Hiking in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

Today we went for a hike in the Monteverde Cloud Forest. It is one of Costa Rica`s many protected natural parks, and it is very large. It is so large that they only open 4% of it up to the public. The guided hikes and admission to that 4% is what funds the other 96% and allows them to keep it closed to the public so they can do research and other biological and naturey things. It is called a cloud forest because the wind pushes the humid air inland from the coast, and as it gets pushed up the mountains, the air cools/slows down and starts to condensate into clouds, and then it rains on the forest. The gives the impression that it is pretty much always raining in the forest, even though it isn't, technically.

We chose to get up early to catch the first bus to the cloud forest, because the weather in Monteverde is sunny and warm in the morning, and then in the afternoon it usually starts to rain. Unforunately, the first bus was at 615am. We were at the bus stop by 610am, but the bus was not there. At 620am, a bus pulled up and we were hopeful, but it turned out that it was a bus to San Jose, not the bus to the cloud forest. We went back to our hostel to ask them if we had the time right, and the guy at the desk informed us that yes, the first bus was at 615am, and in fact sometimes it leaves early. THAT would have been great information to know, yesterday. Anyway, it worked out ok, because another group had also missed the bus, and so we just got a taxi to take all of us to the park, and it only ended up costing about 50 cents more than the bus.

We got there in plenty of time for the first guided tours, which started at 730am, so the missed bus turned out not to matter after all. We were debating whether or not to actually spend the money for the guide or just hike around by ourselves, but in the end we decided to get the guide, and it was absolutely worth it. Our guide, Federico, was a long haired, costa rica native who loved nature, especially millipedes for some reason. He was great, and brought with him a big telescope on a tripod so that we could see all the animals no matter how far away they were. He could also make the sounds to call all the animals, and it was amazing to watch him walk down the trail, call a quetzal, and then listen for the return call, whip out his binoculars, and then find the bird and set up the telescope in about 10 seconds. We were watching a true master at work. And it worked to our benefit, because we got to see quetzals (very rare, I didnt see any when I visited costa rica 5 years ago, but we saw a bunch today), toucans, howler monkeys, capuchin monkeys, lots of birds I can't remember the names of, many huge insects we had never seen before, and tons of fluorescent jungle crabs.

After the guided tour, we went for a hike up to the continental divide, which, as you all know from science class, marks the dividing line where water on one side flows to the Pacific Ocean and water on the other side flows to the Caribbean. There is also a lookout at the peak where on a clear day you can see both the Pacific and the Caribbean from each side of the lookout station. Unfortunately, we were not there on a clear day, and the "cloud forest" phenomenon described above was in full effect. We were a little bummed after hiking all that way...but, after 10 minutes or so, the winds changed or the sun burned through the clouds or...something, and it cleared up enough for us to see the Pacific! The Caribbean was still hidden behind the clouds - but it was fine, we were so happy to be able to see anything that it didn't matter that we couldn't see "everything".

Unfortunately this computer is on a really slow connection so I can't upload all the photos, but eventually you will all be able to see the Pacific Ocean too, you just have to wait, like us.