Snake, snakes, snakes! So I've been here almost five full weeks in Costa Rica and the first four I didn't see any snakes. Well that all changed three nights ago. To get to my hotel room I have to walk down a concrete path surrounded by bushes. The path is lit with lights but for some reason after about 9pm, the hotel turns the lights off. Sometimes I don't get back to the hotel from location until 11 at night and the path is completely dark. It's so dark in fact that I literally can't see my feet on the ground as I walk.  A week ago I walked the path for the first time in complete darkness and was thinking the entire time that I might step on something... like a snake. But after making it down the path and to my room without incident, I told myself I was probably letting my fears get the best of me. Well how wrong I was.

Three nights ago I arrived back at the hotel late around 11pm. I wasn't surprised to see that the path was pitch black. The lights had been turned off once again. This time however I came prepared. Since my last "walk of death" down the dark path, I had secured a flashlight. There was a part of me that thought I was being overly cautious. I thought well... it's a hotel, there's a lot of people around (except at night), there can't possibly be snakes on the path that I walk down to go to my room.

Well I turned the flashlight on and started down the path carrying my backpack and rolling bag. I got about five steps and focused the flashlight about 10 feet in front of me. And to my horror I saw a six-foot long, dark-and-white-banded snake, slowly sliding across the middle of the path! It wasn't large in diameter, perhaps an inch or so around. I was stunned and stood completely still watching it. For a moment, I thought maybe I was hallucinating. I have always had a very strong fear of snakes, poisonous or otherwise. So as I stood there watching it I thought back to the previous week when I had walked the path in complete darkness. Thinking about my previous walk in the dark only increased my fear as I stood there contemplating what to do.

After about 45 seconds the snake made its way across the path and into nearby grass. Despite this, I was still deciding what to do, not that I had much choice. After another minute or so of standing there watching to see if any other snakes were present, I quickly ran down the path. I was really freaked out and the adrenaline was rushing through me. I made it to my hotel room door and couldn't believe what I had just seen.

So two days later I came home at a similar time and found the path to my room dark again. I flipped on my flashlight and started down the path. In my mind I was thinking there couldn't possibly be another snake on the path. Lying perfectly still in the center of the path was a black-and-red-striped snake! I first thought it was a stick but I examined it closer and realized it was a small (probably around two feet) thin Coral snake. Coral snakes are some of the most deadly snakes here in Costa Rica too. So here I was again just trying to get back to my room and confronted with a snake. I wiggled the flashlight around to wake the snake up and after about thirty seconds it swiftly slid into the bushes. I was more scared than ever. What would be next? Snakes attacking me from the bushes?! I once again ran back to my room. Once inside my room, my mind was racing with all kinds of deadly scenarios for the nights to come.

I got up at 5:30 in the morning to go bird watching (aka "birding"). I wasn't thrilled about the prospect of getting up so early but I thought it would be a good experience since Costa Rica is one of the best places to see many different species of birds. The hotel that we're staying at in Sarapiquis is right next to an ecological preserve which offers different types of guided tours (i.e., night walk through jungle, bat tour ,etc...).

We spent the first hour or so walking around the property with a guide who pointed out various types of Costa Rican birds. He had an amazing ability to spot a bird quickly and bring into focus using a telescope. It really makes you appreciate "birding" when you can study a bird up close. I used to think this was an activity reserved for retirees but I could actually see myself birding in the near future. It's a tranquil activity that brings you closer to nature.

We also had a chance to cross the second longest suspension bridge in Central America. It's suspended over the Sarapiquis river and connects our hotel property with the jungle rain forest. The bridge reminded me of something out of "Raiders of The Lost Ark." I was a bit nervous crossing since as you walk you see the river and ground beneath you, hundreds of feet below. And the bridge wobbles as you move across. It was worth it though to experience the amazing aerial view of the rain forest and river.

Once we reached the jungle, we were excited to see a family of Howler monkeys! They were incredibly cute and in fact there was a mother with a small baby monkey on her back. The monkeys moved from branch to branch. I was so surprised to see how they could support themselves on branches that looked like small twigs. After seeing the monkeys, we walked through the jungle spotting other birds. Our guide stopped and pointed out a family of Bullet Ants ! These ants are notorious for the intense pain they cause after biting. Apparently it feels as if you've been shot and the pain lasts for eight hours! So glad he was shaking the tree to bring the ants out of their nest. In the end I'm very pleased I went "birding" and was equally pleased to take a long nap after.

I went to my first Costa Rican rodeo last night after the show. The owner who we're renting the location from hosted the rodeo for all of us on the production team. There is a large riding stable and barn on site here (to my surprise). When I arrived I was pleased to see food and drink a plenty (after a long day, a welcome sight for wary eyes). The food was was a mix of steak, potatoes, rice, vegetables and chorizo sausage. It was all yummy. There was stadium-esque seating surrounding the large corral area. Lots of us took a seat, while others stood around the edge of the corral.<br /><Br />

Over the course of a couple of hours we were entertained with a variety Costa Rican rodeo entertainment: cowboys and their horses doing riding tricks, dancing girls in colorful dresses and a sampling of local music. The high point was when several Costa Ricans (guys and girls) danced their way into the audience. They grabbed unsuspecting production personnel and proceeded to force them all to dance (some had the look of fear on their faces!). Eventually they all formed what appeared to be a conga line. When in Costa Rica at a rodeo...do what the Costa Ricans do! It was fun to watch and amusing. The funniest moment came when the DJ repeatedly shouted into the wireless mic, "Too much clothes! Too much clothes!" I guess that's what makes it a uniquely Costa Rican rodeo. I have to say I was glad I was up a few rows in the bleachers away from the frenzied dancing action. It was fun night and a much needed break from the daily grind of producing a TV show. And from what I hear the festivities lasted well into the night at the nearby Pirata bar ( aka "Pirate" Bar -- which by the way, plays non stop 80s music accompanied by the original music videos projected on a large screen). Yes, we have it all here in Costa Rica -- celebrities, rodeos and 80s music.

Living in and around the jungle in Costa Rica for "I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!" is amazing in many respects. It's absolutely stunning and beautiful. However, I still have a lot of "city" in me and haven't quite adjusted to the thousands of creatures surrounding me at any given moment. I have a pretty significant fear of snakes, poisonous or not. I was on a last-minute shoot today near the campsite. As I was walking into the heavily wooded area, one of the camera guys notified me to be careful because they had just spotted snakes in a nearby area. An area that I had to pass by on my way into the jungle. Yikes! I was suddenly lightheaded and anxious. How do you carefully avoid snakes? If I see one am I supposed to continue on about my business? Or turn around and walk the other way?

I have a huge amount of respect for the camera and producing crews who are out in the jungle daily shooting segments for the show. They've all seen snakes and for the most part don't seem phased by it. Others working on the show have other fears. Damien, the host, is petrified of spiders, which for me I don't really mind so much. That said, I don't want them on my face. I talked to a press woman who is terrified of bugs. Bugs to me are a nuisance but don't think of them as killing me. I've found several types of critters in my hotel room. I've found small crawly white catepillars. I found a huge flying cockroach. These haven't bothered me too much.

I check under my bed every night to be sure a snake hasn't found a new home. I feel a little crazy doing it but someone on the production team found snakes in her room. Granted it was at another hotel but just the idea of it has me freaked. I can't get the image out of my head. A bunch of us at our hotel have taken blue painters tape and sealed off any gaps under doors in our rooms. I'm sure the hotel staff is laughing at us. I don't mind, I'm not taking any chances.

This morning on my way in to the production location for "I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!" my shuttle got stuck. I'm staying at a hotel that is about 45 minutes away from the location. So each morning and night I hop on a bus (or in a van) to make the trek to and from location. We turned into the front entrance of the location, which is a long bumpy gravel road. Once you get on the road it takes another fifteen minutes or so to get to the drop-off point. So about halfway down the road we pulled off to the side to make way for a larger truck to pass. This is very common since I've been here. We seem to always be on narrow roads and stopping to let other cars/trucks pass.

So the truck passed and we attempted to pull out onto the road again and we were stuck. Apparently we pulled off too far on the side and couldn't get enough leverage to make it back onto the main road. So the driver of the bigger truck that passed us got a rope and pulled us out. Problem solved. I later found out that getting stuck and unstuck is just part of daily life.

Experiencing the driving here overall takes some getting used to. The roads are typically narrow without any shoulders. However, pedestrians continue to walk on the side of the road at all hours of the day. Also, scooters and motorcycles are popular here. I was riding in one morning with an American woman who now lives here and she said she's been to countless funerals because of car and scooter accidents. People here don't seem to be as concerned about the hazardous road and driving conditions. Cars and motorcycles are always passing to get around slower vehicles. It doesn't matter if it's a double yellow line or not. I've seen some close encounters when I wasn't sure if the car passing would make it in time. Driving to and from work isn't boring at least.