Day 15 - La Fortuna to Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Hotel

Today is our 10th wedding anniversary.  It hammered down most of the night and was still raining when we went to breakfast.  Fortunately Paul had brought some plastic ponchos which were great.

Saw a Woodpecker from the breakfast area.  We have seen them before but this is the first time I got a photo.

 
Black Cheeked Woodpecker

Back at our room we noticed a squirrel eating nuts from a palm tree.  He was quite hidden behind the leaves while eating but came into the open when getting a new nut to eat. He was there for a long time.

 
Variegated Squirrel

 
Variegated Squirrel 

 
Variegated Squirrel 

 
Variegated Squirrel 


It rained for the rest of the morning so we just waited in our room until it was time to leave.  We had a few more previously unseen visitors who didnt seem bothered by the rain.


 
Gray Headed Chachalaca

 
Gray Headed Chachalaca

 
Olive backed Euphonia


 
Yellow Warbler

 
Toucan


We left La Fortuna at abour 12 and arrived at Villa Blanca in the Los Angeles Cloud Forest at just after 3pm.  We stopped at a small cafe (or Soda as they call them here) where we had an Empanada and Hot Chocolate, all home made.  The scenery from then on was stunning.  


 







Our hotel is about 10km down a small track.  It also has a working dairy farm and vegetable garden where they make produce used in hotel meals.  They have a couple of emus, lots of chickens.  The main building was owned by a former president of Costa Rica, Rodrigo Carazo Odio and his wife Estrella, and it was their holiday home.  There is a church which he had built to celebrate his 50th Wedding Anniversary in 1997.  It is very windy and much cooler than the other places we have visited.  We have a wood burning stove in the room.  It is very quite here.  Just the 2 Llama Travel groups and a party of Americans who are here for a Wedding.


We have a map with 2 self guided walks. I went off to do one called the Trogan Trail.  Paul didnt want to come as he had an insect bite on his ankle and was making quite a fuss about it.  

Firstly I went to see the emus, who came running down to see me.  One of them put his head through the railings.  I wasnt that close but he extended his long neck and managed to bite me on the finger.  Fortunately it didnt break the skin.  I then visited the church and a few other parts of the grounds.  The church is very popular for Costa Rican Weddings

 
Our lodge

 
One of the emus

 
The 2 emus before I was bitten


 
The Mariana Chapel

 
Inside the church

 
Church roof

 
Font outside church

 

 

 
Plaque on church


 
Traditional Ox Cart

 
Unidentified on Merlin but I think it might be a Groove Billed Ani

 
Rufous Collared Sparrow
 

I then started the trail, which was said to be 940 foot steps.  It was very misty now and I didnt see anything apart from some birds behaving just as our blackbirds do and some sparrows.  After about 500m I passed a sign saying "Short Cut".  Further along there was another sign saying "Short Cut" so I took this one as I wasnt sure how much further the actual trail went.  I had seen another couple who told me there were hummingbird feeders near reception.  There were a few still feeding but it was quite dark now and getting too dark for photos.  I made my way back to our room and met Paul who was getting worried about me (knowing how easily I get lost).  

 
Green Crowned Brilliant Hummingbird


We had a nice anniversary dinner at the hotel restaurant. We have an early start tomorrow.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day 12 - Tortuguera to La Fortuna

Image
I got up very early to have a walk around the grounds as it was getting light  As I was getting dressed the whole lodge must have been woken up by Howler Monkeys.  There were a few other guests wandering around but it was much quieter at this time of day.  I didn't see a lot but did find some huge spiders.  One had built a web right across the path and the spider was in the middle at my head height.  I took some photos and went back without disturbing him.  There was also a butterfly - the first I have been able to photograph here.  We have seen some enormous ones including one that is lilac in colour but they flitter about without stopping.   Butterfly   Common Black Hawk   Spiders and their webs   I went to check out before having breakfast and had a long wait at reception.  While there I heard our guide saying that there was a boa constrictor sleeping in a nearby tree.  I went down and sure enough it was very still and ...
Read more

Day 9 - Poas Volcano and Doka Coffee Plantation

Image
After a lot of confusion about which bus we needed to be on, we finally left for Poas Volcano just after 8am calling for the 2 ladies, who are in the upgraded hotel, en route.  There are a lot of "accidents waiting to happen" on the pavements and roads in San Jose.  There is either a deep and wide gully between the kerb and the road or there is a drop from the kerb down about 9" and then the road tarmac slopes up to the roadside.  I suppose it stops cars from trying to park on the pavements.     Mind the Gap The traffic was horrendous and we arrived 35 minutes after our check in time.  We then had to wait in a queue of cars and tour buses to get into the Poas National Park.  We had a safety briefing and were given hard hats and then  walked the 800m up to the volcano viewing area.  I had expected to be able to walk around the crater a little bit but it was just a smallish area but plenty of space for everyone to see.  The volcano e...
Read more

Day 19 - Panama Old Town and Canal Visitor Centre

Image
This morning we had a walking tour of the Old Town or Casco Vieja which is the original site of Panama City which was founded in 1519 by the Spanish.  Gold, stolen from other Spanish conquered South American countries (in particular Peru), was transported through Panama from the Pacific to the Caribbean Sea.  This area was almost completely destroyed when invaded by the pirate Sir Henry Morgan and his 1200 man army in 1671.  Some of the ruins can be seen today but much of the town has been redeveloped.  It is a UNESCO Heritage site so any redevelopment must be in the colonial style. The Old Town is situated on a small peninsular.  We visited The Church of San Jose.  The exterior of this church is nothing spectacular but inside the altar is made with the original gold which wasnt plundered by the invaders as it had been covered with mud and black paint to cover up the gold. There was an enormous nativity scene in a side room which covers about 16 events fr...
Read more