Full body profile of a margay

This photo gives a good view of the entire body of a margay.  Its distinctive brown leopard-like spots are distinctive.  Adult margays range from 19-31 inches (48 - 79 cm) in body length, plus a tail of 13-20 inches (33-52 cm).

Margays are expert climbers and may live their entire life in trees, jumping from one branch to another with a leaping range of about 12 feet (3.7 m).

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are showing scenes from Patagonia in Argentina.

Margay

This is a margay in the rescue shelter of the La Paz Waterfall Gardens.  The resemblance to house cats that was apparent in the photo that I showed yesterday is even more evident in this photo.

Margays are native to Central America.  Their habitat stretches from Mexico to Argentina.  They are not endangered, but the are considered near to being threatened because of loss of habitat and people  kill about 14,000 margays per year because of their attractive coats of fur.

Tomorrow I will show a full body profile of a margay and will provide more information about them.

This week we are showing photos of the Galapagos Islands on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Sleeping kitty

This is not a house cat.  It is a member of the cat family, of course, and it is displaying a common trait of cats -- taking a cat nap.

Tomorrow and the next day I will show more of this magnificent creature and will provide additional information about it.

This week we are showing photos of the Galapagos Islands on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Flowers above the river

These flowers were perched above a rushing river on a cliff at the La Paz Waterfall Gardens outside San Jose.

This week we are showing photos of the Galapagos Islands on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Green frog

This frog is well camouflaged to spend his time on a green leaf.

This week we are showing another set of underwater photos from our recent trip to the Galapagos Islands posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

A waterfall framed by trees in the jungle

For a little change of pace, here is another photo of a waterfall in the jungle at the La Paz Waterfall Gardens near San Jose.  The Midwest and East Coast of the USA is getting pelted with yet another snow storm this week, and Tamarindo is right in the middle of our warm, dry season, so as a contrast I offer this photo of a waterfall in the clouds and rain.

Several of the guests who will be staying in our condos in the upcoming months have commented to me recently about how much they are looking forward to beach vacations in the warm sunshine of Tamarindo.

This week we are showing another set of underwater photos from our recent trip to the Galapagos Islands posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Colorful patterns on poison dart frog

This little poison dart frog is tiny.  about the size of a nickel.  His colorful patterns would be good camouflage if he were in some leaves, but exposed him on the rocks.

This week we have photos of Grenada, Nicaragua posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Frog with big red eyes

The colorful frogs of Costa Rica are a delight to find in the rain and cloud forests.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are showing photos of the undersea life of the Galapagos Islands.  We took a trip there during the holidays two weeks ago.

A waterfall through the jungle

Here is another glimpse of a waterfall in the jungle.

This week we have photos of a very old section of Rabat, Morocco posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Downstream through the jungle

This is another view of the stream as it cascades through the jungle in La Paz Waterfall Gardens in the mountains above San Jose.

This week we have photos of a very old section of Rabat, Morocco posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Fuscia Orchid

Wild orchids add color to the rain forest, which is welcome on cloudy, misty or rainy days, such as the scenes that I have been showing the last few weeks.

Of course if it were not for the cloudy, misty, rainy weather, there would not be wild orchids.

This week we are showing some photos of a very old district of Rabat, Morocco on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Water finding a way to slice through the jungle

As its name implies, La Paz Waterfall Gardens has a lot of scenes in which water cascades down the ravine and through the jungle.

This week we are showing some photos of a very old district of Rabat, Morocco on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Jungle through the mist

Although the rain was a bother at the time, I think I liked photographing La Paz Waterfall Gardens in the mist more than if we had a bright sunny day.

This week we are showing some photos of a very old district of Rabat, Morocco on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Coati

As we strolled along the walkways of La Paz Waterfall Gardens, we noted that this coati was walking along side us as well.

He was not in an enclosure.  He must live in the jungle near the La Paz Waterfall Gardens and then drifts in during the day to forage for feed.

He is a relative of the raccoon.

Today is Sunday, wo we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week are showing photos of a very old district in Rabat, Morocco.

Detail of Ox Yolk

This is a close photo of the yolk of the oxen that I sowed yesterday.

The ox cart is pulled by two oxen who have the yolk lashed to heir horns.  My guess is that this method works for oxen who are pulling an empty load.  If the ox cart were full of coffee beans or other agriculture produce, I would think that it would give the oxen a headache to have to pull an ox cart from the head or neck rather than their shoulders.

This week we are showing some additional photos from Ethiopia on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Oxen

Ox carts are very traditional in Costa Rica, as I have shown in the past.  It wa therefore no surprise that they had a farmer with an ox cart walking around the grounds of the La Paz Waterfall Gardens

This week we are showing some additional photos from Ethiopia on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Giant elephant's umbrella leaf

This is a view from one of the walkways at La Paz Waterfall Gardens looking down on the canopy of the forest below.  It provides an unusual perspective on the giant leads of the elephant ear plant.

This week we are showing some additional photos from Ethiopia on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Cute Frog Profile

This is a cute frog with large, bright red eyes.


Today is Sunday, wo we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week ware showing photos of our recent trip to Ethiopia.

A tender blossom in the rain forest

The tiny spindly elements of this blossom int he jungle attracted my eye, but were difficult to photograph.  This is just one example of how scouting for photographs makes one more observant of the details of nature.

In keeping with the holiday sprint, we are showing photos of the spirituality of the people of Nicaragua.on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Looking down on another waterfall

This is another of the views looking down the ravine on one of the many waterfalls at La Paz Waterfall Gardens.

This week we have photos of the people of Ethiopia posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.