The Soda to Soda walk, and a few birds

(Better to read The New Birds Begin, first, and then this page!)


Route Barree!



We learned the word Soda yesterday, when we also tried our first Soda meal. That was the Casado, or combo plate, at the Market.

"Sodas serve traditional Costa Rican dishes made with fresh, local ingredients. The menu changes seasonally and reflects what's available locally. A typical meal, called a casado, includes a choice of meat, rice, salad, and avocado, plus juice or water. "

The term Soda is not a Spanish acronym but rather an allusion to a soda fountain,
somehow. The campus had lots of Sodas strewn around, and lots of very sweet looking students.

Don't be fooled by the bikes at this Soda, nobody rides them!

We took a break for a casado, and also some really good chocolate cake. We also encountered a craft fair, put on by an adult education department at the University.

Part of the craft fair
Nice leather work


It was kind of a big deal, or at least there were lots of video cameras around.




Dodie had a nice chat with one of the organisers.


We returned to our campus stroll, admiring the sturdy bamboo growing near the ravine.






The shot below shows some of the walkway area we could access, despite the path closure. It also shows a new "feature" that had me very puzzled until Dodie figured it out! The camera has a new lens shade that folds in or out. When the shade is out and if the camera is capturing something in wide angle, the camera finds itself peering through the shade, creating an interesting tunnel effect. It's interesting, that is, if you know what is happening and are not concerned that the camera broke!



Near the ravine.

Using the tunnel "feature" to good effect!

Although our walk was not a stunning birding success, we did spot at least these guys that were new to us:

Rufus Collared sparrow

Blue Gray Tanager



Clay Colored Thrush

Green Breasted Mango Hummingbird

The Mango in flight.


And here is an old favourite:

Boat Billed Flycatcher



By the way, Costa Ricans call themselves Ticos. And of course this is coffee country:






 

Also, back near our hotel, no need to really rent a room, when it is so warm outside!:





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