New Years, Cloud Forest and Ficus Trees in Monteverde, Costa Rica

February 15, 2020 1 By admin

Happy New Year from Costa Rica

On New Year’s Eve day, we made the drive from La Fortuna to Monteverda, Costa Rica and we celebrated the arrival of 2020 all day long. Danielle and Nicole set alarms to celebrate every hour, or half hour in a few cases. We started the morning with “Happy New Year Japan!” and ended at midnight with “Happy New Year” in Costa Rica.

The drive from La Fortuna to Monteverda took about three hours as we rode the curviest roads through the jungle and around Lake Arenal. We took a few quick stops for photos of the lake and chocolate croissants at the German bakery.

As we approached Monteverde, the ecosystem shifted. We were no longer in the jungle with huge green leaves and hanging moss. Now, we drove by open pastures with huge windmills along the hillsides.

We stopped for lunch in a small town for some quesadillas, nachos, and more sodas with real sugar. After a few more podcasts, chats and curvy roads, we made it up to Monteverde.

Our Place in Monteverde

In Monteverde, we rented a house with Evelyn on AirBnB. “Manchas,” the pup, greeted us excitedly when we arrived. He was loyal and eager but had clearly been taught not to jump on people or enter the house.

The place was located just outside of town. We had our own cabin with three bedrooms, a kitchen and a large living room area with a patio out front. Evelyn provided breakfast each morning which we enjoyed on the patio even though the air was chillier than in La Fortuna.

The road into the cabin area overlooked the hillside and offered beautiful sunsets in the evening.

Around Monteverde

Monteverde sits higher up in the mountains and there is a chill in the air. The town has a rustic feel without fancy resorts or restaurants, yet obviously focused on tourism. Most storefronts in the main area cater to tourists; adventure experiences, souvenir shops, cafes and hostels.

The streets of Monteverde are hilly and curvy. The main section of the town doesn’t stretch more than two kilometers but there are great views in all directions.

We bundled up around town for our easy trips to the grocery store or to chill at a coffee shop in a tree house. One evening we ate pizza down the road from our place.

Incredible Fica Trees

Upon arriving in Monteverde, we dropped our bags at our lodging and went off to explore until our official check in time. We hiked half an hour across town and up a hill to see a set of really old fica trees. Amanda read about these amazing trees from her research and reading travel blogs about the region.

These trees, known as Strangler Figs, are a species of ficus trees that wrap around a host tree as they grow. Eventually the host tree dies and leaves a hollow center. This bunch of trees is a local tourist attraction and we saw several other groups walking around the woods, climbing around and taking pictures in the trees.

The twisting roots and stems have a hollow inside and are truly nature’s jungle gym. In the main tree, you could crawl up the inside thirty or forty feet. We saw climbers sticking out their heads and arms out at the top just before the tunnel became too tight and they had to back down. So many climbers over time have rubbed the roots smooth but they are still incredibly strong.

As we marvelled at the tree, a group of six or eight capuchin monkeys came by. The little monkeys were adorable with their black and white fur with long tails. They were jumping around the branches above and even onto the massive ficus. I steered clear, not sure if they could have rabies or something, or if they would jump on humans. In the end, they just jumped around and didn’t get too close to our group.

At dusk, we walked back down the hill and into town. It was time to bundle up and decide where to ring in the new year.

New Years Eve at Tacos Tacos

We picked Tacos Tacos, a local favorite in Monteverde, to kick off the New Year. We had burritos with pastor, rice and red beans, sort of a Costa Rican twist on a Tex-Mex classic. It started dry but was quite delicious with some extra salsa, cream and cheese.

We sipped mezcal cocktails and wine for hours while we shared our goals for the next year and our reflections on 2019 and the past decade. I just love traveling with these gals. We’re always laughing, and together we share a deep trust and support. They’re honest, real and intelligent; what a great group to bring in 2020.

Walking the kilometer or so back home, Manchas found us. He ran up alongside us and herded us back to the AirBnB.

Hiking in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve

We dedicated one of our days in Monteverde to hiking around the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve. Just a twenty minute drive up from Monteverde, this was a great choice for some time outdoors. We scored a parking spot on the road right outside and paid our entrance fee.

At the entrance area, the rangers scanned each of our wristbands as we entered and exited the park. They also answered all our questions about the trails and the animals that we saw. The park had a nice cafe for lunch, so we stopped back in between routes so as not to pack a picnic or need to drive for food.

In this front welcome area, we saw two coatis up close and personal. They started playing in the garden but then had a scuffle. One guide said that they can be quite territorial. One coati showed his teeth and the other backed down. The gruff one chose the path we were about to take so we walked slowly behind him until he ducked off into the woods.

Waterfall Hike

For our first loop, we took the trail, Sendero Quebrada Cuecha, up to two small waterfalls. The path was well maintained with bridges over the ravines and the bubbling streams coming down the mountain. We took in the tall trees, with even more of the massive ficus that leave majestic tangles around their host tree. All around we saw green, with trees and plants wrapped in vines, plants rooted in the moss covered tree trunks. Just beautiful!

Spotting Cool Animals

Throughout our day hike we saw some really amazing animals. Near the entrance we saw a colorful quetzal perched high on a tree. Amanda captured a great picture using the lense of a telescope. The close up shows the red breast and a blue collar with green tips. It has a yellow beak, a purple mohawk and a long white tail. We also saw tons of beetles, millipedes, caterpillars and one massive tarantula, which the guide back at the entrance confirmed wasn’t poisonous.

Heading down the path at the far section of the nature preserve we spotted a coati coming out of the forest and onto the path. Then, two more scurried out. And all of a sudden there was a line of twenty of them, each with their tail pointed up. Not knowing much about them, it was a bit unnerving seeing so many in the wild and so up close. We didn’t know if they carried diseases or were likely to bite, and we certainly didn’t want to get in between an adult and the babies. Danielle and I slowly backed up the hill, but then we had to figure out how to get past them as they all came towards us. Nervously, we made it past the group of coatis and continued on the trail.

We learned more about coatis after this encounter in the woods. First off, they are cousins of the raccoon and often have a striped tail. They are omnivores and can climb trees; in fact we mistakenly thought we saw a group of monkeys in a later section of the trial but it was really a group of coatis high in the branches. And good news, they don’t typically bite humans, unless you grab them or take their food. So, don’t do that.

Impressive Views

The entire nature preserve had amazing scenery. In a few places, the trees opened up and we could see out above the jungle canopy. We stopped at one viewpoint to watch a bird swallowing whole berries off the branch. Each path was surrounded with tons of plants, ferns, trees and some funny little plants with curled up stalks.

At the furthest end of the park, we walked out on the mirador, an elevated platform that juts off the hillside and over the forest. Then the clouds rolled in and it started to sprinkle. On the way back, we stopped at a hanging bridge. The warning sign showed a long list of easy going warnings, however, in the smallest font, was the most important one: Only ten people on the bridge at a time. I enjoyed a quick look but found the wobble of the bridge a bit frightening so I returned to solid ground. We took one more final assent and then returned to the reception area.