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. Sergio, Gerardo and I enjoyed the tour and exploration of natural history there. As you may have guessed, social insects hold a special interest for me. We found two nests of an interesting wasp, both about three feet above the ground. In one, leaves were very much a part of the structure. The inhabitants of the other were currently adding another layer of cells-the outer wall being built at the same time—apparently using the finger-like projections as a scaffold on which to build the new protective layer.

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. I also discovered the familiar tube of a stingless bee colony emerging from the base of a large tree. This tube was about four times the diameter of others that I had seen though the bees weren’t much larger. They were very different in behavior than the two managed species I have seen.
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Before I could even take two photos, there were dozens in my hair and eyebrows, chewing away at the skin below. Though they have no sting, they are not to be messed with as they stayed with me until I was a good hundred feet from their nest.
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Other interesting things we encountered included a huge mushroom, a Nasutitermes nest, and a group of newly hatched spiders.

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Sunday was a workday as there were lots of souvenirs to deliver on Monday. I manipulated images while Sergio and Eduardo did their thing. In the afternoon we headed back to San Ramon to meet up with Viviana. To express my appreciation for their warm friendship and hospitality, I took them out for scrumptious seafood dinner. Early the next morning, we said had our final farewell hugs, exchanged addresses and talked about when I might return. Hopefully, it won’t be too long since this group of people almost feels like family now.
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