Costa Rica - Monteverde

We had a car-boat-car transfer between Arenal and Monteverde. Following  a short drive from Amor, including a quick stop for some Coati viewing, we began a slow cruise around and across Lake Arenal. There were many bird sightings and some nice scenery. 

Clockwise from top left:

• Bill & Pat with Arenal in the background
• Little Blue Heron
• Great Egret
• The Coati
• Great Egret
• Neotropic Cormorants
• Osprey

Our luggage went around the lake by car and, after rejoining it, we continued along the mixture of dirt, gravel, and pavd roads to Monteverde. We stopped for lunch (Corvina) before we checked in to our new lodging at Senda. 

The next morning we went on a Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve walk where we encountered a range of Flora and Fauna including clockwise from top left:

• a Coati
• a Quetzal
• a giant Fiddlehead Fern
• an Otatea, commonly known as Mexican Weeping Bamboo
• a Fuchsia paniculata
• a Python millipede
• a Hot Lips plant 

Nearby there were Hummingbird feeders and lots of diners. Later we had a colorful sunset at Senda and a local dance group performed during dinner.

We had intended to zip-line our way around Selva Adventure Park but did the more sedate Butterfly and Sloth preserves. We saw butterfly cocoons in various stages of opening and an array of moths and butterflies inside a glass enclosure. One highly creative butterfly can look like a snake (when closed) and an owl (when open).

Connected to the butterfly area was a Sloth preserve with many of the two toed variety.

We had a nice lunch in town followed by a visit to the neighboring Orchid garden. Later we took a walk in the hotel gardens and saw a large rodent known as an agouti.