other, as they forage the trees for birds nests to raid.
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​A family of Fiery-billed Aracari Toucans keeps a close watch on their competitors. This squirrel monkey family is their direct competition for food, as they both feed on eggs and nestlings of smaller birds.
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​Suddenly there is a dramatic commotion in the trees, and an aggressive squirrel monkey confronts a toucan. They are similar in size and have an intense standoff over a nest. The monkey is squeaking aggressively while the toucan tries to stand his ground…but the  monkey wins and violently shoves the toucan out of the tree. Sadly I did not get the monkey/toucan fight on video, but was able to capture this video of the pair right before their confrontation:


*(right click on below link and open in new tab)*
Squirrel monkey and a Toucan sharing a tree in Costa Rica


These 24 hours of incredible animal encounters will always be a part of me, an event I can revisit time and time again in my mind. A napping beach sloth, 16 scarlet macaws soaring overhead, and a troop of 50 squirrel monkeys passing through the monkey highway in our yard, pausing only to shove a toucan out of a tree. I truly don't know of another place on the planet where these 3 phenomenal experiences can happen in the wild, within a 24-hour-period.


​We are so blessed to live in such a place. Pura Vida. Peace. Gracias. OneLove. Namaste. And Audios Bitchachos.

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101 Comments
Ashley Paige link
8/26/2016 11:09:48 am

While you almost lost me at "spiders the size of our heads," this read like scenes from a movie or from pages of a storybook! What an amazing adventure and once in a lifetime experience!!

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Kari
8/26/2016 11:39:28 am

It truly is :)

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candy link
8/26/2016 11:37:28 am

Love all the monkey, birds and other animals. Colors are beautiful.

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Kari
8/26/2016 11:50:30 am

Costa Rica is very colorful and full of wildlife!

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jose
8/26/2016 12:33:43 pm

Interesting fingers on that monkey. Are these photos from Andy's camera?

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Kari
8/26/2016 12:45:10 pm

I took these with our long zoom lens Canon camera, it takes great photos

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Carmen link
8/26/2016 01:49:09 pm

Omg, your photos are fantastic! What an amazing experience. Great post, thanks for sharing :)

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Kari
8/26/2016 01:54:54 pm

My pleasure, thanks for reading :)

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Danni link
8/26/2016 07:00:20 pm

I can't believe the monkey beat the toucan! Also your photography skills are stunning, thanks for the lovely post

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Kari
8/26/2016 07:08:12 pm

It was pretty nuts! Thank you :)

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Meg link
8/26/2016 10:25:55 pm

I absolutely love that you saw a sloth in the wild. I would be beside myself with excitement too! I've got Costa Rica on my bucket list for the sloth sanctuaries, but now I am realising that there are many more species of wildlife there I can look forward to seeing. Your photos are beautiful.

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Kari
8/27/2016 05:29:39 am

It is spectacular seeing a sloth in the wild! Costa Rica is a must-see, the animals alone are worth the trip!

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Punita Malhotra link
8/27/2016 03:46:39 am

Wow! Great animal photography!

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Kari
8/27/2016 05:30:03 am

Thank you!

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Divya @ Eat Teach Blog link
8/27/2016 05:19:58 am

Oh my god, I'm obsessed with monkeys!

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Kari
8/27/2016 05:30:31 am

Me too! They are the coolest :)

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Emily link
8/27/2016 06:33:41 am

This sounds incredible! I've been dying to go to Costa Rica and this just made the itch so much worse!

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Kari
8/27/2016 06:48:35 am

Be warned! After your first trip the itch will only get worse and you will be dying to return! :)

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Wendy Silcox
8/27/2016 11:51:49 am

Kari - Wonderful blog...makes me want to return even more! Steep road or not! Miss you guys! Hope to see you in CR soon! I love that you got to see the sloth...good, alert eyes!

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Kari
8/27/2016 12:07:19 pm

They are not easy to spot! Thanks, we hope to see you guys very soon!

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Carol from Wayfaring Views link
8/27/2016 12:02:25 pm

I also found the Costa Rican wildlife to be astonishing. My faves we're seeing leatherback sea turtles nesting and a Tapir in the forest

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Kari
8/27/2016 12:07:42 pm

Awesome, I would love to see both!!

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Katie @ The Katie Show Blog link
8/27/2016 02:12:11 pm

Wow your photos are incredible and make me want to book a visit tomorrow! Just wow! I'm a real wildlife gal so this was a treat to learn about. Thank you so much for sharing!

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Kari
8/27/2016 03:25:10 pm

My pleasure, Costa Rica never disappoints!

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Chasa Fulkerson link
8/27/2016 09:01:21 pm

Seeing the Scarlet Macaws fly by most have been beautiful! All those colors! I would love to hold a sloth! It must be awesome to see one in their natural habitat!

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Kari
8/28/2016 08:43:52 am

It is incredible! On the Caribbean side there is a sloth sanctuary where you can pay to go to the back and see and hold baby sloths :)

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Christine K link
8/29/2016 05:12:29 pm

What an amazing adventure in Costa Rica. I love the monkeys, they look like they're up to no good. And those birds! So lovely and enjoyed the post.

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Kari
8/30/2016 08:11:04 am

Thank you!

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Jessica
8/29/2016 08:08:54 pm

You got such great pictures!! Hope you are having a wonderful time!

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Kari
8/30/2016 08:11:36 am

Thanks, we are!

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Jas Banwait link
8/29/2016 08:16:09 pm

wow - your pics are stunning and make me wanna book a flight! The spiders the size of your head makes me hesitate a bit though. :)

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Kari
8/30/2016 08:12:12 am

Me too about the spiders!

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Juliette @ Snorkels to Snow link
8/29/2016 08:35:39 pm

What a great experience! We went to a wildlife park in Fiji over the weekend and it was amazing to see certain creatures up close and personal!

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Kari
8/30/2016 08:12:48 am

Awesome, would love to see Fiji!!!

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Janine Good link
8/30/2016 07:38:15 am

Kari, your blog always gets me excited about going to Central America at some stage. Your sloth photo is amazing and should appear in a National Geographic magazine. Same with the leaping monkey. xo

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Kari
8/30/2016 08:13:34 am

Thanks!! :)

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Jamie link
8/30/2016 09:45:30 am

Look at all the animals and all their colors! Such a fun post!

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Kari
8/30/2016 05:40:37 pm

Thanks!

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erica avery link
8/30/2016 10:43:49 am

I was just in Costa Rica this past April. I loved it. I can't wait to go back. It really is the prettiest jungle that I have ever seen

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Kari
8/30/2016 05:41:05 pm

It is!!

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CHANEL link
8/30/2016 10:59:15 am

this vacation sounds amazing! and your pictures are incredible. i feel like I'm looking at these insects in person!

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Kari
8/30/2016 05:41:40 pm

Thank you

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Hallie link
8/30/2016 06:30:21 pm

I want to see those spiders... well I do and I don't. I love seeing animals in their own element. It sounds like Costa Rica is just amazing for some animal sight seeing. Such a great adventure for you.

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Kari
8/30/2016 07:25:41 pm

It is pretty amazing! I could do without the spiders though :)

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Miranda link
8/30/2016 07:08:29 pm

I love Costa Rica! Everything is so colorful and they have monkeys and parrots instead of squirrels and pigeons lol! Great photos. This makes me want to go back for some Pura Vida!

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Kari
8/30/2016 07:27:25 pm

Pura vida is the best :)

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Cynthia link
8/30/2016 07:15:13 pm

These photos are gorgeous - the Macaw pictures are especially stunning, I've never seen anything like that!

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Kari
8/30/2016 07:27:52 pm

It was pretty spectacular!

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Nicole link
8/30/2016 07:29:50 pm

Love your photos!!! When I was in Costa Rica we unfortunately didn't see a sloth :( but, we did get the experience of monkeys trying to go through our bags and steal our stuff, hehe! Jealous that you get to live in such a beautiful country!

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Kari
8/30/2016 07:37:13 pm

I bet the monkey robbers happened in Manuel Antonio Park? They are notorious for that there, I have watched so many monkeys and raccoons rob so many people :)

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Katalin @Our life, our travel link
8/30/2016 07:53:35 pm

Love your pictures! Those toucans are my favourite!

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Kari
8/31/2016 06:24:04 am

Thanks, mine too!

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Wanderlustingk link
8/30/2016 08:21:44 pm

Your photos are amazing! I love sloths so much and I'd love to go to Costa Rica to see them....and I just saw a good fare there (hmm). Super inspiring!

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Kari
8/31/2016 06:24:30 am

BOOK IT!! :)

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Flo @ Yoga, Wine & Travel link
8/30/2016 08:28:40 pm

Yay to dolphins, boo to vipers! I absolutely love the vibrancy of all your photos, especially the toucan shots! Really hoping to make it to Costa Rica one day :)

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Kari
8/31/2016 06:29:09 am

Thanks, you definitely should!

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Hridya link
8/30/2016 09:40:15 pm

Oh my.. what a feast to the eyes! So much of wildlife to see...

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Kari
8/31/2016 06:29:40 am

Yes there is :)

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Kristine Li link
8/31/2016 01:36:43 am

Wow, what a trip! And the macaus fly-by looks wonderful! At first glance, they kinda looked like kites to me, ha!

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Kari
8/31/2016 06:30:22 am

Haha, they do!

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Anne link
8/31/2016 06:17:25 am

I've always been in love with your photography! Your shots are so clear and beautiful! Love them!

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Kari
8/31/2016 06:31:02 am

Thank you so much :)

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Smidge link
8/31/2016 11:22:17 am

Sloths are my favourite animal - you lucky thing!

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Kari
10/12/2016 02:20:06 pm

Mine too :)

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Stella the Travelerette link
8/31/2016 04:37:20 pm

Your photos of the animals are amazing! I love the colors on the toucan. And seeing the squirrel monkeys sounds really exciting!

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Kari
10/12/2016 02:20:37 pm

gracias :)

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Jessica link
8/31/2016 07:42:02 pm

I wish I had been able to capture pictures like these when I was in Costa Rica! I learned quickly that a better quality camera was absolutely necessary. The wildlife in Costa Rica was by far my favorite part. Just goes to show you don't have to spend a ton of money to see amazing things

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Kari
10/12/2016 02:21:21 pm

So true - we rarely have to leave our house to see amazing animals.

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Fit Two Travel link
8/31/2016 09:04:01 pm

So wonderful! We didn't get a chance to see any sloths when were were there, but we did see some monkeys in the trees, which was fun! Definitely some beautiful scenery and wildlife in costa rica!

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Kari
10/12/2016 02:21:50 pm

For sure :)

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Natasa link
9/1/2016 11:51:41 pm

These pictures looks amazing. I love monkeys and these one are so much adorable. I believe Costa Rica is place that hides beautiful nature and i hope to visit it once and make some great pictures

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Kari
10/12/2016 02:29:44 pm

You should!!!!

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Brianna link
9/2/2016 06:35:25 am

So exciting to see animals in the wild! I would have diiied seeing that sloth!!! Also, I totally lost it when you said "The roads in Costa Rica are a special kind of horrible" SO hilarious, SO true! But I've found it true all over Central America :P

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Kari
10/12/2016 02:30:34 pm

Ha ha, yes it is SO true!

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Christina link
9/3/2016 03:28:49 am

Fabulous photos, especially of the toucan and it looks like you got pretty close to the sloth too. This looks like a fab place for wildlife lovers.

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Kari
10/12/2016 02:31:07 pm

Oh it is!!

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Vyjay link
9/4/2016 09:20:47 am

What amazing wildlife indeed. I loved the Squirrel monkeys, they are so unique. Great account and lovely pictures.

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Kari
10/12/2016 02:31:39 pm

They are my favorite!!

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Cricket Plunkett link
9/14/2016 07:46:38 am

Love all the wildlife pictures you got!

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Kari
10/12/2016 02:29:06 pm

Gracias :)

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Candy link
9/14/2016 12:35:22 pm

What an amazing experience. I've never had the opportunity to witness so much nature in action. And the vivid colors on some of the animals is so beautiful.

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Kari
10/12/2016 02:28:16 pm

CR is such a vibrant place...

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Susannaq link
9/14/2016 02:13:14 pm

Oh my gosh! Could your day get any better? I don't think so. I am blow away by that flock of macaws!!! You're a very lucky gal. Great photos too!

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Kari
10/12/2016 02:27:34 pm

I was blown away by the macaws too...what is even crazier is that a few days later my husband and I saw 19 at once!!

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Andree-Anne link
9/14/2016 04:43:37 pm

Looks like you had an amazing experience! Your photos are great!! Costa Rice is definitely on my bucket list :)

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Kari
10/12/2016 02:26:43 pm

Thanks for stopping by!

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Christie link
9/14/2016 05:19:33 pm

OMG those monkey pictures are crazy!!! Costa Rica looks awesome. I haven't been yet but I'd love to go!

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Kari
10/12/2016 02:25:59 pm

You won't be disappointed!!

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Christina link
9/14/2016 06:31:30 pm

Costa Rica is one of my favorite countries. We honeymooned there and I couldn't believe the animal sightings! I was definitely in paradise. How gorgeous are the scarlet macaws!!!

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Kari
10/12/2016 02:25:25 pm

Aw how special, it truly is a paradise :)

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Ellis Veen link
9/15/2016 02:15:59 am

I love wildlife and animals. The 24 hours you describe would be a dream come true for me. The pictures look amazing. I saw a sloth in Panama and really like them.

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Kari
10/12/2016 02:24:51 pm

SLOTHS RULE!!! :)

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Kachina link
9/15/2016 03:17:28 am

What a special experience! I don't even know how I'd deal with so many animal sightings - it'd be like a kid in a candy store! haha

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Kari
10/12/2016 02:24:10 pm

Oh I was!! :)

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Laia link
9/15/2016 06:14:16 am

It must be an amazing experience to live in a place with so much wild life! I'm not sure I'd enjoy the "6-foot pit vipers trying to kill us" and the "spiders the size of our heads" (ugh!!), but the sloth, the scarlet macaws and the squirrel monkeys sound great :)

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Kari
10/12/2016 02:23:43 pm

Yes I have a hard time with those also...

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Portia @ Migrant Muse link
9/15/2016 09:12:43 am

Wow, amazing photos! I would love to see these animals up close and personal some day. Especially the macaws and sloths :) Thanks for this post!

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Kari
10/12/2016 02:23:05 pm

Always my pleasure :)

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Lucine link
9/15/2016 09:49:44 am

those animal pics are great, must be so cool to see al those species in real life. really special

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Kari
10/12/2016 02:22:29 pm

It sure is :)

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12/24/2018 10:41:25 am

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    Picture

    Kari Pinkerton Silcox

    It would be a tragedy to die, having never really lived. Which is why my husband Andy and I quit our jobs, sold our house and decided to chase our dreams. We moved to Costa Rica without a plan, and this is the story of our adventure.
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