Category Archives: Costa Rica

Once outside of the city the landscape took over. It is hard to describe the wildness that exists here. I come from a place mostly dominated by man and the things that make his existence easier. But here the land is so mountainous and wild that it defies change.

The sheer amount of vegetation is shocking. I’ve seem moss growing on trees and vines draping themselves about but this goes far beyond anything that I have seen before. There are layers upon layers of life here. About 45 min to an hour away from the air port we entered what is known as “the cloud forest,” the altitude is so high the clouds literally sit on the mountains and you drive through them.

We stopped many times along the way to snap shots of coffee growing on the sides of the mountain in rings all the way up. There were numerous small waterfalls cascading down the steep hills to the valleys below.  It was so breath taking, I was literally lost for words.

As we started to descend out of the clouds, we passed a small arid place. There hanging out in the sun was this huge lizard. I have never seen anything to cool in my life. He was several feet long and looked like a mini Kimoto Dragon. I was thrilled. I told my husband that there were three animals I wanted to try and see while I’m here: an Iguana, a monkey and a sloth. I have managed two out of three so far.

The drive to through the mountains was amazing. As we got closer to the gulf the land flattened out and the vegetation became less lush. In order to get to the peninsula you have to get on a ferry that takes your car across. It runs in fairly regular intervals. We arrived about an hour early for the next one, so we walked and talked a bit, to eat up the time and stretch. The ferry takes about an hour to cross. I got lots of pictures of sea birds and various small islands as we passed them.

The last hour of the trip was crazy. Eve warned me about the roads before I got here, but until this point they had been well maintained and familiar in every way (less the Spanish). Not so on the peninsula, it is pothole heaven. I’m talkin’ ones big enough to cross the road and loose a whole wheel in. Thank God she was driving, it’s like go carts only full sized.

By the time we reached the house I had a head ache simply from being shaken. But I was rewarded for my trials by the Howler monkeys that live in a tree next to her house. There is a family of about seven. A few moments after I got out of the car they dropped fruits from high above announcing their presence. I don’t have a good picture of them yet…but I will.

We had dinner that night in the nearby town of Montezuma. It is small and filled with mostly ex-patriots of all kinds. We ate at this nice little restaurant that shows movie for free if you arrive after seven.  I had some wonderful black bean soup and a tomato, basil and mozzarella salad. It was so good!

After that we headed back. I made my first phone call using “Skype.” My friend pays a flat rate and through her computer she can call anyone in the US. So I called my husband and chatted him up about the day happenings.

I am so excited about all of the new things that I am learning. I now know why a Howler monkey is called a “Howler”, that geckos make a clicking noise when they talk to one another and that open air is good. I think that covers the bases…for now.