I just noticed that Adobe GoLive, the program I am using to produce the chronology, allows me to see what these pictures will look like on a standard Windows display as well as the Macintosh. I'm sorry that Windows seems to muddy the picture and alter the color balance so much. What can I say - get a Mac.
Karen, the local hot babe here (if you hurry, she may still be unmarried) took a picture of me after breakfast (photo left). I think she has a budding alternate career here. I won't say a second career because she is already multitalented. But, come on down here and you can discover that yourself.
After Marty (another member of the family that owns the inn) and I tried unsuccessfully to get his Palm Pilot to work with the latest Palm Software, Marty led several of us on another walk through the rain forest (photo bottom left). Marty again filled us with lots of knowledge about the plants in this area. If you ask me something specific about a plant, I might remember a small fraction of what he told us.
There is a large variety of flora here, as you would guess. I think Marty said there were over 40 species just of the plant that we call the Bird of Paradise. Many plants are toxic to eat, or have other toxic properties, such as toxic sap. One of the most toxic plants here produces a small red fruit, like a small apple. Naturally, I don't remember the name. It was something like "manchenial".
I've got something over 400 photos from our trip. I may make most of them available for download in high resolution mode, if enough of my friends ask. I've got two or three hours of video, including some recordings on my Mac of the tree frogs in the early evening.
The big frogs don't make much noise as far as I can tell. These three to five pound bruisers also seem oblivious to anyone around them. When we went down to dinner a couple of nights ago, I came across one on the stone steps watching the lawn lights. I stamped my foot and he didn't move. I put the umbrella tip down next to him and he didn't move. Even when I tried to push him aside, and it's hard to push three pounds of stubborn with the tip of a long umbrella, he only begrudgingly move a couple of inches out of the way.
Was it fun? You bet. Kathy already wants to come back again. I think we'd definitely stay at Ottley's again. I like the place and the people. And I didn't see any other place that I thought I would enjoy. Some other inns are too "touristy". They are near town, or in cookie-cutter buildings on the beach. You might as well just go to Disney Land - it's closer and cheaper. We prefer something a bit more real.
All in all, a very good trip.