One problem with doing surveys on native species is that it gets you quite frustrated when you haven't a clue what you're looking at. Doing the zoo's surveys has been quite a steep learning curve especially with the wild flowers- you think you have it, look it up just to double check and feel very smug for being so clever. You then find there is a Common one, a German one, a Smooth one, a Hairy one and you spend the next 3 hours trying to work out what you have f...

Not sure if it's been on UK news (I doubt it if there has something more important like a cat stuck up a tree or Prince George is sporting another gruesome pair of 1950's knickerbockers ), but the nutty Venezuelan dictator is causing a spot of bother. He has decided that everything wrong with Venezuela is down to the Colombians that live there and they have started to raze their houses and dump them over the border in Colombia. One family who had lived in Venezue...

You may have noticed that my photos have suddenly got a bit better. This is because Jeff here is a photographer so every plaza, coffee plantation, strange person and mountain sees us all crawling about on the floor to take a photo. As Lisa says, as soon as you see Jeff taking a picture you need to see what he's doing, so this finds him peacefully doing his thing one minute and being rushed by us like a bunch of Japanese tourists the next. We were a bit late set...

Just a quick update on my thermal pool experience - lovely setting for a POND. I nearly broke my neck getting in as it was so slimy but once I'd got all the underwater beetles and pond skaters out of my hair I decided to brave it and do some swimming. Unfortunately at that moment 3 people turned up so I tried to look casual and chatted to them rather than flounder about like a drowning person. I did eventually manage 3 lengths bar the stopping to clear a pathway ...

The hotel we are staying in is very strange- it looks gorgeous outside with bougainvillea dripping from balconies, a thermal spring to swim in and a 450 year history. Get inside and Ghost Hunters would have a field day. I have a four poster bed which I can't get onto unless I take a 6 foot running jump from the door. There is also a very creepy looking crib which is good for hanging clothes on but too spooky for my liking. It is exactly like the crib in the coach...