On the road to the Pacific!

What goes up must come down.  From the mountain heights we travelled the dusty road down dizzying heights and glorious views, safe in the care of our wonderful driver, Hans.  He took great care maneuvering the bus down twists and hairpin turns, until we rejoined the pavement!  Snacks and a quick lunch stop with interesting things to look at, beautiful Macaws, and delicious fresh fruit smoothies.  Mango is my personal favourite.  This one was more beautifully presented than I'd expected in a 'fast food" joint.  After some long hours on the road, and good snoozes for many, we arrived at our gorgeous resort, where relaxation was had by all!

Night Walk in the Forest! An option in Monteverde was a guided walk in the night, looking for creatures in the forest. Groups of 8 with a guide headed up pathways, flashlights in hand. Our guide was amazingly quick to find a horned katydid on the underside of a leaf, and to point out lizard swaying on a leaf as the wind blew. My photo is edited to look a bit like a negative on a slide. A burrow was uncovered and with some encouragement, a tarantula appeared, its furry body and legs beautiful and menacing all at once. We saw a tiny green viper, coiled, ready to strike if a meal of a mouse happened by. Snakes will wait for hours, even returning to the same spot to wait for days on end to be able to catch something to eat. A gigantic walking stick swayed under a branch, and birds slept while perched on braches, heads tucked in. A larger green viper was a remarkable sight, lit only with flashlights. Camera flashes are too bright for lidless eyes. We'd admit to holding our breath a bit, being so close to such a poisonous viper! In the middle of a meadow, flashlights off, we stood in awe under the milky way. Later, a sleeping sloth hung like a sack of laundry blowing in a heavy wind, and a kinkajou ran across branches like a squirrel. The clear, dry night made it all a wonderful time on the forest of Monteverde.

Heliconia in Monteverde. Our hotel in Monteverde was the Heliconia, a forest lodge showcasing woods and gorgeous views. The hillside setting means that those in the upper building had spectacular views, from the cloud forest across the town, to the ocean in the distance. Walking up and down the hill to meals meant more opportunity to enjoy the scenery. A shuttle made things easier on tired knees!