Have you spent the last three weeks watching I’m a Celebrity, Get me out of here, the wildly popular (and absurd) reality show which took place in the rainforests of Costa Rica? I admit that curiosity got the better of me and even I watched a handful of episodes (I recorded the whole series) finding it to be quite hilarious and entertaining at times.

At the beginning of the show, most of the celebrities were complete strangers to each other – as time went on, they developed into a somewhat cohesive clan/tribe forming friendships and relationships. Lou Diamond Philips and John Salley showed their alpha male qualities by asserting themselves as the leaders.

The young celebrity couple of Heidi and Spencer proved themselves to be total primadonnas, wearing out their welcome only 2-3 days into the show before they dropped out altogether. I guess someone had to step up and play the role as the villain initially to draw in the viewers. The different competitions and games that the producers put them through were kind of fun (and ridiculous) and the show had its moments of drama especially with the feistiness of former model, Janice Dickerson. I was really impressed with the production values - the visuals of the wildlife, in particular the close-up shots of various insects, frogs, lizards and monkeys were outstanding.

After watching this show, many people are probably thinking how wonderful it would be to experience the rainforests of Costa Rica (or anywhere for that matter). While the rainforests are teeming with exotic colorful birds and wildlife, most of the creatures remain hidden or camouflaged in the dense green vegetation and towering rainforest canopy.

Walking along nature trails, you’ll probably be pestered by a variety of bugs – namely flies, mosquitoes and the occasional wasp and if you look carefully on the ground, you’ll most likely encounter several giant centipedes as well as colonies of leafcutter ants crossing the trail. Just be careful where you sit, as the ants can be very nasty! Snakes, you may ask? I have never stumbled across a snake in the rainforest, but there is always a first time, just be sure to watch your step and don’t stray off the marked trail.

As someone who has spent some time in the rainforests of Costa Rica and the Amazon basin, I know how difficult it is go birding unless you’re with a trained naturalist. Many tourists who have stayed at a nature lodge in the rainforest have remarked that the only birds they saw during their entire trip were at the propped up birdfeeders set up by the management.

Can you imagine, even though the series ended last night, I haven’t watched the final show. I am wondering who the winner is!