The day started bright and clear. Oops, sorry, I was thinking of another vacation.
We drove in the rain back through La Fortuna towards a delightful cruise on Lake Arenal with its fantastic views of the volcano towering about the water. There is a very windy road around the lake, that our coach driver, Christian, was assigned to drive and we boarded a small tour boat with roof and windows to cross the lake in the drizzle. Somehow the volcano was lost in the mist. The boat takes you across the lake to a very small dock and the captain took it nice and slow along the banks of the lake seeking out interesting birdlife.
We were able to stand in the prow of the boat, which helped with the spotting of the birds and we did see quite a few Egrets, including this one that was startled by our arrival.
The hills around the lake can be quite beautiful in the mists – and you can certainly see why they are so green and verdant with all that moisture.
Awaiting us on the far bank after perhaps a 45-minute cruise was a much smaller coach/van that was really the only way to get down the very steep gravel roads that climb from the lake over the mountains as we headed towards Monteverde. Bumpy, yes, but some attractive scenery that is a little reminiscent of Wales – steep green valleys and narrow roads clinging to the edge. We had a stop for the toilets and a coffee/snack along the way and finally arrived in the small town of Monteverde around lunchtime. Lunch was on our own that day, but I decided to try to find an ATM to withdraw some cash for tips for the guide and driver. The first ATM was surrounded by armed guards who told me it would be repaired in a few minutes, so we took the opportunity for some souvenir shopping. The ATM was still out of service and so a stroll to the local bank was the next option. The Banco Nacional de Costa Rica had an ATM, but each time I tried to use my card (which I had used a couple of days before), it basically cancelled the transaction and printed a ticket saying that money could not be provided. I decided to try going into the bank to ask why – this is a strange experience, especially coming from the US. The doors are like an airlock – the outside one opens and a guard inside made me open my camera backpack inside the airlock before the outer doors close and then the inner ones open to allow me into the back. Unfortunately, this didn’t turn out to be successful either. After waiting, a bank employee took me outside to the ATM, and after it failed again, he pointed out that my Chase ATM card had no Visa/Mastercard type symbols and it wouldn’t work. Back to the first one – it also failed to work. To cut a long story short, I called my bank, there were no rejected transactions, and they suggested I try another ATM. Later that evening I saw an ATM belonging to Banco Popular near the restaurant we visited and that worked. So, if you have a Chase ATM card in Costa Rica – look for a Banco Popular! No lunch for us after that long experience!
We next took our own coach to the Monteverde Hummingbird Gallery. I did imagine that we were going to be hiking in a forest and seeing hummingbirds flitting between flowers in the trees, but this is actually a cafe and souvenir shop but with 5 or 6 feeders suspended in their courtyard and it is full of hummingbirds and tourists taking their photographs. I was a bit surprised, but it actually gave me a chance to take some interesting photos of these beautiful birds and there was a guide there who could name each species. I’m not particularly a bird photographer, but I did enjoy capturing them as they flit about. I only had the standard lens with me, but you could get within a few feet of the birds and so that was perfect. Some professional photographers with very long telephoto lenses and monopods were standing in the shelter of the shop away from the drizzle, but we were seasoned travelers now!
Back to the hotel in Monteverde. We were staying in the El Establo Mountain Lodge that stretched about one mile from the road up into the mountains and actually had its own rainforest trails and zip line on the mountain top. Our room actually had two floors (with a bed on each level) and was certainly comfortable with views over the hills that might have stretched to the Pacific Ocean if it had been clearer.
The itinerary called for a nature walk through the spectacular Monteverde Cloud Forest that afternoon where we will encounter many incredible species of flora and fauna, but it was raining…
We were eating in a local Costa Rican restaurant that evening and we did actually see something akin to a sunset from our room before we left for the town. Pretty spectacular views from here.
The itinerary was impressive for the following morning:
This morning, visit Santa Elena Cloud Forest for a leisurely paced “Hanging Bridges” walking tour. Over 600 species of butterflies and 400 species of birds have been recorded inside this private reserve, along with 100 reptile and 120 mammal species that hide within the dense vegetation.
We were used to the weather now, although it normally seemed to rain in the afternoon. Be prepared, though and I had on my waterproof hiking shoes and waterproof coat and hood. Even my camera had a waterproof enclosure. As we were waiting for the guide for our party, we heard the first ominous drops on the roof by the reception, but we were ready. The walk is around 2 miles on concrete pathways and over 8 hanging bridges over the ravines, and it was dryish at the start. Butterflies were in short supply, but there were a lot of trees and leaves.
You do expect misty wet conditions in a cloud forest, but as we crossed our first bridge, the heavens opened and the downpour began. The bridges are interesting – long, high and somewhat shaky with some great views down into the ravines we were crossing.
Our guide did his best to entertain us, but nothing was visible besides trees and foliage. He did shine a flashlight into a tree stump where allegedly a tarantula lived, but bending down to look meant that water ran down your neck, so I passed on that.
Some of our fellow travelers had sensibly donned waterproof ponchos. We did have an umbrella but after the first downpour it didn’t seem worthwhile putting it up.
By now, the group was starting to split up. There was nowhere to get lost and 2 hours and two miles of trudging along in the heavy rain meant that it was head down and plow on as best you could. The guide was still trying though.
Soaked through both my waterproof coat and hiking shoes, the walk continued. Sensible animals and birds were tucked away in their nests and dens, and we literally saw nothing as the hours passed by. Finally, the eighth bridge came into sight, and we made a dash for the reception. Our group had been split into two and unfortunately the other group was still on the trail and so we waited patiently for them to return. There was an opportunity to take a zip line tour from top to bottom of the forest, but strangely those who expressed an interest when we arrived had changed their minds and we headed back to the hotel once more.
Back to the itinerary:
Later, visit the family-owned Ecological Sanctuary, where you will expore the trails through coffee and banana plantations filled with endemic wildlife and beautiful scenery.
I did wonder if the travel agency putting this together in early November had ever been to try these opportunities. We stayed in our rooms trying to dry our clothes and shoes.
But all was not lost. The weather cleared up a bit, and I took a shuttle to the top of the resort where some feeders for hummingbirds had been erected. With a telephoto lens, I decided to take more natural images as though I had captured the birds in the jungle.
And I decided to create a short video of the birds in action around the feeder:
I decided to walk the mile back to our room to spot my own wildlife. Not too successful, but I did see this Coatamundi, a member of the racoon family walking up the road (perhaps to visit the hummingbirds?)
