Day 68
The Red-Eyed Tree Frog is the most famous travel mascot of Costa Rica. He’s a bit of a camera hog, but once you see him in person, you understand his froggie charisma. We went on a quest to find this elusive little fella, which led us to visiting Neo Fauna, just a few minutes outside of Jaco.
This sanctuary is run by Alex and Luis. The day we visited we were the only ones there, and had an extensive tour of the grounds. There were frogs, macaws, butterflies, snakes, turtles. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable, and enthusiastically answered all of our questions. He skillfully explained the most interesting facts about all the animals, let the girls hold squirrels, butterflies, monster caterpillars, let us photograph a macaw up close, and most importantly, made sure we stayed off the red ant highways on the path. He has a unique collection of scars where he was bitten by snakes, stung by bullet ants and various other work related injuries. Daily he goes out into the forest to gather food for the animals, finding crickets, rabbits, termite nests. He has a rare enthusiasm and affection for his animals. Spectacular experience for all ages and interests. Go see the frog whisperer in action.
