Finca De Valverde Hotel Monteverde

... we had always planned to do the zipwiring here, but that is really expensive and we did an amazing one in thailand last year, so we decided to do some different things... on a smaller budget too... because there is plenty to do that doesnt cost too much (!)

We went to catch the bus to go to Monteverde National Park, but they have stopped all the buses between 7.20am and 13.30, so we decided to walk there... its only 6km... we just hadnt realised that a lot of that ...

We arrived in the quiet little town of Monteverde and it was cold and raining. It's been the first taste of what the weather in South America is going to be like. I have even had to crack open my jeans and rain jacket (something that had been burried at the bottom of my back all through Central America). Despite this, it's been a welcome break from the heat. Last night I was even thinking that we needed heating rather than a fan.

Monteverde is ...

... maybe they'll start it. You heard it here first!

After touring the Reserve, Doug and I decided there wasn't much left to do or see, and I think Doug was really curious to see what my cousin was up to, so we checked out early and headed off to La Fortuna. Let me say that we had read and been given many warnings about the road between the 2 towns (about a 3-4 hr drive). People reported it to be difficult, dangerous, horrific, and death ...

... hostel !! Appearing to us like a small village itself, covered all over with mosaic stones and being a big work of art, starting from the shared bathrooms over to the communal space and the ´hammock hotel´, a huge hallway full of hammocks. We decided to stay in hammocks, first due to our budget, but as we found out later, more of coziness, that swept us away :) We enjoyed our new home a lot, relaxing in the hammocks and reading books, renting bikes one day and discovering the nearby ...

... of the long tailplucks. This was a sign of high social status. Emperor Montezuma himself had a coat made of thousands of quetzal tailplucks. The birds were growed and raised in the emperor's palace, in huge golden volières. The quetzal is nowadays protected, he's colours are hardly to be seen in the forest. It melts with the trees.

... platform and headed down to catch the bus back. That evening we enjoyed a group dinner at Mosha, a quaint little restaurant in town. It was our first real opportunity to chat with Angie. She really is charming, someone I could see myself being friends with. She might be in NYC in May and I certainly hope she looks us up. I had the blackberry pork chop, which was decent. After dinner Sean and I scoured the town for a dance club but it was dead quiet on a Sunday night.

... to be in your own country and not to understand a word of what people are saying right next to you. All I could do was to be quite and then I took some pictures while they were talking ...

... for injuries sustained at the park. Common sense is all you need to ensure a safe hike through this park. Obviously you should not jump over trail railings or venture off the designated trails. Outside of the trail leading to the falls there are another set of trails that present a more challenging hike into a broader range of the property. Admittance to the park is cut off early enough to prevent guests from being caught in the park after ...

... It is the first time someone actually approached me for a donation, other than the poor filthy souls of San Jose who apparently can't work. I gave her 3,000 dollars (Costa Rican dollars, gotcha!) I'll stop by the local internet café (unbelievable... old rusty tin roof shack with satellite dish on top, 8 computers inside. Bill Gates, you son of a gun! I guess it's a good thing - all the locals here already have ...

... but in Limon they grow alot of Banana's and Pineapples which are used mostly for export. They are one of the largest exporters of Banana's in the world White River Rafting, WOW, I have always wanted to try this, and what a place to experience white river rafting, then in the middle of a Rain Forest. It was absoutly amazing, and drenching, but it was so much fun, a must must day again, well worth it! The vegetation around the river was amazing with waterfalls ...