the domo was pretty cool...well really pretty COLD. lesson: if you go stay at a spiffy rainforest lodge at 7,000 feet and the geodesic domo costs a third of what the rustic forest cottages cost, that may mean it is not heated. Mind you Allen and I had not so much as worn socks or real shoes for nine months.

we managed to find a hat and a fleece for Nancy and were content to drink hot chocolate, play cards and birdwatch. as you can see the view off of our terrace was fantastic - yet another flavor of tropical forest to discover - and this one was sort of like Washington's Olympic forest, but with palm trees, sloths, toucans, and hummingbirds. It really was astounding.

The lodge that we were paying rent to, Los Quetzales, is based in Guadalupe but has somehow managed to get permits to have four cabins and a dome within the Amistad forest reserve. I'm not sure but I think it is one of the only lodges in all of Panama and Costa Rica that can make this claim. They take you up to your magical jungle home by Land Cruiser or on horseback. Nancy doesn't do horses so it was the back of the Toyota for us.

Amazingly, our meager domo rental fee included a personal park guide who took us on three-hour hikes, spotted birds, brought us extra blankets, and just generally took care of us. What a vacation for all of us! We didn't think about the boat's sketchy electrical system for at least three or four days.