EARTHWATCH MINI-SERIES PART DOS (2)

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DOS: THE NATURE
Last Sunday we went to Monteverde cloud forest and had Oscar the Great give us a guide with his amazing bird calls, monkey grunts, brilliant spottings of howler monkeys, cappucino monkeys, quetsals (rare bird), stick insects, hummingbird nests and the incredible fig tree which pollenates from the canopy of the trees, starting a slow caress down the trunk of the mother ship (another solid tree in which the fig takes refuge) until it meets the earth and spreads its fingers to become it's own spectacular image. It is not know as a strangler as it does not feed off the mother ship, and it is thought that it is due to a lack of sunlight it grows weak and dies its death to allow the fig to bloom...

Also, through all the rain, cloud and wind we have been blessed with some spectacular sunsets(as I've said before)! We walked the approximately 6km from Monteverde to St Elena (for lunch and a rum & coke at Bar Amigos), and then walked all the way back home just missing pitch darkness and making it in time for dinner, but it was worth it for the view and nature's spectacle!

Today we went for the most amazing hike to the St Luis Waterfall! You'd think 1.2km is de nada! No problem at all... Well, although it wasn't Kilimanjaro, it was still quite an adventurous and trepid journey, actually probably one of the best things I've done so far! Walking through dense forest, having to cross the river on numerous occassions with water reaching up to your knees, being careful not to slip and continue with the rippling force of the river down over rocks and debris... The waterfall itself may seem small but it comes down quite a vertical decent and hits the tiny pool with an immense force! We were going to swim but I was a little nervous about the pull and currents... I know I know, silly chicken I am - but not 100% yet so was for once being a responsible adult!

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Photos

The view from the office
This is what surrounds us while we're doing our daily transects... It's a hard life!

Valley's
Some of the valley's we're in, below, and above

Fig-galorous
The amazing fig which grows from the heavens above, down towards the deep rich earth!

Monteverde
This is a view of the forest from high up on the swing bridge

A misty pink hue
This is on the way back from St Elena, sundrenched mist...

The sun slowly subsides
And continues to dazzle!

Long walk home
The rainbow before us and the sun setting behing

Oldemar's coffee tour
This was at the end of our coffee tour at Oldemar's coffee farm

The easy beginnings
This was the first and most decent of the river crossings

Dabgerous liasons...
Boys helping boys? Now you know things are getting fun! Trust me the pic doesn't show the drop to the right...