Costa Rica: Day 4 (Monteverde)

Today started with the most perfect Costa Rican thunderstorm and I was overjoyed that I was able to simply and quickly enjoy a hot cup of coffee on my little front porch without having to walk into town. They also had breakfast at the hotel, which was a nice treat before our day got started.

The bus arrived at 8AM and most of the group headed out to spend the morning in the cloud forest. “What’s a cloud forest,” you might be wondering… These rare woodlands account for only about 1% of all forests in the world and they get their name from being so high in elevation that the clouds literally come down into the upper canopy. Because of the added condensation from the clouds and minimal evaporation from the lack of sun, there is an incredible amount of biodiversity.

The rain persisted throughout the start of our adventure, but the cold and wet conditions didn’t hold anyone back, nor did it alter the incredible views that we got to experience. A series of 10 hanging bridges are scattered through the 3 miles of trails and they provide a true 360-degree view of everything going on within the area. 1,200 species of amphibians and over 400 species of birds ensured we had plenty to look at and listen to and once again, Jeff did a fantastic job pointing out some of the really unique attributes; brightly colored birds, specific animal noises and even the history of how past tropical storms have impacted the ecosystem.

I’m thrilled we braved the elements; I’m not sure there is a better way we could have truly found ourselves in the middle of everything Monteverde has to offer.

The rest of the day was for free time and we spent it wandering town, checking out some of the local shops and restaurants and it was just the rejuvenation I needed before we set off onto the final major leg of the trip.

Tomorrow, we leave for Quepos and Manuel Antonio. I’m looking forward to the warmer temps, sunshine, ocean water and another sliver of the Costa Rican culture.

Until then… Pura Vida!