Unreal weekend...Monteverde (Part 1)

This weekend was unreal and so amazing, I saw so much and experienced more than I could have imagined, so I suppose I will take you all through it day by day. (sorry if it gets a little long...)

Friday we went to Monteverde, which is a tourist town in the mountains north of San Jose. It is in a cloud forest, which is ultimately a rain forest in the clouds. It honestly feels like you are living in the clouds when you stay there. We visited the EBAIS (health clinic) in the area, and then had a tour of an old sugar cane and coffee plantation. They make brown sugar, and only stay open now by doing tours. We learned about the coffee making process, and got to see some of the machines in use (so I can now tell everyone about the quality of coffee :)) we also learned about sugar cane, and actually make some candy. They use certain machines to squeeze the juice out of the cane (although we got to chew on it and taste the juice as well)and then boil it with a piece of bark from a female burrio tree. This gives the sugar a maple syrup taste. Next they pour it in molds to cool and harden, but we were able to take a scoop and mix it with chocolate and nuts to make some candy. It was delicious, and really interesting to see. The plantation still uses oxen for transport, and we got to ride in the famously painted carts pulled by oxen

Monteverde was originally settled by Quakers from the United States, and there are still around 100 Quakers in the small town. We listened to a talk by a Quaker women, and it was amazing to see how in 1950 when they came there were NO roads at all. They built all the roads and bridges, only asking the government for help for one lengthly bridge. (The roads are still dirt and not very drivable during the rainy season...imagine muddy mountain pass roads) When Ticos started developing the area for tourism, they created 2 reserves to protect the land. Most of the forests however are secondary forests.

Friday was complete by a bonfire at our mountain lodge. It was a very informative day.

Saturday was our day of adventure:

In the morning we went for a 2 hour hike through the cloud forest, on hanging bridges. We were walking through the canopy when we saw a Quetzal, which was absolutely beautiful. People travel to CR just to see these birds, and they are very rare to see...we were very lucky to spot one and spent a while watching it. We were also lucky enough to see several butterflies and hummingbirds as well as the second largest rodent in the world (I don't remember the exact name)The entire experience made me appreciate nature and relax and enjoy the small things. It was amazing how loud the forest was, with the birds singing and it was absolutely beautiful. The best part was climbing up a tree. We literally got inside an old tree root, that had new vines growing around it, and used the vines to climb to the next layer of bridges...it was incredible how I fit inside a tree trunk with enough room to climb.

After lunch we went ziplining through the canopy. It was a nice mix of excitement and peace. They had some fast lines through the trees, and we had to repel down a tree. They also had a "Tarzan Swing" which was basically a bungee jump followed by a swing through the trees. This one was scary, and the video of me screaming is rather hilarious. the next line however was the most serene and out of this world experience. We got to zip line laying down superman style, and look at the forest below. The line was a half mile long, and we were above the trees looking at the valley below. It was absolutely incredible. I felt an amazing thrill, and like I was one with nature at the same time. No words to describe it :)

That night we went on another walk through the rain forest in the dark. It was incredible to turn off the flash lights and see just how dark it was. We were able to see the rodent again, and a sloth!!! This was sooooo unbelievable to see. We also saw 3 turantulas coming out of their holes. It was like a movie to see these HUGE things crawling out of their holes...I was slightly scared but it was incredible at the same time. You really cant be afraid of bugs living here, you just have to wear the bug spray and be aware of everything.

Sunday morning we went for a hike in the POURING rain. Everyone was complaining because of the rain, but we got to hike at our own pace through the forest, and so I felt at home. It was nice to hike alone and just think about everything. it is so beautiful here, and I realize how much we take for granted. Slowing life down and appreciating nature really helps to bring a peace of mind...


Sunday afternoon we drove to Arenal, an active volcano, but I will have to save those stories for later....

Hope all is well at home and Chelsea's open house was beautiful :)