Puntarenas, Costa Rica

 December 28


Today, a Saturday, we arrive early in the morning in Puntarenas, Costa Rica and were greeted by a very colorful trio of dancers!!!!    


Early in the 1800’s, this port prospered with the work of coffee barons as oxcarts delivered satchels of beans to the docks from the mountains. 


So our excursion today is entitled “A Walk in the Clouds”.  Well, we thought our tour included an aerial tram and hanging bridges through the wildlife refuge, the Monteverde Cloud Forest – Moderate Walking!!!  However, that tour was sold out so we ended up on a Demanding Walk with step-ups and downs, stairs and inclines and four suspended bridges that rise up to 126 feet above the ground with Julie Wheeler and Joe Buckovic!!!


This refuge was filled with mammals, beautiful birds and butterflies, leaf carrying insects and plant species, especially the world’s largest number of orchids.  

One of our hikers got a little too close to this eye-lash viper (about the size of your index finger) while he was taking a photo and was coaxed to leave that tree branch alone Or Else !!!!!!  In the words of our guide: “You would only have an hour and 20 minutes to get to a hospital and there aren’t any hospitals that close!!!”.  



A great day in the Forest and we were all asleep on the drive home – a 7-hr tour!!!!





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