MonteVerde Cloud Forest, Costa Rica
5 days to LaTranstica.
After fighting some bed-bugs in Costa Rica, I had a few hours to get myself ready and get a bus ticket out toward Monteverde – the famous cloud forest area.
The way to the bus terminal goes through the local market, which was great, and weather seemed nice and clear, but got caught in serious rain just as I was heading back.
Landed in Montevere’s main town Santa Elena, got (another) Mega-Burrito, and was ready for finally getting my body to move a bit the next day.
Monteverde’s cloud forest sports possibly the most famous (and most expensive at 20$ a pop) national park. It has 13km of trails open to the public, but I was gearing to try and find some extra mileage beyond the regular trails. Unfortunately, there were non to find, and some of the more interesting trails going around the park were closed to the public.
Had to satisfy myself with 9km of cloudforest trails (which were awesome), and them head running back towards town, with some small trails I found just off the road on the way.
After a bit of refreshing, I was getting ready to just spend the rest of the day in front of the computer, when the pension’s staff suggested a small hike up to “Cerro Amigos” – yes they figured me out, saw I was craving for some more climbing workout.
And out I was again, up a hill – a very nice 500m climb, with a view at the top of … the area’s TV towers.
After slipping over my gluten’s (why way to make them bigger quickly) on the way down, I cut through some forest just for fun, and headed back to town.
Realized that I am not getting acclimatized as planned, being that it is as cool here “in the clouds” as it is in Tokyo, which makes me push through the high-territories faster – I am heading out this morning towards the nearby volcano, and the plan is to get there around noon, drop my staff in a hotel, and be out on my way 5 mins later – skipping the normal bus ride, and just heading directly up the hill towards the longest trailhead, and going on from there. Trying to get back before dark should get me working on some speed today.
The next day, it’s hopefully on to some hotter area.
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