It rained during the night last night and was STILL cloudy today. We decided to take a walk and went all around the neighborhood where our apartment is locate and back into the main part of town. The church is located in the main square and on a clear day the Arenal Volcano is visible behind the church. Not today!This is a photo from jameskaiser.com that shows the church and volcano – quite a difference!We walked and walked looking in the stores and made our way back to the apartment. Ann made the mistake of petting a cute (but stray) dog and it followed us all the way home! There are so many dogs everywhere, it is hard not to pet them!
This afternoon we did a little shopping trip then went back to Bogarin Trail. We walked around looking for sloths and birds without much success. We heard one of the guides ahead of us and slowly came their way. We finally saw one sloth and her baby! We watched her for quite a while before moving on.Back at the entrance there is a small pond and feeders set up with chairs for bird watching.
Blue-gray TanagerTwo Crimson-collared Tanager, Blue-gray Tanager, Clay-colored thrush, and Red-legged Honeycreeper (blue and black)Blue-gray tanager and Green HoneycreeperPasserinis Tanager (red on tail)Yellow-throated EuphoniaCrimson-collared TanagerGreen parrotsGreen HoneycreeperThere were several other birds, but it was difficult to take the pictures. It started raining so we decided to take off. We went for a short drive and crossed a bridge that had a rope swing over the river. We stopped to watch the folks in the water.This guy used a long branch to catch the rope and out he went.It looked like they were having fun, but after doing the Tarzan swing at Monteverde, there is NO WAY I wanted to try this!
This is our last night in La Fortuna and we will have to say goodbye to our little resident lizard that lives in our bathroom. He is less than 2” long and just hangs out near the shower or behind the cabinet. You can see he has little tiny spots on his black body. It is raining again tonight, but held off while we went for dinner. Tomorrow we head to Tamarindo for some more beach time and hopefully sunshine! Pura Vida!
Tobey and I did not sleep well last night. The mattress on our bed was so thin and so hard, it was like sleeping on the tile floor. When we heard the owner outside at 7:00 this morning Tobey went out and let him know that it was NOT a good bed. He apologized and said his wife thought some people would like a firmer mattress. He then went to a couple of the other apartments and found a better mattress and they moved it in and this one out. We are looking forward to being able to sleep tonight!
Gary cooked breakfast this morning, then we visited the Bogarin Trail Autentica.
This trail has a very interesting history. This unique property used to be 100% cattle farm a couple decades ago. No trees, no rainforest, no wildlife. In 2000, a local Costa Rican, Giovanni, started restoring the forest. Now it is impossible to tell the trail used to be a farm because it looks like a rainforest oasis filled with tropical birds, colorful frogs and sloths!
The property has one main loop that is 2.5 km (1.5 miles) with some connecting trails that crisscross through. The trails are very flat, hard-packed dirt. Giovanni, the owner, was our tour guide.
He told us about the history of the park and about the different species of birds and animals. He wasn’t, however, the best at taking the pictures and videos through his spotting scope, but these are the results using my phone.
The first critter we spotted was a Jesus Christ lizard resting on a branch.
Jesus Christ LizardRufous Tailed Jacamar Flycatcher
Rufous Tailed Jacamar Flycatcher Video
The Black-and-white Owl is nocturnal, roosting during the day in dense foliage or on a branch close to a tree trunk - normally well above the ground.
Black and white OwlHe spotted a snake among the leaves. It took me forever to see it, even through the scope! It wasn’t big but I didn’t want any part of it! Ann’s picture came out much better than mine, so this is it!We also got to see two different poison dart frogs. Poison dart frog is the common name of a group of frogs which are native to tropical Central and South America. These species are have brightly colored bodies and are active in the daytime.We saw several sloth and most were active. There was even a mother and baby we got to watch.
Three-toed Sloth “Smile!”
Three-Toed Sloth Video
Three-Toed Sloth Video
Sloth and Baby with Ann’s phone
Sloth and baby–My phone
Male sloth – he has a yellow and brown stripe on his back.Rofous MotmotToucans
Toucan Video
We had a great tour and enjoyed the company of the young couple from Scotland we shared it with. We are able to return tomorrow with our admission and probably will.
We had lunch at Soda Víquez, a place they had recommended. The food was pretty good and very reasonably priced. Tobey asked the waitress for her recommendation and tried the filet mignon. Not at all what we were expecting! It was served with a thin slice of ham on top and gravy. The yellow stuff on the left was potatoes and he said they were very good, the meat not so much. I had a burger and fries which was pretty good and Ann and Gary loved their meal.Back at our apartment, Tobey and I took a nap on the new mattress and it was great!
We have been hoping to see Arenal Volcano while we are here. That is the view of it from our car window this evening! Can you see it? We couldn’t either!This evening we had reservations at Eco TermalesFortuna. According to their website “The thermal springs that await our visitors are of a magmatic origin, originating from the hyper-thermal magnesia filled waters, which means that those who visit us in La Fortuna, San Carlos, can delight themselves in the mineral-medicinal properties, which thanks to the perfectly and naturally balanced quantities of calcium bicarbonates and magnesium, which have analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and muscle relaxing properties.”
We spent over three hours relaxing in the different pools – something we definitely needed after last night’s lousy sleep! We also enjoyed sipping a “Howler Monkey”. It was a drink made with banana, Bailey’s, Jack Daniels, and chocolate. Pretty yummy!Tomorrow’s activities are up in the air, but I am sure we will do something! I am hoping for fewer clouds and no rain so we might see Arenal! Pura Vida!
Today we traveled from Monteverde to La Fortuna which is about 72 miles away. The road was narrow, winding, and often times gravel. This was the view as we made our way!On our way we went by several wind turbines near Tilaran. The area has a high wind resource, allowing the park to generate more than 200 million kilowatt hours (kWh) annually, a production equivalent to the consumption of 80,000 homes. Tilaran is home to nine wind farms, the most in Guanacaste. The income from the payment of patents from all the plants installed in the province represents between 60-70 percent of all the government’s money from this area!We stopped in Tilaran for gas and stretching our legs because the first 24 miles had taken about 1-1/2 hours of driving! Back on the road Gary spotted an iguana in a tree enjoying the sunshine. We also got our first glimpse of Arenal Volcano behind the clouds. Hopefully, tomorrow we will be able to see it!As we came down the mountain, we were able to see Lake Arenal with a little of the volcano poking up in the distance on the right hand side of the picture below.In Nuevo Arenal we stopped to have lunch with friends, Steve and Mary, and their daughter. Mary and I taught at the same school in Colorado before they moved to Costa Rica about nine years ago. Lunch was at Moya’s Place and the food was really good, but the company was better! We had fun catching up!After a long lunch we said our goodbyes and headed on to La Fortuna for our next three nights. A couple times Gary had to almost stop the car because there were so many coati in the road!We had dinner at Chifa la Familia, a Peruvian-Chinese fusion restaurant that Steve and Mary recommended. The owner and his wife waited on us, cooked the food, and served! It was delicious. We shared three of the dishes the owner suggested and we liked them all. A walk around town and ice cream on the way back to the car rounded out the day.
We had a small rain this evening so we hope that is the end of it. Tomorrow daytime is undecided but we will be heading to a hot springs tomorrow night! Pura Vida.
Ann and Gary were craving an American breakfast so we went to Stella’s Restaurant this morning. The food was good and prices were reasonable. French toast and fruit for me, eggs, hash browns, rice and beans, cheese for Tobey. Pretty tasty and we had a close up view of the Capuchin monkeys that were in the restaurant’s garden!We had reservations for 100% Aventura zip line and I had to wonder if I was crazy since I am not fond of heights. We got all suited up and listened to the instructions and were ready to go. We had a short trial zip followed by a little longer one. Those weren’t too bad.THEN we had to go across a hanging bridge. Oh my gosh, I HATED it! Even though we were attached with a cable, crossing that bridge was awful. Swinging, wide spaces between the planks, and a long way down! You can see the start of it in the picture below.We had five more zip lines to do, each one increasing in length. After the first seven zips, we had a Rappel down. It didn’t really feel like a rappel – they hooked us a little differently then we jumped off the platform backwards and bounced slowly (not that slow!) to the ground. We had another long zip before the really crazy stuff!
The Superman Zip was two parts – the first 5220 feet – just under a mile!!!! We were strapped in around our bodies and feet and then they let us go. The first part of the swing we kept our arms crossed against our chests, then we were supposed to extend them out. While mine were crossed, I was praying I would make it to the other side!Who would have thought I could do it? Not me.
We had ONE more torture activity before we were finished – the Mega Tarzan Swing. Not a bungee jump, but we were supposed to step off the platform which whisks you a dizzying 148 feet! Gary went first. His battle cry was “Geronimo!” Tobey went next – calm, as always! I was next up and wasn’t sure I wanted to go once I was out at the platform. I think they gave me a nudge because I was flying before I knew it – and screaming my head off. Gary took the video and I was outvoted, so here it is.
Sue on Tarzan swing
Ann was last and they helped her exit with a little nudge and she screamed, too!
Thank goodness, we all survived it – and I don’t have to do it again!!! (too soon, Tobey says).
We had lunch at Ledy’s Soda and played cards and hung out this afternoon. Tomorrow we are on the road again heading to La Fortuna.
