Ruth Marie introduces the participants:

Mary and Jack Dodge, Port St. Lucie, Florida : I met Mary on the internet before traveling to Peru in ‘98.  She has a wonderful web site  (http://jackmaryetc.com) which I found while searching for travel info.  We became friends and she and Jack decided to join us on the first trip to Costa Rica and suggested CRE and Charlie.  We had so much fun together that they came back for more! Both have the knack to be easygoing and humorous. 

Irene Pask, Scunthorpe, South Humberside, England: Irene has been our friend since 1984 when we met her and her late husband, Bernard, on safari in Kenya.  We traveled with her and Bern again in ‘84 to Egypt, and they came to Colorado in ‘86 and ’89 to visit us in our home.  She, Jim and I did a five week trip on our own in South Africa in November 1999.  Then she decided to do the first Costa Rica trip with us.   It’s great to have Irene join us again for this second trip. 

Arnold Wilson,  Scunthorpe, South Humberside, England: Arnold is a friend of Irene’s and we met him for the first time on the Costa Rica 2001 trip.  He was new to birdwatching then, but quickly became a reliable spotter and all around good sport.  We were so pleased to have him joining us again. 

Gloria and Dick Harding, Dorchester, Dorset, England: The Hardings also became our friends on the 1984 safari in Kenya.  Fifteen years later they visited us in Colorado.  Subsequently they decided it was time to see Costa Rica and made plans to do it with our group, since extenuating circumstances kept them from joining the 2001 trip. 

Ruth Marie and Jimmy Lyons – that’s my husband and me - Boulder, Colorado