Days 49,50,and 51 Feb 16,17,and 18

We have had a very busy and long 3 days....


Tuesday we were picked up by the bus at 6:30 and taken east across the mountains. While riding along we learned a new greeting-Pura Vida. It literally means Pure Life but it's used as a greeting similar to Hi, How're you or How are things.....
We stopped at a favorite eatery and were served a typical Costa Rican breakfast of rice and beans, fried eggs, sausages, fruit and coffee.....then back on the bus and off the tarred roads, for a 2 hour drive, through Banana Plantations to get a boat to take us up a canal into the Tortugero National Pk, to an exclusive resort for a frog and butterfly walk and lunch. We were introduced to some amazing toads....a tiny(baby finger nail size) red toad and a bigger (thumb size) green toad that sits on the under side of a leaf, completely invisible, until he moves and then you see his red eyes and red toes....so cute!!! Another froggy is called a blue jean frog because he has blue hind legs and an orange upper half. As you might have guessed, I like frogs and toads....
The boat ride was long, about 1 1/2 hrs but there was lots to see...monkeys, alligater, many birds....warblers, egrits, and heron. We didn't get back until 8 pm.


On Wednesday, we hopped on the bus at 8 and had a bit of a city tour, the main attraction was the Opera House and a Museum that is housed in a fort that has bullet holes in the outside walls from some seige.... the museum was very good...explaining the history of Costa Rica. Then we were off to the rainforest and lunch(beans and rice, chicken, and fruit,) and a tram ride over the canopy.....pouring rain and wonderful...each buggy had room for 5 passengers and a guide. The guide was great and pointed out all the plants that are used for medicinal purposes as well as the multitude of other indiginous plants.... There were not too many birds because of the rain but we did see one hummingbird...blue and purple, and a bunch of warblers flitting in an enormous tree. It's amazing but our entire group was laughing and completely saturated at the end of the ride. We ended the trip to the rainforest unexpectantly by taking a small shuttle bus to the river and then walking across a swinging bridge to another small bus to get to our large coach bus. Because the river had risen so high it was over the road......that's how hard it was raining!!! We stopped at a grocery store on the way back into the city and I bought bacon.....the first we've had since Texas! So ofcourse Supper was bacon and eggs.....next it'll be BLT's!

Thursdsay, we were back on the bus at 8....this time on our way to the coffee plantations for a tour and a chance to buy coffee beans and other souveniers. We are spending too much time on this bus! Next we were hurried off to see the Poas Volcano, ofcourse it was pouring rain and we hiked about 30 minutes round trip to see the place where we should be able to view the second largest active volcano. We are now cold and wet and back on the bus to the LaPaz Waterfall Gardens. The trip was very exciting because part of the road had washed out and was very curvy and we are in a very large motor coach.....at one point we were hussled to the back of the bus so the driver could raise the front up enough to get around some boulders. The rain continued to pour while we ate lunch and then we had 45 minutes to either hike to the waterfalls or to walk thru the animal and insect section....I chose the animal walk and the cats, panther, oselot, cougars were beautiful, the frogs, snakes, and birds were great but best of all was the butterfly room! Butterflies of all colors everywhere...flitting all around, over and under us. You had to be careful not to step on one. Back on the bus and the long ride back to the campground.... The trip was too much to see, or not see, in one day and the wet and cold didn't help.... and then we got scolded for not keeping to the time schedule...Whose schedule??? Oh well!