# a herp experience



## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

there i was hiking along the rio sirena river on the osa pennisulsa. it was a sunny, humid day as usual. the river, only 20 feet across or so, was really not much more than a creek that i'd been accustomed to back in kentucky. i had been in the virgin rainforest for about three weeks by now. i was thoroughly acclimated by now to the point that the onslaught of buzzing insects no longer bothered me. i felt by then that i was no longer visiting this place, but rather a part of it.i was a member of this ecosystem. i sloshed through the water most of the time as it made traveling easier. what always struck me, among many things, that was different from home, was how very clear and pristine the water was. i could stand chest high in the river and still see my feet. it's not like this at home. and despite me kicking up the river bed with my feet, no clouds of sediment ever appeared. to me, this showed that the river was ancient, devoid of the typical sediments of my home rivers and creeks. no human has impacted this river before. no farming, no logging no habitation whatsoever. it is as it was since before man arrived on the scene. making my way through a valley, where the river ran swiftly. i was immersed in an ocean of green. many shades of green presented themselves but my mind was always unable to process it fully. it all was a blend of emerald and an occasional spark of brown from a tree limb. standing waist high in this now stream, colorful tropical fish nibbled at my legs. ouch! the more aggresive ones would tug at the hairs of my legs. i approached a sink hole in a bend of the river that compromised it's deepness by the deep green color of it's flow. just beyond it's bend, was a sandy bank awash in sunlight, which is precious here. i knew from experience that the divers would blast this place as i neared the deep bend in the river. the water was deep enough for them to not hurt themselves by launching into space. these were green iguanas. i had learnt not to let them suprised me with their kamakazee dives. sure enough, as i neared the green water, mighty bombs exploded around me. all you can ever see is the impact and hear the BOOOSH of their entry. they were just iguanas diving into the water to escape from their predators. more of a reflex that a concious act, it was highly effective in saving them from whatever...





should i finish this true story or is it junk?

let me know:smile:


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

it's rough so forgive the lack of paragraphs and poor punctuation:lol2:


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## Rainwater (Apr 18, 2007)

it isnt junk!!! carry on!!! the way you kicked up the riverbed and no clouds of sediment ever came up...ahh what a gorgeous picture.

It's great habu!!


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## Andy (Jul 27, 2005)

yeah crack on i wanna know what happened next!:grin1:


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## SuperTed (Apr 19, 2007)

i was just getting into that keep on going!!! :no1:


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## Miranda (Dec 25, 2006)

Go on keep going!!!!!
Im enjoying it!


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

...crept up on them. however, i never could quite understand why they did this with me walking by far below them. they were perfectly safe high up in the trees. it was a fascinating behavior to experience despite the occasional annoyance of them catching me off guard from time to time. even to this day, far away from the tropics and the kingdom of the iguana, while slogging through local creeks, as i enjoy doing whenever possible,i still sometimes catch myself on guard for a diving iguana under the right circumstances. it's silly and sometimes i quietly chuckle to myself when i fall into this old habit. about a week prior to this day, purposely brought along my snorkle mask in order to attempt to locate one of these beasts hiding beneath the water. it didn't take long that day for me to have that opportunity. scanning the trees above the river bank in a spot where i had been dive bombed before, a particularly large splash ocurred and i was just able to make out the blur of the lizard as he entered the water. i dove in immediately and laid on the river bottom. it's a whole different world down there. a light greenish hue enveloped everything. sparkiling patterns of light danced across the peddle strewn river bottom from the water ripples on the surface above. knarled logs and branches clumped together in spots providing shelter for some of the inhabitants of this place. otherwise there were mostly open expanses of warm-green crystal water. clouds of tiny tropical fish swam about in unison, changing course on a dime. of perfect timing and grace were their movements, as if they were one organism. silvery sides glinted in the sunlight that streamed down.


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## shiva&kaa123 (Jul 20, 2007)

Are you an author? If not, maybe something you should consider!
Ben


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

i diverted my attention back to the task at hand. surveying the underwater horizon carefully, i trained my mind to lock on to what i expected to see. where is he? i said to myself. he has to be right here! did he walk away... underwater? i slowly clammered along the river bottom, using my hands much as a turtle would do. side to side, i carefully scanned. then suddenly, almost startling me, there he was, as if he had just magically appeared. one moment he wasn't there, then, bam! there he was!. he just lay there. his feet gripping the rocky bottom. he looked eerily ghost like. stoic. as if frozen in place from an ancient time. as if he had been sitting there for millions of years, waiting. motionless, waiting for something unknowable to wrest him from his slumber. to me he no longer looked like an iguana. his familiarity had left and what lay before me was something else entirely. my sensibilities told me he was an iguana but my mind processed his image as some primorial entity. shaking myself back to reality. i aggressively reached out and grabbed him about his shoulders and......


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

he didn't move. i stood up in the waist deep water clutching my prey. i grasped his thick, rough tail by it's base and repositioned my other hand beneath his chest in a classic manner. he remained lifeless as though he was still in that place far away. that place that no one can go to without sailing across oceans of time. i stared intently into his reptilian eye. his pupil, fixed, leaving me with the unnerving feeling that he possesed a wisdom far beyond this world or this time. he was quite large, maybe five foot from his snout to the end of his long whip-like tail. definately a bull iguana. he was powerfully built, even more so than the captive ones i have handled many times in the past. one could see that he's live a active, robust life here in the rainforest. the base of his tail was thick and powerful. his arms and legs swollen with muscle. his dewlap was as large and impressive as any i have seen.his color was a pinkish-tan and caused me to think how inapproprate the name GREEN iguana was for him......


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

oh well, i'm done goofing around.


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## aj2307 (Apr 14, 2007)

hey hey hey,your not done. this is exactly what i was asking you for the other night.MORE!...please?


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

:lol2::lol2: i'll putter around tomorrow!! i'm kinda braindead tonight.


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## SuperTed (Apr 19, 2007)

i vote more!!!! dude write an auto-biography your life sounds interesting!!! :no1:


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

this is easy to write cause it's true. corcovado park.


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## SuperTed (Apr 19, 2007)

come on youve got me in the mood for reading infact im going to go buy a book tomorrow!! :grin1: havnt read one since i read.. a child called it!


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

:lol2::lol2:


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## jamie_coxon (Jul 18, 2007)

not fair, spent half hour reading that, i want more :lol2:


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## darkdan99 (Dec 28, 2006)

jamie_coxon said:


> not fair, spent half hour reading that, i want more :lol2:


if you read that slow you need to go school dont deserve anymore LOL (oj)


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## jamie_coxon (Jul 18, 2007)

darkdan99 said:


> if you read that slow you need to go school dont deserve anymore LOL (oj)


 
:lol2: not my reading, stupid pc to slow


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## darkdan99 (Dec 28, 2006)

lol fair play


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## SuperTed (Apr 19, 2007)

bad excuse :Na_Na_Na_Na:


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## jamie_coxon (Jul 18, 2007)

SuperTed said:


> bad excuse :Na_Na_Na_Na:


:lol2: its no excuse


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## SuperTed (Apr 19, 2007)

Whats the name of the book of the 3 about a child called it? Was it the father who wrote it?


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## aj2307 (Apr 14, 2007)

no it wasnt that,i dont think,one sec ill tell you


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## aj2307 (Apr 14, 2007)

A man named Dave...?


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## SuperTed (Apr 19, 2007)

I wrote it wrong sorry i know david pelzer wrote the first about him then his brother richard wrote a book but theres a 3rd and i cant remember who wrote it


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## aj2307 (Apr 14, 2007)

ok,in that case im not sure,although "a fathers tale" is in my head,but i doubt thats the one


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

i need an editor!:lol2:


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

i'm too detailed to write well. i get caught up in being descriptive.


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## aj2307 (Apr 14, 2007)

the description is what makes us like your stories,we dont want to hear _"i was walking through a forest and i saw a snake...coool"_ we want to hear about every damn scale.


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

don't encourage me. you might get a roughly written epic!:lol2:


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## aj2307 (Apr 14, 2007)

and will appreciate it lol


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

ok. i'll write the rest later today. hint: involves a boa constrictor......


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

HABU said:


> he didn't move. i stood up in the waist deep water clutching my prey. i grasped his thick, rough tail by it's base and repositioned my other hand beneath his chest in a classic manner. he remained lifeless as though he was still in that place far away. that place that no one can go to without sailing across oceans of time. i stared intently into his reptilian eye. his pupil, fixed, leaving me with the unnerving feeling that he possesed a wisdom far beyond this world or this time. he was quite large, maybe five foot from his snout to the end of his long whip-like tail. definately a bull iguana. he was powerfully built, even more so than the captive ones i have handled many times in the past. one could see that he's live a active, robust life here in the rainforest. the base of his tail was thick and powerful. his arms and legs swollen with muscle. his dewlap was as large and impressive as any i have seen.his color was a pinkish-tan and caused me to think how inapproprate the name GREEN iguana was for him......


 
i studied him for a while and laid him gently on a log that ran across the pool. he didn't try to flee but rather sat and seemed to take in the situation as it was. i casually moved away from him continuing on my journey for that day. i kept an eye on him to gauge his reaction to my slow withdrawl.




....should i finish it?


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

i continued downstream, clapping my hands as i swang my arms around. i was celebrating the experience i just had unconciously i guess. it was a brilliant day. a good day to be alive. i thought back to all those mundane days i had had over the years and all those demanding days where i have to serve a master just to make a few quid to get by. this day, however was mine and i was the master of all i surveyed, using a famous quote that seemed appropriate at the time. as i walked, i couldn't get over the feeling that i was in a bowl of sorts.


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

trees surrounded me. the streambed where i walked was but a gash in the mantle of this rainforest. direct sunlight was at a premium here. photons made up the currency of this place. it didn't seem alien or forboding to me but rather inviting and welcoming. as if my very being was meant to be here. unrealised stresses seems to become apparent as they melted away. i felt that i really belonged her for so many reasons. the comfort level was where i wanted it to be. i could find food whereever i looked. you could sleep all night without needing a blanket. i felt in my element.


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## weelad (Jul 25, 2006)

man this makes me wanna run away catch a flight to america and just camp out for the rest of my life lol


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

meet you in florida!!:cheers:


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## weelad (Jul 25, 2006)

HABU said:


> meet you in florida!!:cheers:


deal!..."wonders how much a plane ticket costs :mrgreen:"


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

i came to a swallow stretch of the river. a wide gravel bed lay before me. the whitewater foamed and settled into the eddies along the shore. this river or stream, however you want to call it widened and was only ankle deep for a good two clicks. i noticed that i was walking uphill during this time knowing that something dramatic lay before me somewhere. i looked down at my feet as i walked and enjoyed the myriad tropical fish that swam in the swift current barely an inch deep at times. they darted to and fro, oblivious to the swift current. the small clouds of sediment that i kicked up with my steps seemed to attract them. i suppose that food items were left exposed by my wake.


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

i came to a slight rise in the streambed. as i strode to to top, i could see a huge expanse of water. it was a immense lake and i had simply been hiking it's drainage. it was vast. birds of many kinds flew out in flocks, spooked by my sudden appearence. scarlet macaws and ibises, spoon bills and so many others flew in formation around the lake. this lake had no name as far as i knew. a low spot was there on the map but not a full blown lake! i thought for a moment and realised that this was just after the rainy season and this lake, more than likely, was just temporary.


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## weelad (Jul 25, 2006)

is this all a true story??


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

costa rica....sirena station...corcovado park.....osa penninsula...yep! i am going back unless i decide on guyana...i'm getting my stuff together.


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## weelad (Jul 25, 2006)

your a lucky lucky man


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

the lake's surface was like a green glass. small ripples occured when the big dragonflies would dip down into it from time to time. a cross section of the rainforest exposed itself along the edges of the lake like a textbook rendering of what a rainforest should look like. as i gazed more dicerningly, i could easily make out several turtles swimming happily along in the middle parts of the lake. to my right, about 50 yards away, was a naked, muddy shoreline where i noticed a couple more turtles sunning themselves.


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

weelad said:


> your a lucky lucky man


 
no, i just went there. no luck to it.


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## weelad (Jul 25, 2006)

HABU said:


> no, i just went there. no luck to it.



:naughty: still lucky to be able to go their


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

you are banned from going there? are you in prison?


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## weelad (Jul 25, 2006)

no.... im poor lol


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

i decided to rest a bit and soak up the sights that lay before me. i had no real plan as to what i was really going to do at this point. i was just exploring things and looking for the critter's i knew were here. occasionally i would see a fish break the surface of the lake, grabbing a bug that landed on the water's surface. i wished i had a fishing pole and a can of worms like i always had back in kentucky. i kept having to remind myself that i wasn't in kentucky anymore. i mean this WAS the jungle, the virgin rainforest. there were jaguars, squirrel monkeys, scarlet macaws about. you really never knew what you would run across. i could just sit here in this place for a day and probibly see more than most would see in a lifetime as far as animals are concerned. just sitting still for a while brings all the creatures out. anole lizards soon reappeared on the low bushes.


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

weelad said:


> no.... im poor lol


 
hey, 1,000 quid will take you to a place like that for a couple weeks. airfare is cheap as long as you arn't picky. some camping gear and food is cheap in those places. it's do able


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## SuperTed (Apr 19, 2007)

your a legend habu!!


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

should i finish the story? or does my writing suck?:beer8: i always thought i could write a little but sucked at english and paragraphs. i need some real criticism


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## weelad (Jul 25, 2006)

more more :notworthy:


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## SuperTed (Apr 19, 2007)

no really your good! i like the way you describe things in detail! i definatly want to see more! :cheers:


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

who will put it together? we can have a rfuk short story!!:icon_redface:


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

i decided to take a swim, but first i had to make sure that if there were any crocodiles like lived around my camp, that they were well off and couldn't sneak up on me. i looked for the sunny, sandy banks that drew them...there was a good spot they'd like i'm sure just to the left side of the lake pretty far off.


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## SuperTed (Apr 19, 2007)

i am putting it together for you lol keep it coming!


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## mEOw (Dec 28, 2006)

hehe... Really getting sucked in by this  cant wait for the rest of it!


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

are you guys really liking my story or just pulling my chain??...i'll get another beer if i have to!!!


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## mEOw (Dec 28, 2006)

nah seriously habu, its great!


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## SuperTed (Apr 19, 2007)

no its great go grab a beer :cheers:


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

yep! damn! the crocs were here too!...i saw out in the distance a wake, subtle but yet there. it was a croc. an american saltwater. it was headed towards me generally speaking, but they are so deceptive this way. they always moved lazily and casually. i decided to confirm it by sliding down to the water's edge. i wanted to see just how many were there and how interested they were in me. i cupped my hand and splashed the water's surfaced reapetedly and swished the water about. i knew from experience that this would draw them in. suddenly!.....


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## mEOw (Dec 28, 2006)

suddenly?!?! NOOOOO!!!! i wanna know what happens next


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

from just to my left, a big splash and a muddy trail shot from the bank not 20 feet from me!. it was another croc that i hadn't even noticed!. it had been queitly laying on the same bank as i was on. it was hidden by the green brush. i could have stepped on it if i had went exploring recklessly. it slide smoothly into the green abyss as they always do. i, at that point, wished i had a spotter. back at camp, it was safer for someone to yell and tell you where the croc was going or if a bull shark was spotted. here i was left to my own devices.


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

i found a proper stick about 6 feet long and broke off all the limbs and leaves. this was going to be my flushing out stick. i used to use them back in the mojave desert to smack the creasote bushes to see if any rattlers were there. it worked here just the same. the tropical grass and brush was kneee high at bet so visibility was poor. here in central america, just a couple miles from panama, anything could be lurking. a fer-de-lance i thought, would love this place.


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

i gingerly walked along the shoreline, keeping one eye on the crocs that seemed to be congregating...it looked like 4 or 5 big ones were hanging about by now. the biggest looked to be about 12 feet or there abouts..it's really hard to say. but i knew all of them were big enough to think of you as food. all they want is for me to get careless near the waterline where they can grab me and just hold on till i drown. boy! i thought, this would be a really bad place for some folks that didn't know how things are.


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

i noticed just then, at the corner of the lake just to my left, was a patch of lilly pads and aquatic plants. an oasis, separate from the rest of the lake.


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

anyone still there??.......:icon_redface:


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## mEOw (Dec 28, 2006)

im still here mate!


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## SuperTed (Apr 19, 2007)

im still listening! :cheers:


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## mEOw (Dec 28, 2006)

im reading and watchign steve irwin poke deadly snakes with a stick :/


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## SuperTed (Apr 19, 2007)

but steve irwins dea...... :mrgreen:


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

i really think i could write a book if i had someone to smooth out the rough edges


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

is my writing style silly?


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

i'm cranking bush on you tube as i write it helps!! glycerine!!:cheers:


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## SuperTed (Apr 19, 2007)

you should!! i would if i was any good at writing them! :lol2: not to bad at the punctuation when i want to but writing stuff down jeeze i suck at it!


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## mEOw (Dec 28, 2006)

SuperTed said:


> but steve irwins dea...... :mrgreen:


i know.. it still amazes me how he lasted so long..lol.



HABU said:


> is my writing style silly?


not atall mate.. it really drags you in!



HABU said:


> i'm cranking bush on you tube as i write it helps!! glycerine!!:cheers:


good choice :2thumb:


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## SuperTed (Apr 19, 2007)

dont look at blacklight :lol2: my eyes are hurting!!!


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

i noticed, just barley an object just barely poking above the surface. at first, i thought it was a turtle of some sort then maybe an anaconda!, aw, but wait, anacondas aren't from here. i did look like a snout of some kind....i'l make my way over there. the brush got a little bit higher and i stopped for a moment to play with the sensitive plants, i called them. i had read about these as a kid and they are all over the place here, much to my delight.


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## mEOw (Dec 28, 2006)

SuperTed said:


> dont look at blacklight :lol2: my eyes are hurting!!!


yeh... the same can be said about any UV tubes.. dont look at them! they burn!


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## SuperTed (Apr 19, 2007)

no but really black uv hurts!! :| i was having fun with my emp but them started to shine it around the room to find stuff that they eye cant see! lol!


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

they have compound leaves and when you touched them, they would close up. it was always a neat thing to me. i liked a plant that could move and reacted to you. i never could bring myself to crushing them. i always was careful to not to bother them. whoa!! just then, a little brown baskilisk darted from the shore and ran across the water as the so often do. you rarely see them unless they are doing this. jesus lizards, yep, they can run across water just fine!. i've seen them go 50 feet or more before they hit land of sunk. how people keep such a spastic lizard always confounded me. anyway, i finally made it to the lilly pad patch. i silently scolded myself for not being careful about snake...it's so easy to let your guard down here..


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## mEOw (Dec 28, 2006)

yep.. i know dude..lol.. i have sensitive eyes aswell, cant even go into clubs with blacklight...


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

SuperTed said:


> no but really black uv hurts!! :| i was having fun with my emp but them started to shine it around the room to find stuff that they eye cant see! lol!


 i'm doing rage against the machine now....


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## SuperTed (Apr 19, 2007)

well ive got up to hear all put together il carry on with whatever else you add to it tomorrow but for now im jumping into bed! i might go on the laptop for a while first though speak soon!!


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

hasta manana!!!


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

well, i was on a roll there i thought...i guess we may need a creative writing thread...herp style!!! that would be fun.


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

should i keep writing?...it is fun for me.. but you guys might not like it....


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## rob-stl-07 (Jun 3, 2007)

wow, you really should write a book about reptile stories


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

rob-stl-07 said:


> wow, you really should write a book about reptile stories


yeah, right. i do like writing even if i suck. it's just talking out loud.... thanks for the complement....


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

should i still do this?...i'm bored!


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

HABU said:


> i'm too detailed to write well. i get caught up in being descriptive.


 
i do enjoy writing though...even if i suck at it....you get to express yourself...like painting....but that's a whole different can of worms....:lol2::lol2:


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## blink (Sep 3, 2007)

I just found this thread and I have to say you have a real talent. Are you just typing off the top of your head? If so, WOW! 
The only things I would change are really anal things like slight repititions of some words. Other than that I think your style of writing is great. It is just the right balance between descriptiveness (if that's a word) and action. It really sets the scene to be able to imagine it but not so much that it gets tedious. Hope you don't mind me giving my opinion.
Write some more!


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

blink said:


> I just found this thread and I have to say you have a real talent. Are you just typing off the top of your head? If so, WOW!
> The only things I would change are really anal things like slight repititions of some words. Other than that I think your style of writing is great. It is just the right balance between descriptiveness (if that's a word) and action. It really sets the scene to be able to imagine it but not so much that it gets tedious. Hope you don't mind me giving my opinion.
> Write some more!


 
i should try to write properly a story if nothing but for mental exercise...yeah, i was just typing from my head in between posts trying to translate experience into what others could understand, i knew it would be laden with flaws but my english teacher in high school always told me to just "vomit words onto paper and then sort it out later. he told me to always take advantage of a roll of though and to not be too careful with editing as you go.....i just wish that i was better at english......any college kid could out write me but i think that i do well for a hick that wasn't into english. like painting, it's a good way of expressing yourself...i've always wanted to say something all of my life and just being verbal doesn't get it done........with a pic, painting, writing or some other things...you get someone's undivided attention..... around here, wherei live i can't finish a sentence.......idiots around me...i tell them that you have one mouth and two ears for a reason...you should listen twice as much as you speak...around here, if i just listen to people, they ask what is wrong?....i tell them: i am just listening to you....they expect you to cut them of...with writing, you can get people to "see" in their minds what you are saying which is so cool to me...they can go where i did and i can take them...something rewarding to me with that...


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

dead thread....vaya condios me amigo! lo siento mucho...


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

man! i do feel like trying to write...i get creative urges...butn i suck at english


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## blink (Sep 3, 2007)

You should write! What you wrote was really great, especially as it was off the top of your head. I agree you should just get it out whilst you are on a roll, easy to go back and tweak it later.
I could see you writing a book of short stories. I would buy it.
More please.................:notworthy:


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

herp stories aren't very popular in britain it appears..... give me a premise and i could write it i believe....



oh well....:whistling2:


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