Manakin Lodge Monteverde

... around for a few hours and then gave up... we then visited the free hummingbird place next door and had a great half an hour. There are so many hummingbirds here and they remind us of Als grandad Vic, because when we went to stay with his grandparents a few years ago, Vic spent everymorning showing us the hummingbirds in his garden... good memories and beautiful birds! - we got the yellow school bus back to the village - santa elena, and cooked some lunch before ...

... along and realising you're above the trees!

Tom also tried the Tarzan awing (I was too much of a scardy cat to try it and videod it instead). Much to my amusment he managed to jump of the platform....scream a lot... swing up.... swing back... and hit the Costa Rican guy who was meant to be helping him get down once he'd finished swining. I felt sorry for the poor guy as his curses were drowned out by everyone else laughing and Tom screaming.

... to our lodging at El Silencio del Campo in La Fortuna around 7:00 that evening and Eliomar at the reception desk already knew about us and talked about David like he was an old friend. He informed us that our cousin was taking a massage currently. No suprise there! He also told us that my cousin had been ziplining earlier in the day!!!!! It seems that my cousin had taken Doug's pleas to heart and had stepped outside his comfort zone. We ...

... the hostel and one night they put up a big bonfire, where all the people gathered around and breathing in the warm atmosphere of the night, guitars playing and peoples chatting. It was a place, you could leave everything else behind, because it wouldn't have mattered. When we wanted to move on north ways towards Tortuguero, town of the turtles, we soon found out that we had to be creative to do so, due to a strike that blocked a bridge on the way and let no cars nor busses pass by ...

... grey foxes, olingos and other tarantulas. But it turned out to be a bit of a disapointment. It is nearly full moon and there is a lot of light. But apparently the animals react different on this light. I learn the difference between workerants and soldier ants and admire their capacity to work. We spot also a tarantula, lots of lifghtflies, a sleeping porcupine and a sleeping toucan and trogon. My first toucan! A sleeping one! 

... an omelet now at the Tree House (don't mess with what works). After breakfast I arranged for a bus to pick me up and take me to the cloud forest. Unfortunately Sean and I had a miscommunication so he had already left on the suspension bridge walk when I arrived. I high-tailed it on the first few bridges and caught up with him, Debbie, Brian and Laurie. The suspension bridges were not nearly as creepy as I anticipated. They felt solid and didn't sway much. It ...

... then for water to wash it all down. At least the weather was beautiful and it provided an opportunity for friendly conversation with our tour mates. After the ride we took a bus to Monteverde, stopping for a delicious lunch en route. The bus ride was... indescribable. And believe me I know quite a few adjectives. I'll leave it to Sean to describe because I had my eyes closed for the entirety. Once in town we unpacked and moseyed around to see what was doin ...

... I was doing this, something called my attention. The kids' faces were all turned towards the boxes that we brought with us. They didn't say a word to me; they just keep staring at me ...

... It's hard to explain the type of grandeur and beauty you will see in these five falls, just suffice it to say that both of our digital cameras ran out of battery juice before we had reached the final set of falls! Although we were tired from our hike we decided to spend some time touring the Doka Coffee Plantation which is about half way south back towards the airport. We were running too late for the last tour at 2:30 p.m., but the front desk ...

While heading home this evening, I ran into a man who offered guided tours. He put on a hard sell, but I had already committed to Castor. Out of guilt, I booked a night time turtle walk with him. I had already booked a jungle canal excursion with Castor, who bragged about being recommended in Lonely Planet. But here I am in turtleville, so it would be silly for me to not see the turtles. And since I think I'm Superman lately, all loaded up on papaya ...