Day 4: Leap Day!

I try to make Leap Day memorable, and this year wasn’t hard. With our last full day at La Selva, I chose to start the morning with a walk along the trail we took for the night hike. Going a little further, I found an arboretum loop that looked benign (i.e. short path where all the trees have name tags), but soon led to shock. Only a few steps in, I found myself staring nearly eye-level with a dead monkey hanging upside down from a tree. It startled me enough that I almost screamed, but instead just fled the area as quickly as I could. I know the circle of life is a thing, but was totally unprepared to start my day with that part of the circle. In an attempt to calm my nerves, I picked another trail closer to the dorms, and was rewarded with some cool trees and a shy capybara. En route to the day’s workshop, I also found an orchid house with some fantastic-smelling blooms that helped calm me down.

A shy Capybara on the sidewalk

The trail ducks under the tree

The most fragrant orchid wasn't the largest

The day’s sessions had a different format, and I found ways to contribute that made it more fulfilling. Wrapping up the day, I went on a longer walk with colleagues for more spotting, including more monkeys, toucans, motmots, etc. My contribution: finding a poison dart frog that hopped on the trail right in front of me. With coloring that vibrant it’d be hard to miss, but it still counts.

Motmot

Toucan

Mother and baby

Bromeliads growing in delicate balance

Heliconia

Crossing the bridge at sunset brought another prime monkey-viewing opportunity, as a troupe had taken over a nearby tree with some playfully fighting, dangling, etc. A few of them decided to cross over to another tree, so we had a show as they jumped and walked along the bridge cables overhead. In some ways, that spot became my favorite part of this place.

Look carefully to see the troupe along the tops of branches

Crossing the bridge at sunset

That night, we had a celebration to end the retreat on a high note and congratulate all the promotions and big wins of the previous year, and say our farewells to those who’d be leaving on the early bus.

Day 3: Real-life Jungle Cruise

Admittedly, the work part of today was a little frustrating for me because it felt like there was a “right” answer that remained elusive. But, the day wrapped up with two choices for an activity. I’m sure the hike was great exercise, but as soon as I saw the option for a boat ride, all this Disneyland-lover could think was they were literally offering a cruise in the jungle! And with a great local guide and colleagues who are good spotters, it didn’t disappoint. Our small boat headed upstream past monkeys, iguanas, caiman, birds, etc., stopping to observe each of them and making sure everyone saw them. So glad I went. 

View on the river

Iguana on the riverbank

Caiman

We returned with plenty of time before dark, so I joined a few colleagues to walk a nearby path for some more exploring before dinner.

Monkey!

Along the trail at dusk

Day 2: Night Hike

I’m a night owl by nature, but the sun comes up early here and the critters never stop making noises, so it wasn’t a problem getting out of bed with my alarm. The bridge looked far less foreboding in the daytime, and it was an easy walk from our cabin to the dining area. 

Our cabin

The bridge connecting the two parts of the campus.

On my way to the session, a colleague helped me spot a Jesus Christ lizard on a tree branch that I’d completely missed (this would be a theme for the week). Its name comes from its ability to run on water, but the branch was so high up and the lizard so content, there was no way I’d get to see a demonstration. Our first day of the retreat included a presentation from our Costa Rica program, and it was inspiring to learn about all their efforts and how they tie together. I also appreciated seeing my tax dollars at work, as USAID funded the air-conditioned room that we used for all our sessions. The room didn’t have a view, but they were great about building in breaks into the agenda, including snacks on a balcony overlooking the forest. After dinner, we broke into smaller groups and went on a night hike. I was so impressed at my colleagues ability to spot different animals–truly “eyes to see” and “ears to hear”. Plenty of frogs, birds, insects, etc., and I was also grateful that the only snake we encountered was at the very end, and was a tiny one that’s not poisonous and was sitting on a leaf. I’d wanted to see a sloth and was a little disappointed we hadn’t found one on our hike, but at the very end someone noticed that one had crawled onto the bridge’s suspension wires! It made for perfect viewing, and was a little funny that it had probably been there (or close by) the whole time.

The largest insect I saw all week--thankfully on an outdoor sheet from a safe distance.

Sloth!

Day 1: En Route to the Jungle

I was thrilled when work announced our department retreat would be in Costa Rica at the La Selva Biological Station. The first day was entirely spent in travel, arriving at La Selva after dark. Our van missed the welcome and orientation, but we got our keys and a quick overview after dinner.

It was pitch black leaving the dining area, and colleagues with bright flashlights helped us find our cabins which were in two main areas. The walk began with crossing a long suspension bridge in the dark that swayed as we crossed over a river with our luggage, and for a moment I wondered what I was getting into. Before we even made it halfway across the bridge, my colleague Carlos excitedly pointed out a bird on a nearby tree that I would never have noticed in the dark (or the daytime for that matter–it was practically camouflage with the branch).

I was relieved to see our cabins had a bathroom, and hoped no critters would be joining us inside during the week. Before calling it a night, we had a bit of a Goldilocks moment when a colleague found a group of researchers in the room she’d been assigned to, rather than her bunkmates, and we couldn’t get a hold of her assigned bunkmate to find out what happened. I joined her on the walk to solve the mystery with a few others from the team, and we were nearly to the furthest dorms when we learned she’d only been moved to the cabin next door. It made for an interesting orientation to that part of the grounds, anyway. Our cabins had an overhead fan and screened windows, which were little match for the heat and humidity, so despite the long day it took a while to fall asleep.

Day 11: Lisbon Finale

With a few more things to see and do in Lisbon, our last morning started with a ride on one of the city’s iconic trams along a scenic route. They’re still using the tram cars from the 1930s, complete with wooden interiors, and we caught Tram 28 at the top of a hill in the Alfama neighborhood to ensure a seat at the start of the route. It shimmied and wound down narrow streets, crossing town to the Baxia’s wider, flatter, and straighter streets before climbing another hill.

Riding in Tram 28

Riding in Tram 28; notice how close we get to the buildings and narrow sidewalks on some of these turns.

We got off near Praça do Comércio to take pictures in the square sans marathon scaffolding, and walked to a fancy outdoor elevator called Elevador de Santa Justa. While it was nice to be spared climbing the hill, there are other means to do that and I can’t say the ride itself was worth the wait. 

Praça do Comércio

View across the Tagus River

Elevador de Santa Justa

Praça Dom Pedro IV--more ocean wave patterns on the ground

But it dropped us off right next to Museu Arqueológico do Carmo, the museum of archaeology built in the ruins of a church from the 1755 earthquake. In a place with so many millennia of history, the association of archeology only began in the 1860s, and it was interesting to see what they chose to highlight.

Museu Arqueológico do Carmo

Walking down the hill, we visited the Time Out Market for a light lunch. A few years ago, the travel magazine converted an indoor market into a food court with stalls from some of the city’s best cooks, making it a travel destination in itself. With so many delicious options to choose from it was difficult to decide, but I opted for the Croqueteria and my meal confirmed I’d made the right choice. Returning to a walk through the Baxia, we made one last stop at Confeitaria Nacional, where I selected a few final pastries–why choose just one? 

Croquettes at the Time Out Market

Tram 28 Route

Tram 28 Route

Monumento ao Calceteiro, a monument to honor the skilled workers who build the sidewalk mosaics

Confeitaria Nacional

Finale pastries

Street lamp in Lisbon; this logo of the city depicts crows watching over the remains of Saint Vincent as they were brought to Lisbon centuries ago (Vincent was the patron saint of Lisbon until 1981, when they swapped him for Saint Anthony).

We got off at a different metro stop to walk through a park back to our hotel, and discovered that just around the corner was a Bansky museum. With only time to see the lobby before catching our flight, it was an interesting note to end our trip on and a reminder that for all we managed to squeeze into this trip, while Portugal may be known for sending explorers into the world it has many things to discover.

Lobby of the Banksy Museum

After all the hills and stairs we'd climbed in Portugal, I felt like this was one of the takeaways of the trip.

 ...and of course, I had to map our trip.

Day 10: Belem

 Thank you, Lisbon Marathon! We weren’t sure what would be closed or blocked due to the race, but since we relied on the underground metro and fenced-off trains to get around, not only were we not affected, but it appeared many locals decided to stay home until it was over. Arriving in the Belem neighborhood before the sites opened, we made the pilgrimage to Pasteis de Belem for the original pastries. The story goes that when all convents and monasteries in Portugal were closed in 1834 after a revolution and the monks and nuns were kicked out, someone who had lived at the Belem monastery started selling pastries using the nearby sugar refinery and a secret recipe from the monastery. Word spread, imitators opened shops closer to central Lisbon, but this shop claims to still make the secret recipe today. Honestly, they all tasted great to me but it was fun to visit the original location. 

Pasteis de Belem

We had a moment before mass started to duck into the monastery’s church, Igreja de Santa Maria de Belém, a lovely church housing the tombs of royalty, and more recently Vasco da Gama (he died in India, and was interned in his birthplace until the 1880s). The tomb just opposite his looked equally important, and I later learned it was for a celebrated poet from the same era. 

Igreja de Santa Maria de Belém

Entrance to Igreja de Santa Maria de Belém

Tomb of Vasco da Gama

We’d heard horror stories of the lines to enter Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, but were 2nd in line! Kara met a kindred spirit (also American), while we waited until opening and watched the hoards congregate as busloads of tourists arrived. Our early entry made it easy to enjoy the Cloister without it feeling crowded, and the intricate carvings blew me away. It was built to honor Vasco da Gama’s discovery of a sea route from Portugal to India, and likely funded by the profitable trade in spices like pepper that the discovery enabled.

Cloister at Mosteiro dos Jerónimos

Cloister at Mosteiro dos Jerónimos

Cloister at Mosteiro dos Jerónimos

Cloister at Mosteiro dos Jerónimos

Detail from the dining hall at Mosteiro dos Jerónimos; their biblical scenes were food-focused: Joseph in Egypt (and his food storage plan for pharaoh), and the miracle of the loaves and fishes.

Nearby and right on the river, we visited a monument to Portuguese exploration called Padrão dos Descobrimentos. Naturally, my favorite part of it was the map on the plaza in front of it, which was also where tour groups insisted on congregating.  

Padrão dos Descobrimentos--note the stonework looks like ocean waves at the base.

Map mosaic at the base of Padrão dos Descobrimentos, depicting the year of Portuguese arrival.

Detail of the map mosaic--loved the sea monsters and breezes off the coast of California.

Also along the water, and equally surprising for the light crowds, was Belém Tower. It was built in the early 1500s to not only defend the entrance to the ports of Lisbon but to also be a symbolic entrance to Lisbon and departure point for sailors. The four stories were connected by a small, tight, spiral staircase with staff serving as traffic guards to direct tourists one floor at a time.

Belém Tower

Belém Tower

All of this typically requires a full day to see due to crowds, but here we were and it wasn’t even lunchtime yet. Crossing over the race on a pedestrian bridge, I had to thank the runners for keeping everyone else away. Our city passes included several museums so while we headed to one nearby, we passed by Palácio Nacional de Belém–their presidential palace. We couldn’t go inside, but it was fun to see that their white house is pink. The National Coach Museum was large with an extensive collection that we mostly breezed through, but  a few standouts (and free entry) made it worth it.

Palácio Nacional de Belém

National Coach Museum

The other museum we opted to visit required hopping on a train, and a longish walk that was clearly not in the touristy part of town. But the Museu Nacional do Azulejo (National Tile Museum) was great for helping me appreciate how they made all those tiles we’d seen throughout our trip, and how the artform has changed over the centuries. Again, not a must-see but nice and glad it was included with the pass. 

One of my favorite mosaics in the museum: Mickey Mouse at Saint George Castle

One of the exhibit rooms as Museu Nacional do Azulejo

Example of tile work from the 1920s at Museu Nacional do Azulejo--I initially missed the pattern consists of grasshoppers!

This mural of Lisbon pre-1755 took up most of the large room; some of these buildings still stand today.

Our long trip and the warm day caught up with me, so I was happy we had time for a nap before dinner. We opted to stay close to the hotel, and ate at a place called Shiso Burger for our last dinner in Portugal. Feasting on a chili lemon burger, tempura sweet potatoes, cheesecake w/ yuzu, and mint lemonade confirmed we’d made the right choice. Back at the hotel, we got to enjoy the sunset on the top floor and watch day turn to night overlooking the city’s many hills. And of course, topping off the night with more pool time.

Dinner at Shiso Burger

Happy feet at the hotel pool; from this spot you could watch the incoming planes to the airport.