Last days in Costa Rica

Having said we'd been lucky with the weather, we arrived by "jeep-boat-jeep" in super-touristy La Fortuna in pouring rain.  

Anyway, clearer in the morning when we went for a kayak trip on the Peñas Blancas river.  A bit rough at times and the couple in front of us turned over and took us with them.  Took ages to disentangle the kayak from the sunken tree but no real damage, Judy lost her precious Lake Titicaca hat and Chris his cap and sunnies.  Warm water though.

Apparently there was a crocodile 100m away, good job he wasn't hungry!!

Hired a motorbike today to go hiking near the Arenal volcano, great trails and the clouds cleared.  Apparently that doesn't happen often.

Stopped in a river fed by hot springs to soak the aching muscles on the way back.

A great last day.

When we arrived 6 weeks ago we thought that Costa Rica was a bit expensive, but having come back the prices are about twice what they were in Nicaragua.  Maybe that's one reason we liked Nicaragua so much!

Tomorrow on the road again for a last night in an airport hotel before our 06:15 flight.  Home soon.

Back in Costa Rica

The transport worked: ferry, taxi, big bus across the border to Liberia (again) which felt very American after Nicaragua, then small bus into the mountains at Monteverde.  

This is eco-tourism central, a must for every visitor but even though it's high season, only the most popular things seem busy.  

Visited the butterfly garden for a very interesting bug tour, 

then walked around town which is full of souvenir shops.

The guided walk in the Monteverde cloud forest reserve was great, saw four more quetzals and learned a lot more then we can remember!  

The evening was a night walk in the Children's Eternal Rainforest Reserve where we saw other things, including a big tarantula and a tiny frog.  Pictures on big camera, sorry.  So a lot of walking today.

Quiet last day here, a bit of shopping then back to the butterfly garden.

Oh, and tea and cake to end the day!

Have been really lucky with the weather, only a bit of rain in our first week and an occasional bit of cloud and drizzle here, but we are at 1500 metres.

Moving on to our last stop tomorrow.