Day
Four - Monteverde or Bust . . . or Crash
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The
Hotel Near the Volcano
(Click to Enlarge)
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Another early morning, quite naturally. A quick visit to the lobby
for an Internet check on the Tigers and Wings and to say hello to a
few folks back home and I headed over for some breakfast and then walked
around outside for a very clear view of the volcano in the morning
light.
The drive to Monteverde was
a harrowing experience. It began when the driver arrived and introduced
himself. I soon discovered he spoke almost no English, but that was
OK. He explained to me in Spanish that it would take four hours to
get there. That was a little surprising, considering the distance,
but it wouldn't be a mystery for too long.
A good many of the drivers in Costa Rica are a little crazy, but this
is one trip I'll never forget. We zipped around very tight corners
at 100 km/h (~60 mph) and weaved in and out of traffic, letting nothing
impede our progress. Often, it was clear that we'd need to stop or
slow down for something, but the driver instead would accelerate, breaking
only at the last possible second, if at all. After about ten minutes,
I decided it was best if I didn't look where we were going so much
and instead watch the incredible scenery.
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Lake
Arenal
(Click to Enlarge)
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Hills
of Monteverde
(Click to Enlarge)
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A large part of the landscape consisted of LaGuana de Arenal, an
88 square km man-made lake. Though several small towns were submerged
in the process, the hydroelectric project provides 70% of the electricity
for the country and also valuable water for the Guanacaste province.
Driving around the enormous lake greatly extends the distance traveled
and explains to some extent the lengthy travel time. Then, of course,
we hit the long, bumpy, dirt roads and that concluded the equation.
The view itself the whole way is nothing short of spectacular. From
the lake and the volcano to the bright green hills and valleys of Monteverde,
the drive, though death defying, was indeed enjoyable, particularly
once we slowed down a bit.
Monteverde, which sits on the continental divide of Costa Rica, was
founded by Quakers from the USA who sought a war-free home as the States
prepared for the Korean War. Costa Rica itself does not have a military.
Monteverde and nearby Santa Elena still have a very heavy Quaker influence
among the relatively small populations in this area.
Eventually we arrived at Hotel
Heliconia, where I was greeted at reception
with some sort of red tropical drink (muy bien!). It was very nice
hotel and a great location, as it would turn out, with some quality
food and entertainment just around the corner. The rooms were very
large and colorful and the bathroom was quite nice. I would definitely
recommend Heliconia for a stay in Monteverde.
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Tree Top
Walkway
(Click to Enlarge)
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Howler
Monkey
(Click to Enlarge)
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Right across the street from Heliconia was a restaurant/Internet cafe/art
gallery/coffee house hybrid called Atmosphera. The food was just fantastic
and the staff quite friendly and helpful. Add a couple bottles of Imperial
and it was the perfect lunch.
With a free afternoon ahead, I decided a walk through the cloud forest
would be in order. I reserved a place in the next tree top bridge
tour. Over roughly two miles of suspended bridges and trails, you walk
deep into the cloud forest and observe the impressive plant and animal
life. The rain and cloud forests have a lot of symbiotic life growing
near the tops of the trees, seeking better access to sunlight in the
dense forest, while in turn providing moisture to the trees during
the drier seasons. A lot of colorful plants and flowers grow near the
tops of the trees.
Back in town, I found another interesting place just around the corner
from the hotel for dinner. It's called Moon
Shiva and features
Mediterranean dishes, often prepared with a homemade salsa. The food was outstanding
and they also had live music at night. I had found two great places
within yards of my hotel.
I stopped by the hotel bar to grab an Imperial and also see if I could
learn a bit more about the area. The servers and bartender were very
friendly and entertaining. I stayed for a bit and chatted and learned
of a few spots I may visit later. They insisted I could walk to any
of them and it would be perfectly safe. I decided to give it a go and
walked down the road for about 15 minutes or so until I ran into some
people and asked if they could point the way to Amigos. They obliged
and I found myself at a pretty festive dance bar with live salsa music.
The band was very good and a good majority of the people on the
floor could move quite well to the music. I enjoyed the show for a
while before heading back.
Day
Five