Discovering Costa Rica

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Sunday, 21 February 2005 - Explored the lush cloud forests around Monteverde with a visit to Selvatura Park where we walked canopy trails and suspension bridges amid hummingbirds and jungle flora, then enjoyed local pizza for dinner followed by visits to the Serpentario reptile exhibit and the Ranario frog museum with a night tour spotlighting Costa Rican amphibians.

Costa Rica 2005
Monteverde is near the Continental Divide in Costa Rica. The weather seems to come from the east - Atlantic side - and moves across the mountains to the west - the Pacific side. As the moisture crosses the Continental Divide it is forced up and condenses into clouds. This is the look to the top of the mountains behind the hotel and you can see the clouds moving through the jungle.
Costa Rica 2005
Another picture showing the point where the clouds come over the mountains and then simply disappear.
Costa Rica 2005
From the same point this is a picture looking west toward the Pacific. While hard to see in the picture you can see the water from this point. Look at the sky and compare that to the first picture on the page - taken from the same place one looking east into the mountains and the other toward the west.

The building on the left is our hotel - we were on the second floor. The Heliconia Hotel was a new building but lacked internet access, tv, hair dryer...
Costa Rica 2005
Virginia Ann all bundled up (it was in the 60s) at a small display of fauna near the Bosque Ererno De Ninos (Children's Eternal Cloud Forest).
Costa Rica 2005
Monteverde is known for their biological reserves. There are many to choose from to see Costa Rican cloud forest up close and personal. We headed to the Selvatura Park . The park has several attractions.

The first stop was the hummingbird garden where there are more than 14 different varieties. They are very hard to photograph. I must have taken 100 pictures of the little guys.
Costa Rica 2005
They were a little easier when sitting. Here is a pretty orange one.
Costa Rica 2005
Another hummingbird - green with a black head this time.
Costa Rica 2005
And an all green one.
Costa Rica 2005
A picture of one flying - just not the best angle.
Costa Rica 2005
This is the cloud jungle at Selvatura after the hummingbirds we went on a nature walk with a guide through the jungle.

The tour is on a 1.9 mile trail that cruises through the forest, along the trails are eight different bridges through the tops of the trees that compose a canopy bridge system.
Costa Rica 2005
Here is one of the 8 bridges on the trail - the longest one. The lengths and heights of these bridges vary between 170 feet and 560 feet in length and heights between 40 feet and 260 feet.
Costa Rica 2005
Cal and VA on Selvatura bridge
Costa Rica 2005
One of the several interesting plants on the tour.
Costa Rica 2005
After Selvatura we went to Pizzeria Tramonti - yes another Italian place - for great pizza.

Then off to the Serpentario - where 40 species of live Costa Rican reptiles and amphibians live. There was a great guided tour in English.
Costa Rica 2005
This snake is a bad one - but I am not sure of the name. Notice the little horns.
Costa Rica 2005
As if that were not enough amphibians, we then went to the Ranario which is a frog museum. The tour books said to go at dusk and into dark as the frogs were more active in the dark. There was an English tour using flashlights.

This frog is poisonous, pretty, but poisonous.
Costa Rica 2005
The tour was fun in the dark but hard to take pictures.
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