The World's Smallest Flower

Wednesday, we went to the other side of the Continental divide to the town of Cartago.  There is the Basilica de los Angeles.  It is the home of the patron saint of Costa Rica, Maria de los Angeles o La Negrita.  She is represented by a small dark (hence la Negrita) stone carved in the shaped of the virgin.  The short version of the story is she is the reason the natives in Costa Rica converted to Catholicism.  On August 6, people walk from all over the country and even other countries, then walk on their knees up to the alter to ask for healing for themselves or others.  They then bring back charms of what has been healed.  There were also trophies and medals from when people asked to win various things.  They then brought the award back to la Negrita.

La Basilica de Los Angeles

La Negrita (The actual one the girl was supposed to have found.)

Some charms people have brought back representing the body parts that were healed.

After the Basilica we went to the Lankaster Gardens.  Lankaster was an Englishman who was fascinated by the plant life in Costa Rica, particularly the orchids, so he started collecting plants from all over Costa Rica and started these beautiful gardens.  Costa Rica has hundreds of varieties of orchids.  Most of them all really small, including the worlds' smallest flower.  We saw it... I guess... there wasn't much to see. When he died he left it to the National University.  There is also a Japanese garden there too.

Jenee with a giant leaf.

Lady Slippers

Not the world's smallest... but still a really small orchid.

Carpenter ants

This flower attracts flies.  It apparently smells like rotting flesh.  We got a whiff of it, but no one bent down and got a good smell.  The flies get stuck and the flower closes and digests the flies.  (See the closed flowers in the background.)  It is apparently not a flytrap though.

A chameleon

Ginger, I think.

More pretty flowers.

Wednesday was also Mark's last night with us.  Several of us went out after class with him.  (Not that we don't go out after class every other day... but this was special because I took a couple of pictures.)  At home, several people came over for dinner to say good bye to Mark too.

Mark and Sarah.  Mark left on Thursday and Sarah is leaving us on Saturday.  Que triste!