In January 2013, my wife Betsy and I had the unique experience of a train ride in Costa Rica, a ride that Betsy referred to as "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride". At one time a railroad ran from San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica, to Puerto Limon, a deep water port on the Caribbean Sea. The train had passenger runs but more importantly it hauled bananas from Costa Rica's lush banana plantations to the port for export to other countries. Trucks now do that and most of the railroad is long gone but one section near Puerto Limon remains as a passenger run operated by TAM Travel Corporation. The train runs through banana plantations, along the sea coast, through part of the Tortuguero National Park and over one of the many canals in the park, and through lush jungles replete with howler monkeys and a fascinating array of birds and wildlife. We were on a boat ride on one of the canals, heard a train somewhere in the distance, and looked up to see a train moving at high speed over a rikety looking trestle which crossed the canal. When the boat ride was done, we took a bus to ride that very train. It was a wild and wooly high speed experience on a deteriorating road bed with the train rocking, sometimes rather violently. The photos below show some of what we saw on that trip including some wildlife. Some of the wildlife photos were taken by Barbara Ambrose who was travelling with us.

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Image	Description
	The engine of the banana train on the canal trestle. Notice the minimal support structure of the trestle.
	The passenger cars on the banana train. Notice how thick the jungle is in front of the train.
	A so-called Jesus Christ lizard along the canal. It has that name because it can walk on water.
	A white heron watching the water for a meal.
	A family of howler monkeys in the trees by the canal and train track.
	A large iguana lizard in a tree beside the canal.
	Transferring from the bus to the banana train.
	Interior of one of the passenger coaches.
	Looking out of one passenger car to the next car forward. Note the open paneled door of the car. It is a wooden door apparently salvaged from a house somewhere
	Passing a banana plantation. The blue plastic bags protect the bananas from birds and insects.
	The Tortuguero canal as seen from the rickety trestle that the train has crossed earlier.
	The train passes along the coast of the Caribbean sea. The proximity of a large ship to the shore illustrates the water's depth.
	Back in the jungle and approacting Puerto Limon.
	End of the line. Buses approach to transfer the train passengers back to our ship at the port.
	The antique diesel engine of the banana train.
	The ship awaits for the trip back to the United States.