77. Two toucans twice

Saturday, 9 March 2019

Santa Elena/Monteverde, Costa Rica

Leisurely day today. Starts with being shown a baby pineapple plant. They take 9 months to grow to full size and pass many pineapple plantations enroute. Makes a change from bananas.

Drive 5hrs through lush rolling countryside to Santa Elena in the Monteverde region. The landscape and housing has changed substantially. Gone are the rainforest and banana plantations. Now it’s like driving through the Derbyshire Peak District. Hills, fields and farms.

A lot more tourism in this area has obviously created a wealthy economy. Posh hotels and resorts. Plenty of outdoor activities. Driving through La Fortuna, see the Arenal volcano. A true volcanic cone standing proud. Last erupted in 2010. Let’s hope it’s not on a 9 year cycle.

Stunning scenery as we drive along the shoreline of Lake Arenal, a very large lake, with amazing views when we have a brief pit stop at a cracking café. They have perhaps the largest display of homemade cakes. The cinnamon roll looks tasty. As did that upside down pineapple cake. Naughty but nice.

In the car park stands a tree with two toucans. They’re the ‘Collared Aracari’ type as opposed to yesterday’s glorious ‘keel-billed’ type. You see. You learn on this blog. They’re soon joined by another pair.

Two toucans twice.

Good quality roads until the last 30km where it turns into a bumpy gravel dirt road. But we’re taking country roads passing nice farms and haciendas. There’s an upmarket feel to the place now. Unlike the run from the Panamanian border to Sarapiqui the other day.

This is nice.

Check into the Hotel Poco a Poco (http://www.hotelpocoapoco.com/) in Santa Elena. Sunset terrace overlooking the swimming pool overlooking the spa overlooking the lush green valley.

Ah yes.

This’ll do nicely for a couple of days.

And relax.