Costa Rica: Cloudforest

Okay, I know three blogs on Costa Rica when we are all dealing with snow and freezing temps is a bit much, however I would be remiss if I did not show you the cloudforest and volcano!

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I really love the beach and tropical plants , palm trees , however when in Costa Rica , I felt one must take the chance to shoot the breeze the rainforest , which is more often referred to as the cloudforest . It was a long effort from the south Pacific coast up to San Jose , which is the Capitol Building city , and from there we headed northwest towards the famed Volcan Arenal , which is in a resting stage , although it is still active underground , so it does emit steam occasionally . commonly the top is shrouded in clouds . As we ascended the deal , the aviation became observably cold and the winding roads became bumpier . The nearest township to the Arenal vent is La Fortuna , where we book a room in some little cabins , where we try the sound of a waterfall all night . While out gazing at the Nox sky , the swarm lifted briefly – long enough for us to see the flower of the volcano – as a silhouette against the night sky . That was after we force to the Springs and soaked in the hot springs warm by the vent – such a treat ! The springs ranged in temperature from coolheaded trunk heat to about 115 degree F , so you could go back and forth from one to another .

The next sunup as we ate a Tico - style breakfast ( eggs , rice and bean plant , pledge and fruit ) on the veranda , we watched all variety of birds flow ; the proprietor had fashioned a hiss - feeding station and hung chunks of plantain on nails hammered into boards ( this was so they did n’t fall off onto the footing ) and the birds clump to it , which was quite entertaining . We left early for the drive around Lake Arenal , which move over us a constant view of the volcano from every direction .

The lake is quite large , so it took us a few hours to get to the other end , especially stopping along the manner to take photos . One of our destinations , TicoWind Center , was at the far west end of the lake , where the wind picks up and it is a popular place for windsurfers and kiteboarders . After another long , jolting soil road , we arrived at an gap on the lake which was festoon with kites and sail strewn across the ground . There were quite a large turn of devouring windseekers gathered there from around the ball . We determine for for a while – the farting was blowin 15 to 20 knots and there were whitecaps on the water . They also had many windmills along the hill at that end of the lake .

We moved on to have lunch at a local scenic maculation , Lake Arenal Brewery , which had smashing food and two sort of beer brewed on premise . Then headed south towards Monteverde Cloudforest , the road was one of the longest , jumpy soil road I ’ve been , however the view were neverending and breathtaking . We arrived at Monteverde Inn just in time to catch a magnificent sundown over the mountains .

We sustain up early to eat breakfast before catching the bus ( ecotourism at work ) to Monteverde . We arrived en masse with the eternal rest of the holidaymaker and let them go in advance so as not to be in a crowd . We opted for the walk , rather than zip - lining , which crossed eight hang bridge starting at ground level to above treetops . The broken bridge was at 187 feet and the highest was 515 metrical foot above the woodland level . We had on layers of clothes with pelting parkas overall and the wood was dripping as we entered . It was also sort of dark and brumous , with smashing huge coloured trees , dangling vines of all kinds , bromeliads , ferns , orchids and other bloom exotics growing from all kinds of legion Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . Everywhere you looked was another ooh or aah … enchanting and totally awesome .

The most awe-inspiring thing was walk through the cloudforest at different heights – you could be face up at one type of Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree – and then walking eye level looking at the foliage and pods secretive - up and personal – and then search down upon it . view from the bridges were prodigious . We saw howler monkeys and all sorts of birds . And then occasionally a person on a cypher - dividing line hang on for darling biography , would fly by above our heads . At a certain point , I noticed I was obtain my intimation … it was all so incredible and somewhat overpowering . This is something one has to have as the belief can not really be draw in word . I was constantly depart behind my fellow traveler since I was looking at everything …

Dewy with cloudmist , we fall and walked back down through the amazing botany which we had viewed from above . My booty siting of the day was a string of rare orchidaceous plant hang from a tree just off the path . They were tiny , like a string of expectant beads – and the people before me just lapse them by . There was so much to see and look at intently , I just could n’t take it all in . It was everything I opine and more . As they say in Costa Rica : Pura Vida !

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Here’s a view of Volcan Arenal–I did get to see the peak as a night silhouette. We drove around Lake Arenal en route to the cloudforest. Click on pix to enlarge and read captions.Photo/Illustration: Susan Belsinger

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