Wow - I just checked the dates and it's been almost a month since I posted anything. I'm slacking! (you're all shocked, I know)
On to the pics. I don't actually remember this bunch - according to the date stamp it's from the day after we went to San Lorenzo, but I don't actually remember taking a trip that day. I'm pretty sure they were taken on Pipeline Road, which is an unpaved road that runs through the forest near Lake Gatun - named after the oil pipeline that it runs parallel to. Pipeline is famous among birders as one of the best and most accessible bird-watching spots in Panama, if not Central America. So of course I didn't take a single picture of a bird. A few other cool things though. As usual, I'm completely useless for actually identifying species (at least for the little critters), so if anyone out there knows (I'm looking at you
Drude) speak up!
The background is really boring, but I thought this grasshopper was really cool looking - such distinctive coloring!
This moth was very large (probably 2 inches - abt 5 cm - long) and very furry.
But the main highlight of this hike was seeing these guys:
Slightly blurry, but you may recognize them from the banner at the top of this page :)
Actually - blurry AND dark. It's hard to take pictures of stuff up in the canopy because it's inevitably backlit. But oh well - these were some of my very first pictures of monkeys and I like them for the nostalgia if nothing else.
Plus they're so cute!
They're Cariblancas by the way. Officially known as White-throated Capuchins - or Organ-grinder's Monkeys more colloquially.
They're one of five or so common primate species in Panama - easier to spot than Mono Titi's and a bit less intimidating than Howlers.
Didn't capture much more on film (well... flash card) that trip - it may have been raining a lot. Still - have a butterfly:
I'll sign off with my least favorite thing about going out Gamboa way - the one way bridge. Gamboa is on the opposite side of the Chagres river - and this bridge is the only way in. I'm always white knuckeled driving over this thing. And you can't go too slow because it's one way - if you take longer to cross than is normal, the light may change and then people will start over from the other end. Can you imagine having to BACKUP off of this thing? I know people who live in Gamboa and work in the city. I don't know how they can stand driving over that thing every day.
In fact I'm pretty sure that
Drude took this picture cause I can't imagine trying to juggle a camera and stay on the asphalt strips at the same time. I'm told that this version of the bridge is actually an improvement because of the asphalt - it used to just be wooden ties sitting on top of the cross-beams.