Costa Rica: Indiana Jones may not like it here

The iguana (and me) are not alone!  Eek!

Mopey monkey

Sloth viewed through telescope

Fruit in a bag...hmmm

Manuel Antonio Park was a great place to visit in Costa Rica.  I stayed at Los Suenos Marriott, which was a short ride away.  Don't stay at this resort for the beach unless they've changed it into something other than rocks and garbage.  The pool was gorgeous though. 

I went to Manuel Antonio Park primarily to see the monkeys.  I saw other wildlife too.  See the sly snake lurker in the photo?  I had no idea it was there!  I only saw him when I got home and looked at the photo.  Though I was perfectly safe in my own home, I still freaked out.  Hence, the thought that Indiana Jones may not like it here. Sneaky snakes.

Manuel Antonio lived up to its name with monkeys.  These monkeys were lively and in some cases, thieves.  One monkey cruised right past a tourist and stole a banana out of her bag faster than she could say "Indy Save Me!"  Clever monkey had a nice snack while safely in the trees.  The monkey that held my attention the most was the mopey monkey you see above.  Poor little guy was clearly having a bad day.

My guide in the park had a telescope with him.  He showed me how to take photos of the wildlife through the telescope's lense.  You have to be careful not to crack the camera and telescope in the process.  I had success (after a close call) and caught a nice photo of a sloth.  Not that the sloth was going anywhere fast (ha ha).

I also liked the enterprising gentleman with his bright cart on the beach selling colorful fruit in a bag.  As enticing as this set up may look, I saw this as a traveler's gastro downfall waiting to happen (or maybe just mine since some have the steel stomachs I envy so much).

9/7/12 Update:  I was on the road for more than 10 hours on September 5, 2012 (which included dealing with a flat tire, being towed for over a 100 miles and being 3 hours late for a job interview as a result).  I had no idea that there was a 7.6 earthquake in Costa Rica that day.   Let's hope they recover well and soon.