On Tuesday, March 11, 2003, at 04:27 PM, Moose wrote:
I spent 3 weeks in Costa Rica in the rainy season with an OM-1 and an
OM-2n, including lots of days in cloud forest and costal rain forest.
I took lots of silica gel packets pre-dried and sealed in double
zip-lock bags. I kept a packet in a separate zip-lock with each body
and lens whenever not using them and changed the gel packets
frequently when equipment was used. Many of the packets I had weren't
the kind that turns blue when used up, so I had to guess when to
change them. I never had any kind of damp related symptoms, including
fungus, nor have they showed up since. An ounce of prevention.....
There are certainly fancier solutions, but my simple one worked
perfectly for me.
I think that the inside of those plastic bags was the only place close
to dry up in the Rara Avis research station. Even fresh sheets were
damp, and clothes never really dried. I saw a Nik*n electronic camera
sort of self destruct, all the motors whirring out of control out in
the rain forest. I guess it got wet enough inside to short out.
Amazing place.
The weather in the central plateau areas, like the capital, san Jose,
isn't all that humid when it isn't raining, but the rain forests, high
and low, are really damp. If you like plants and flowers, check out
the Lankester Gardens, an extensive and excellent horticultral garden
in a town not far from San Jose. We took public buses there before we
rented a car for some further travels. It was just amazing to be in
such a huge, varied and wonderful place which was virtually deserted.
My only regret was not allowing more time there. We stayed at a
wilderness camp on the South Coast where the only roads were a
footpath and the ocean, in the Rara Avis station in cloud forest (up
what should be the worst road in the world; took a 4wd tractor to get
up), at Tortuguera on the Atlantic barrier island (cool turtle
nesting), on a west coast beach, visited Arenal Volcano and a
butterfly farm, went white water rafting (warm water!!) and some other
stuff. Amongst all that I would say Lankester Gardens is still worth a
visit and the only place really worth visiting that we hadn't heard
about before we got there.
Moose
I am on a tour and it seems to be going to some of the same places
including Lankester Gardens. I am really pumped for it. We will miss
the turtles. Wrong time of year.
I appreciate your camera tips.
Winsor Crosby
Long Beach, California, USA
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