CENTRAL AMERICA: MOUNTAINS, RAINFOREST AND SEA Central America is a land of both plant and animal diversity, a plant and animal corridor that in the

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1 CENTRAL AMERICA: MOUNTAINS, RAINFOREST AND SEA Central America is a land of both plant and animal diversity, a plant and animal corridor that in the past has allowed an interchange between North and South America. The mountains of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama form a backbone that is an extension of the mountain system of Western North America, outliers of the Andes of South America, and connected to the islands of the West Indies. The middle portion of Central America is an active zone of volcanoes and contains the Nicaragua Depression, which includes lakes Nicaragua and Managua. Tajumulco (13,846 ft/4,210 m high), a volcano in Guatemala, is the region's highest peak. Central America's climate varies with altitude from tropical rainforest and desert to alpine cloud forests. The eastern side of the region receives heavy rainfall from the Atlantic, and supports in pristine areas lush tropical rainforests. Plants of South American origin dominate the tropical lowlands of Central America, as did South American freshwater fish and invertebrates. 95% of Central American freshwater fish are South American in origin. The montane vegetation of the region is distinct from the lowland vegetation, and includes species with origins in temperate North America, including oaks (Quercus), Pines (Pinus) and alders (Alnus), as well as a some species with origins in temperate South America, including Weinmannia and Drimys. Large mammals include the white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari), Baird's tapir (Tapirus bairdii), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), Central American red brocket (Mazama temama), Yucatan brown brocket (Mazama pandora), giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), brown-throated sloth (Bradypus variegatus), jaguar (Panthera onca), cougar (Puma concolor), and ocelot (Leopardus pardalis). I have explored southern Mexico in Chiapas, Guatamala, Belize and Costa Rica over several decades, and enjoy the wonderful culture, traditions, and friendliness of the people. However this was almost forty years ago in the 1980 s. Governments, cartels and crime has overtaken much of the communities, but the people endure, and Central America has left me with many fond memories. There were times of great difficulty. I encountered locals doing cocaine on the bus in Belize City, driving along a highway with long poles placed along the edges to prevent private planes landing and doing drug shipments. And Belize City was dangerous back then, and Guatemala under great political tension. I traveled to Tikal, and encountered overnight at the border of Belize in an awful hotel with a communcal bathroom with a floor that had a hole in it, having to dodge the piles of excrement to get to it. And Guatemalan guards beating up a young woman at 2 AM, and I was warned not to try and rescue her. I saw Gods hand of protectionas well as I traveled by bus the next day to tikal. A rebel group stopped our bus, with about 10 guys with automatic rifles and one machine gun. Every body had to step outside while they lectured us in Spanish about their revolution. Thankfully they let us back on with robbing us. And the trip continued. It was an adventure during difficult times for Central America, but memorable.

2 MEXICO Above: Palenque Mayan ruins, southern Mexico Palenque, also anciently known as Lakamha, was a Maya city state in southern Mexico that flourished in the 7th century. The Palenque ruins date from ca. 226 BC to ca. AD 799. After its decline, it was absorbed into the jungle of cedar, mahogany, and sapodilla trees, but has since been excavated and restored. Tuxla Guiterrez, Rt San Cristobal de las Casas Chiapas, Mexico

3 Chiapa, temperate forest in the mountains of pine and oak Sumidero Canyon, Tropical dry forest, Chiapas Mexico

4 Tropical fig Chipas, Spider monkey, Lilac crowned parrot Acacia ants, owl butterfly, Grasshoppers, Military Macaw, Chiaps, Mexico Hummingbird female and youn, hummingbird nest, racoon, Helliconid flower

Its iconic ruins of temples and palaces include the giant, ceremonial Lost World (Mundo Perdido) Pyramid and

5 GUATEMALA Tikal Ruins, Guatemala Tikal is an ancient Mayan citadel in the rainforests of northern Guatemala. Possibly dating to the 1st century A.D., Tikal flourished between 200 and 850 A.D. and was later abandoned. Its iconic ruins of temples and palaces include the giant, ceremonial Lost World (Mundo Perdido) Pyramid and the Temple of the Grand Jaguar. At 70 meters, Temple IV is the tallest pre-columbian structure in the Americas.

6 Tikal Rainforest COSTA RICA Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica

7 Above: Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica

8 Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica Tortuguero National Park Atlantic Coast

9 Finca la Selva and Tortuguero National Park, Atlantic side of Costa Rica Green sea turtle, Basilek, Iguan all in Tortuguero National Park, Atlantic side of Costa Rica Monte Verde mountain cloud forest in Costa Rica

10 Monted Verde Cloud forest and waterfalls Cross banded tree frog, red-eyed tree frog, poison dart frog. Costa Rica has an amazing diversity of frogs, but the golden toad that I had photographed in 1985 has completely disappeared and become extinct from suspect fungus.

11 Glass frog, leaf frog, Monte Verde Cloud forest, below: leaf frog, glass frog, golden toad now extinct male, female Resplendent Quetzal, Monte Verde Cloud Forest.

12 Resplendent Quetzal, Collared trogan: Below: Quetzal nest, collared aracari, fiery-throated hummingbird Helmeted Guan, Great Curassow Tikal, Guatemala; Below: pale billed woodpecker, black-cheeked woodpecker

13 Saturniid moth Monte Verde, Costa Rica, clear wing butterfly Tent making bats, spider monkey Capuchin monkey, Jagarundi; Below: spider monkey, puma (captive, white lipped peccary or javelina

Central America from Cancun (Mexico) to Belize and Guatemala.

Central America from Cancun (Mexico) to Belize and Guatemala. Central America 18.01.11-17.02.11 from Cancun (Mexico) to Belize and Guatemala. Central America 5.01.12-21.03.12 from Cancun (Mexico) to Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Guatemala and Costa Rica. Dominique