Last week, my husband and I traveled to Costa Rica for an amazing week of adventures. Generally speaking, I have a fear of snakes that goes back to my childhood living near a creek in Mississippi. Through the years living near the Bayou Teche, I’ve come to appreciate that there are good snakes and bad snakes. That is to say, venomous and nonvenomous, as my naturalist friend corrects me.
While in Costa Rica, we took a fearful walk through the rainforest. It was frightening on many levels, the highest one being that we walked over numerous hanging bridges while rain poured down and thunder rolled in the distance. I did not feel safe. I took it slowly while our guide did not. She rushed us along, thus leaving me and a few other slowpokes behind.
At one point in our rainforest trek, the guide stopped us all to point out a small yellow flower. Yet it was not an exotic flower; it was a venomous snake known as the eyelash viper. I had hoped to see a poison dart frog, but this snake was not on my “want to see” list. I did not take the picture. I stood at a safe distance. The guide took the photo with someone’s iphone and we later airdropped it to everyone.
A Google fact search turned up this frightening fact: “Since they can be bold shades of green and yellow, they’ve accidentally been transported to other countries with exported bananas.” Yikes! Can you imagine finding this in your bananas?
Now I am home and on my morning walk, I nearly stepped on this little guy.
This small striped ribbon snake is more my speed when it comes to accepting that there are snakes in this world. He’s actually kinda cute, don’t you think? And totally harmless.
Reflections on the Teche 
Yikes! That’s one creepy looking rainforest snake! And yes, one darling ribbon on the pavement snake.
Totally harmless but I’d still give it a wide berth. I am with you on snakes and I grew up in Canada. There is just something too creepy about them.
What an interesting trek through the rain forest. The snake would not have bothered me as much as those wet hanging bridges during a rainstorm! One slip…and zing-down you go! I missed an opportunity to go to Costa Rica this past March. Do you highly recommend the trip?
I absolutely recommend the trip. There is so much to see and do. We loved it! We used Costsaver which is a branch of Trafalgar. Our guide was so knowledgable and helpful. Highly recommend!
What an adventure! I’m going to review our bananas carefully. Hope to see and hear more about your trip, that’s a place I’d love to visit, thanks Margaret. BTW I sent you the Art via Dropbox, any problems let me know.
I reassure myself frequently by reminding myself that there are no poisonous snakes in Maine. (If anyone thinks differently, DO NOT tell me!) I love hearing about your adventurous walk and you described it so well. I’d definitely have been hanging back with you and the slowpokes. I’m trying to befriend a garter snake that’s been hanging out around here. I consider that a major step forward!!
I really don’t like snakes…but living where I do I’ve had to make peace with the fact that they were here first. That eyelash viper is so harmless LOOKING. But, yikes!
I, for one, am jealous that you got to Costa Rica! How wonderful! The snake would not thrill me either. I’d be looking for flora more than fauna and maybe some exotic butterflies to learn more about. Of course, we have snakes in Wisconsin, too. A non-venomous garter snake surprised me in my garden during our first week at the cabin! I look for him/her each time I’m on that side of the house! Yikes!
I do not like snakes and I DO NOT like hanging bridges! I wonder if I could set aside the fears for the beauty and the adventures… not sure Glad you shared it with us!
Yikes! But what a cool adventure!!!!
I also wrote about crossing the path of animals on Tuesday. And a friend shared a link to the SPirit Animal page. Here’s the Snake page: https://www.spiritanimal.info/snake-spirit-animal/
Perhaps the snake is your current spirit animal!
Sally, That’s an interesting idea that I had not thought of. Spirit animal, what are you telling me? The snake represents healing and transitions and energy. Maybe it is trying to tell me something.
Margaret, wow. Great snake stories. You have developed a healthy fear of snakes after lots of stories and/or encounters. I don’t have much experience with snakes, but now I live in a place where I’m likely to encounter harmless and venomous varieties. (I haven’t yet.) That was a very frightening thought to imagine that snake going in transport with bananas, or being mistaken as a tropical flower. Yikes! Glad you had a nice anniversary trip.