We had spent the previous evening considering our options for today and despite all the advertising and sales tactics had decided against the three big 'attractions' in the area. We thought they all looked very commercial and we weren't really up for zip-lining, canopy walks, bungee jumping or aerial tram rides. So, after an early breakfast, we were heading for Santa Elena Refuge shortly after 7.00! The road, as usual was very bumpy and at one stage we lost all the signs for the refuge and drove down the other side of the mountains for a couple of kilometres before we worked out we'd gone wrong!
Finally, shortly after passing Selvatura Park, we came to the Refuge. We parked up and paid $14 each (the guide had suggested it was $17) and headed out on one of the trails. Lynn decided that she could do 3 km again, so we headed out on the Sentaro del Bajo. The first part of the walk the path was really good but it slowly got worse, but not impossible. This refuge reminded us more of the cloud forests of Ecuadour, with evertyhing covered in Spanish Moss and Epiphytes. As the forest canopy was so dense, we couldn't see many birds, and to be fair at first we didn't hear any either.
Eventually, we found a few places with a bit of view and watched fly-catchers whizzing around. Further down the trail, Lynn headed back toward the entrance whilst I did another loop heading up to the highest part of the refuge. After finding a rather broken down viewing platform, a bird called a Blue Guan, almost flew into me and decided to pose on a branch for me! Not long after this I reached the highest point at 1725M. Further down the trail I found a metal tower about 20M high which I scaled. The views from the top towards the Arenal and Chato volcano and Lake Arenal were spectacular. It was a bit hazy, otherwise I would have been able to see the Caribbean Sea.
I met a park guide and couple of clients shortly afterwards and they showed me a tree with a couple of Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls sleeping in it. Back down at the cafe at the entrance we sat and had a drink and watched more birds from the balcony.
We then headed back down the bumpy roads to Santa Elena where we had lunch at a the Common Cup, a coffee shop. As we walked in, the smell of roasting coffee was almost overwhelming - the owner was roasting and grinding coffee for a client when we arrived. We had sandwiches for lunch which were delicious and very cheap. In the garden of the cafe were several Hummingbird feeders and oddly, a Capuchin Monkey! Lynn tried to take a few photos whilst I went to the bank, but by then the Monkey had disappeared!
The afternoon was spend in the hotel room and out on the balcony. I spent some while catching up on the travel diary/blog whilst Lynn sat outside and read. From about 16.00, the bird-life picked up and we saw another 4-5 different birds in the space of an hour and a half. We saw a woodpecker-type bird, but it was just too far away to fully identify. One final bird we identified from a photo I took in the cloud forest was delightfully named a Bananaquit!
In the evening we again drove down to Santa Elena and ate at Campasinos, a small local restaurant. Excellent food and service at the whole meal with drinks set us back 9100 Colones, just over £11.
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