To Monteverde

We met at ten for our drive to Monteverde. I woke early at 6 and went for a walk and swim. The tide was high making it difficult to walk. 

My compound was quiet. Carlos's car gone. I did laundry, hanging my sheets on the hooks I installed for my hammock. 

We left almost on time. One girl, Jackie, is the perpetually late girl. Our guide Luis and driver William met us at the school. Luis guided us last year. An intelligent man in his fifties who teaches English to elementary school kids in Nicoya. 

As we drove he gave a nice lesson about Costa Rica. Jackie of course needing attention had us stop as she was car sick. And she needed the front seat. 

Our first stop was at the church in Nicoya at the church. Next to it is a park where locals hang out. There's a giant mango tree with many large iguanas. 

A little later, we stopped for lunch and ate local food which was great. This group is really willing to adapt. 

We arrived in Monteverde around 3:30. Got checked in at Hotel Don Taco.  http://www.cabinasdontaco.com/

I drank a beer and watched Colombia defeat Costa Rica in soccer. 

Around 5;45 we were picked up and taken to kinkajou reserve http://kinkajounightwalk.com/ for a night hike. We donned rain ponchos and were given flashlights. First he showed us a beetle found in banana trees with large pinchers in front.  Its shell was hard and it looked prehistoric. 

Next we entered the jungle and tried to find some frogs. Our guide Bartel had a walker talkie which the guides used to inform each other of unique sightings. The radio crackled of a sloth sighting. 

After searching the canopy with his flashlight we focused on other critters.  A tarantula, a poisonous viper, a giant cockroach. As we were walking he noticed something dart into a hole on the side of the trail. He gently used a stick to vibrate the entrance and an albino tarantula came out. 

At one point he left us to search for the sloth for about five minutes. We kidded that this was a test. Finally he came running to us breathless. He found one and we tried to keep up. It was near the entrance. In a tree soaking wet. Alas. Ahabs white whale. 

Afterward we saw a kinkajou which is related to the raccoon family. 

The van dropped us off at bar amigos. http://baramigos.com/

Anegelica who works at Intercultura recommended the chichafrones, a fried pork dish with rice, beans and pico de gallo. It was tasty. A big group of high school kids came in and started dancing. Some from my group joined in. Bruce's daughter is supposed to be in country while I'm here and it would've been funny to run into her.