Woke to the dawn chorus and counted over 20 different birds. Not only birds but an agouti sat on the lawn. Early morning views from my balcony.
The agouti
After breakfast we drove the short distance to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve which covers 10,500 hectares and is a private reserve set up by the Quakers who settled in the area in the mid 20th century.
The quetzal is an elusive small, beautifully coloured bird with a long tail. It is highly honoured in Costa Rica and the rest of central America. It is on many bank notes and the Guatamalan currency is the quetzal. Manuel heard the quetzal singing and after a while we spotted it, so everyone was very happy.
The quetzal
A long walk through the forest, hearing lots of birds and seeing lots of interesting plant life. Only one bridge to cross today
The black guan
These holes are where the tarantulas live. Fortunately no one home at the time.
After our walk we went into the small mountain town of Santa Elena and had a typical Costa Rican meal of chicken, rice, black beans, fried plantain and taco. The restaurant was the Tree House which has a tree growing through the centre.
A favourite saying here is Pura Vida, which translates literally as “pure life”. Its used all the time –
Are you okay – pura vida
Saying thank you – pura vida
Saying hello or goodbye – pura vida
Saying everything is great, no worries – pura vida
In fact the response to everything!!!
Sat on the balcony for an hour listening to the birds and trying to get some photos but they move so quickly especially the little humming birds.
Then watched the sun going down
Such a lot of vegetation, birds and wildlife and very busy days. I guess you were happy to sit on your balcony and watch the sun go down. What amazing views. Xx