Monteverde

From Montezuma to Monteverde, 29 september
After we wake up we decide to leave Montezuma today instead of tomorrow. It is extremely paradise like but also extremely humid in this time of year. Literally everything is wet: the sheets, the cushions, all our clothes, our luggage, the cameras, the towels. Even the video camera doesn't work anymore because of the moisture.

And we get very tired of walking along the beach. During breakfast in the village we are again so wet that we would like our second shower already. But the shower is another kilometre back over the beach and when we get back to the village again we will be wet and have to take a shower...etc. etc. And than to think that the poor boy that works for the hotel has to carry all our luggage only for this one night. We think he deserves a big tip.

Before we leave we go looking for those beautiful bright coloured crabs. They are bright red with a blue shield and yellow legs.

After the ferry takes us back to Puntarenas our video camera starts to work again.

We heard a lot about the bad road to Monteverde but it is not too bad at all. Or we got used to all the jolting by now, because the tiny 4wd takes us to the top without a problem. We climb higher and higher and finally drive in the clouds. This is the ultimate cloud forest. It is even cool here, about 18 degrees. The difference with Montezuma is so big that we have to wear a sweater.

We drive to the La Colina Lodge to ask if they have a room available. That appears to be a superfluous question. We are the only guests in this beautiful authentic Quaker building. They say it is the oldest house in Monteverde. Unfortunately it is not profitable to open up the kitchen just for us, therefore we cannot eat in the antique restaurant.

Once we enter the room we are glad that we are the only guests. The rooms are very cosy but very small and the walls are made of "carton". When it is full you even don't have to leave your room to have a conversation with all the other guests. You even don't have to raise your voice.

Stay in Monteverde, 30 september
The cloud forest of Monteverde is so popular that they only allow 400 people on the trails at the same time. Therefore we are already on the parking lot at seven in the morning. That appears not really to be necessary because later we read in the logbook that until 1 PM about eight people past the gates.

By this we can optimal enjoy this beautiful piece of nature. Monteverde is incredibly beautiful and fairy-like. We are surrounded by towering trees completely hung with ferns and mosses. Everywhere is moss is countless variations and green tints. Even the walkways and route signs are overgrown with moss just as the lianas. Nature created its own vegetation-fairy here.

In general it is quit easy to walk here. Everywhere are plank-bridges and it is relatively flat. And, as we saw before, stairs are made from concrete blocks, but they are not always comfortable. Yet, we have walked for six hours today without getting tired, so our condition must have got better by now. Beside it is not stifling for a change.

During the walk we suddenly meet with a group of capuchin monkeys. They are very bold and approach us up to about 30 feet. We watch them for about half an hour without boring ourselves for one minute. They search for insects under the bromeliads. They have to exert themselves to tear the bromeliads from the branches and when they succeed they cause a shower when the water filled flowers tip over. They won't mind approaching us very close but if we try the same with them they take action. They jump up and down in a threatening way and it works.... We rather pull back than risk an attack from a monkey.

In the afternoon it starts to get cloudy, but by than we already sit on the balcony in front of our room. We are glad that we saw Monteverde at such nice weather. But there was no talk of clouds in the cloud forest today. We would have liked to see that too.

Next: Manuel Antonio