Froggy Went A Courting

A day for animals. We got up very early to go on a birding hike in the Monteverde Cloud Forest. This an amazing forest in almost constant mist and chock full of animals. We started out in a primary forest and climbed to a secondary forest with ferns trees and mosses competing for the sunlight. Most plants grow on the trees rather than on the forest floor where there is no light. We did not see any mammals, but lots of birds including two quetzals. Finally I can say I have seen them, even though I never saw the male's beautiful head.

Our guide was wonderful and carried a scope so we could see things so clearly. He took pictures for us through the scope which came out so well. The trails were steep, but packed dirt and easy to navigate. First off we saw this friendly Coati who did not mind so many people near him.

 Jeff and me at a waterfall in the lush forest.

An orchid growing on a tree branch.

A Blue-crowned Motmot. Note the extra feather on the bottom of his tail.

We saw so many birds, but hard to get good photos in the dark forest. At the hummingbird garden we had fun watching these tiny birds sip nectar from the feeders.

This purple guy is gorgeous and hard to get a good shot of him.

We came home so tired and went upstairs to sit on the balcony, rest and enjoy the view. Later we went into town and had lunch at the Tree House. This is a trendy, expensive place built around a large tree. Food and service was very good.

Stopped into  a little supermarket to get some coca lites (Diet Coke) and snacks.

 We were so tired, so came home and took naps. About 6:00 we set off to see the frogs. This is another attraction here that was recommended. Because so many of the frogs are nocturnal it is good to go to this "museum" in the dark. We met a nice couple from Boston who are RVers and spent some time looking at the dead butterflies and bugs in the waiting area. We were given flashlights to help find the critters in terrariums.

Major size roaches. The kind that make you move out of your house or town!

 Finally the tour started and only the guide could use a flashlight. We stumbled around in the dark and saw some adorable frogs and toads.

Went to dinner at Sabor Tico in a shopping area on the other side of town with several restaurants.

I am the Walrus

Writing from Santa Elena, Costa Rica. This is a tiny hill town just outside the Monteverde Cloud Forest. We woke up to a sunny day in San Jose and had a breakfast brunch at our hotel.

We were picked up at 8:20 by a small van and we ended up with 10 people aboard. The roads were good and the views spectacular as we passed beach towns and Puntarenas. We turned off the main highway and climbed up roads that were gravel and large rocks. Our driver was good and got us here safely making a stop along the way to use the toilets and buy snacks.

We were dropped off at Mar Inn B&B, high on a hill just outside of town. Our room is spacious with a sitting area, flat screen TV, and second bedroom. We walked down the hill stopping for a local type lunch (chicken breast or pork, rice and beans, salad) and then continuing into the commercial area. There are three streets forming a triangle with shops, restaurants and touristy places. It is pretty hot so we did a few errands and headed back to rest up before our night hike later this afternoon.

The night hike was a bit of a joke, but enjoyable. A van picked us up and we bumped along some gravely roads to the Refugio. There were lots of people there and we were divided into groups of 10. We were the green group and our guide was Antonio. We were given flashlights and started off in the dusk which soon turned to a dark night in the woods. We climbed up stairs and over tree roots often seeing the lights from other groups. The most exciting animals we saw were leaf ants. Tiny ants that work day and night hauling bits of leaves to their nest. Poor things only live about three weeks and the nest can have several million ants. They are amazing and can carry eight times their body weight. There were worker ants and soldiers ants and one queen back in the nest having babies.

Saw a nasty spider, a viper high in a tree and other bugs.

 
We also saw several sleeping birds on branches. An orange trogon, two toucans, and a brown jay. Apparently they only have a nest when they are breeding. As we were leaving the guide got a call that two Kinkajous were sighted in a tree near the office. We hurried over there and saw the two, also know as honey bears, grooming each other on a tree limb.

(This is a stock photo)

They didn't seem to mind all the people and flashlights shining on them. We then saw a grey fox for a moment.

All tolled the ants clinched the most interesting prize and we got to walk around in the dark. We did see an amazing show of stars in the dark sky. This is a very popular attraction here, but I would not give it high ratings.

Do You Know the Way to San Jose?

We know the way to San Jose. It is an all day bus ride from David, Panama. We woke up early and left our lovely condo. After a month it truly felt like home and we will miss the place and especially our beautiful birds that visited our terrace. We drove to David, returned the rental car and got on the bus at 8:00 am.

We left promptly at 8:30 and after an hour or so we arrived the Panama/Costa Rica border called La Frontera. We had heard this was a zoo and that is accurate. First we pulled up at the Panamanian exit area. We all got off the bus with all our luggage. We went into a large room where agents opened very bag and gave them a cursory look. We put the luggage back under the bus and waited in a line to get our exit stamp. This involved finger prints on an electronic device and took some time, especially when the two agents disappeared for their coffee break while we waited. Then we walked a distance to to the entrance area for Costa Rica. We waited in another line to show our immigration forms and get stamped. Then we had to drag out all the luggage again and have it inspected. Finally we were all done and back on the bus and on our way.

Around noon we stopped for lunch at a large, clean cafeteria with lovely bathrooms. Another short stop later in the day of a bathroom break.  Jeff and I had brought lunch with us because we were told the bus drove straight through. Anyway the breaks were good for stretching, peeing and eating some sweet watermelon. At one point the driver picked up a little man selling dried plantain slices. I bought a bag and they were a good and crunchy snack.

As we left Panama and entered Costa Rica, the landscape looked similar. It was a different kind of lush green with more palms as we moved north. Still flat as we were near the Pacific and caught glimpses of beaches and surf and we drove. Lots of ferns and shrubs, but no colorful plants along the road. Speaking of the road, it was two, narrow lanes almost the entire time - seven hours! The road was patched and our driver made daring passes every time he got behind a slower vehicle. As we got closer to The Central Valley and higher elevations the landscape changed with large hills and terraced hillsides with farms. Lots of cattle and crops.

Finally we got to San Jose and traffic on a rainy Saturday late afternoon. We disembarked at a bus station and took a taxi to our hotel. All the taxis here are red, smallish sedans. Did not see the downtown area. Our room is very nice with a sitting area on one side and two queen beds in a private area. The coffee table in the sitting area is a marimba, with sticks, in case you get the urge to play a tune.

 Decided to take a shower and wash my hair before dinner. Just as I was rinsing out the shampoo the power went out and the water stopped. OMG! Luckily the water came back and I was able to finish in the dark! Jeff came in with a flashlight so I could see which bottle was the creme rinse. Now I had a dilemma as I could not dry my hair. I toweled it the best I could and got dressed to go eat. Just as we were going out the door, the electric came on and I was able to dry my hair. Yea! Power outages are common here and in Panama.

We had a lovely dinner in the hotel restaurant and enjoyed the live music by a duo of guitar and bongos. They did a great mix that included Paul Simon, Carole King and Latin tunes.

We are all packed for our early morning pickup. We will leave our big suitcases here at the hotel and live out of our small carry-ons and backpacks for the next three days.

Last Dance

Our last day in Boquete and I went on the greatest birding walk. We met at 7:45 and walked until 11:00 seeing so many birds. Our leader Ann is so knowledgeable and found so many species. My pictures are not so good as mostly shooting into the sun,but was able to see clearly with binoculars. I am waiting to get the list of all the birds we saw. Two different types of parrots were exciting for me.

This afternoon we packed and got ready to leave early in the morning. Sliced up the last of the bananas for our feathered friends. This PalmTanager was our last visitor.

We had a goodbye dinner at RetroGusto, an authentic Italian restaurant in town. We went there last year and found the food exceptional as well as the service. I had the eggplant parmigiana (big surprise) and it was so delicious.

Last minute details getting done now as we have to leave at 6:00am. Good night.