Jaco/Puntaranas/Monteverde

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Jaco/Puntaranas/Monteverde:
Jaco, as a native described to me, is like a miniature Miami. The beaches are nice, waves are good for surfing, and there's plenty of nightlife to keep party-goers busy all week. Not to mention thieving prostitutes. Not that we encountered any, just met a guy who was robbed without a happy ending. We laid low in Jaco and caught the next bus out of there in the afternoon. That bus I was telling you about, was over a half hour late! Other than the irritation of being at a bus stop for 45 minutes with uncertainty and no bench, it made us miss our connecting bus in Puntaranas. After arriving in Puntaranas I couldn't understand why this was a major connection between towns. It's a strip of land with water on both sides and a large pier where cruise ships dock. It seemed super inconvenient to get to and leave from. All we knew was we weren't about to stay here. Luckily Kevin met two other young Americans that looked more confused than we were. They were also interested in going to La Fortuna so we talked them into cabbing it with us to Monteverde (on the way). The cab costs $90, which wasn't ideal, but accommodation was expensive in Puntaranas and a shuttle would've charged $45 per person. The road, or should I say climb, to Monteverde was unpaved and full of potholes. It was a rough ride but we saw a gorgeous rainbow on the way. I was relieved when we arrived and found a reasonably priced hostel. For being so out in the boonies this small town was actually full of life, especially young travelers. I felt like we had entered another country coming up here. We left the beach for a dusty mountain cloud forest. We were welcomed by the fresh, cool air; such a pleasant surprise after weeks in the scorching heat. I was even more shocked to find flannel sheets on our bed, since we hadn't even needed a top sheet in Manuel Antonio and Jaco. Even though we've spent three days in Monteverde, I can sum up our experiences in a few sentences. For one thing, it is the perfect town for nature lovers, but everything has a price (and steep at that). Ten dollars to see orchids, $10 to see butterflies or frogs or reptiles, and even to take a tour of the cheese factory. That's not including the national parks and waterfalls. You'd think you can't put a price on nature, but apparently they can! So we've been finding our own entertainment...which translates to walking around, hill after hill. Kevin actually contracted a throat infection and was put on antibiotics so we've been laying low for the past couple days. Today we discovered a trail and gardens that winded behind a lodge. Free hiking, yes! We also helped a little toucan come-to after it appears he must've flown into a window near the shopping center. He was a beautiful bird and I'm glad he wasn't seriously injured, just shook up. It's been a welcome rest in Monteverde but I'm so anxious to get on that bus tomorrow at 7:00am and head to La Fortuna. I'm excited to see the volcano, lake Arenal, and enjoy some much needed pampering. Backpacking has its perks and it's disadvantages...but I'm ready for a little luxury! Ciao until next time...

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