Finca Valverde's Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

... our guide had a poke around in the undergrowth to see what he could find. We all gathered quickly when he called over to reveal a full size Tarantula, standing guard over itīs hole, poised for itīs attack with its spiny legs raised and a thousand eyes on every movement.We all stopped to take pictures and marvel, but not one person leant in too close, fearing what the spider would do next. No matter how brave you may think you are, when it comes to being face to face with a big ...

... really couldn’t compete. It was interesting and we were lucky enough to see an owl hiding in the trees and a hairy porcupine running through the branches. Unfortunately (or fortunately for me) the large tarantula wasn’t home and I was a little disappointed not to see more things, but we did see a couple of other spiders that were quite big. There were lots of bats swooping through the canopy in the gloom but it was difficult to see. Strange ...

... There was a pretty big group, but we were at the front of the group. We saw some amazing scenery as we went over the canopy on the zip line. Everyone had a great time. Towards the end of the tour, they had something called the Tarzan Swing. It was a tower with a rope attached that you walked off and then swung out into the trees until you stopped (this part of the tour was optional and only about half of the group went on it). I was the first one to go and ...

... of small bungy jump, except that you we seated and buckled in. It was pretty intense. Emma got a movie of me screaming on it, anmd I have a m ovie of her. Afterwards we did a walking cloud forest tour with the high foot bridges. Afterwards we did nothing (strangely) for the afternoon.

... us relax. Nothing like drinking in the supermarket! We met up with the Pedrogoso group and compared stories of our homes and schools. It was great to see everyone again. The next day we headed to Puerto Viejo (de Talamanca, there are two Puerto Viejoīs). It is a lovely beachside town on the coast of the Caribbean, complete with many Rastafarians. We stayed at Cashew Hill Jungle Cottages. It is a very safe accommodation located a few hundred metres from the main road ...

... but they seemed marginally less exciting--maybe because they were almost all above the canopy (I'm less afraid of heights than of getting whacked in the face by branches) or maybe just because it was my second time doing it. But it was definitely worth doing again. We hired our zip line driver to come back that night and take us to the southwestern side of the volcano, where the lava flow was more visible (it changed direction fairly recently ...

... they asked if we saw anything and we said yes, quetzals.... as it turned out, none of them saw anything that day...I guess it must have been our lucky day. (Franįais) C'etait notre premier weekend tous ensemble. Maribel et Sofia se sont joint a nous pour aller a Monteverde en quette du fameux et rare quetzal ! Le sejour commence mal : control de police et j'ai oublié d'emporter mon passeport ... Comme on se trouve pres de la frontiere avec Panama, il y a ...

... You did not get a chance to change your mind. You free fall for about twenty feet before the rope takes up the slack with a big jerk. Then you swing back an forth through the jungle hoping that you don't hit one of the massive trees around you. It was scarier that the cables and I now have a strange pain in my back which I Hope will go away over the next couple of days.

... and did the canopy ride, but it was worth it. 11 ziplines at 40miles/hour (60km/hour) and heights of up to 420ft (140m). And there was no rain so we actually had great views Saturday, 9/08/07 Our last day in Santa Elena couldnīt have been spent at a better place. We spent a few hours walking around the Monteverde Cloud Forest, exploring the rich flora and fauna. Onward to the lowlands and Nicaragua!

... very little birdlife. After that they took us to the volcano viewing spot where we watched, with many others, the lava pouring down the mountain! That was great. Then we went to this hot springs. Now I always though hot springs were just a hole in the ground, oh no, this was 10 different but extremely plush pools with different themes and temperatures, some with swim up bars. It was awesome.