Like Mr Bean on Steriods

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Geo: 10.3041, -84.798

At 0910 hrs yesterday (Monday) "PEDRO" was delivered. He is a rather "Natty" metallic gold Daihatsu 1500cc compact 4WD...His engine sounds like an anaemic wasp and has a dodgy front left wheel bearing but he buzzes along at 80kph and climbs potholed dirt track roads without complaint.

At 1000hrs after pre flight checks that would put a 747 pilot to shame we set off and cautiously turn right out of the Van Trapp Motel. A few mopeds whizz past and I get tooted by a nasty looking lorry. Soon I am into my stride and after about 2 minutes into our journey we pull into a Peli Supermarcado for essential supplies.....crisps, UHT milk, Chilly sauce, Ginger Ale and some rather obscure Scotch at $5 a litre..... PEDRO is laden with goodies.......we tootle off West down Highway 1.....AKA The Pan American Highway which links Alaska to Tierra del Fuego in Chile by a single unbroken road. I suppose we must be about half way along its huge length of 48000km!

We have a SAT NAV which we switch on.....suddenly it "burps" into life......"MAKE A U-TURN ASAP!..........WHAT!.........no surely this is incorrect as we pull off into a dusty and wind swept petrol station for directions. We are reassured by the decorative staff that we are on the right road and toss the Sat Nav into the back seat....prefering to rely on a map and road signs.....STILL NO WORKING KETTLE though........a slight but growing worry.

State Highway 1 out of St Jose is busy.......huge US style "10-4 Rubber Duck Convoy" lorries plough past us and to be frank slightly "white knuckled", I ease PEDRO up to a heady 80kph. The traffic thins as we gently climb into verdant landscape. We are driving though superb countryside with banana trees and other tropical thicket on either side......to our right we make out high ranges and on our left we can occaisonally glimpse the sea in the far distance. We need to cover some 180k and navigate our way up to the Cloud Forest Nature reserve which will be our home for the next three nights....some of this will be an "OFF ROAD " scenario and I cautiously test the "DIFF LOCK" button........nothing much happens except a small green light fleeps into life on the dashboard. The sun is shining and we are firmly on our way!

Kettle worries continue to be the topic of conversation as Cathy navigates us through various strategic "Way Points"...........we notice a sign for a "Super Peli Supermarket" in 5km....could this be the answer to our kettle problem?. We pull in and spot some bright pink kids bikes for sale.........this could be it!.......What is Spanish for kettle????......after much Mr Bean like hand signals and fizzing noises the staff look bemused and totally unsure what we are looking for. In my eagerness to convey the nature of our purchase requirement I managed to step into Cathy's shopping cart (on little wheels) and go flying into a row of Thermos Flasks. Much laughter from the small crowd that is gathering around us........I then see a coffee making machine....grab it and go running after the sales assistant euphoric.....the glass pot goes flying and is caught by the sales girl.....by this time I retire hurt and we end up purchasing a filter coffee machine which will be almost impossible to get home in one piece!!

We press on due West and follow Highway 1 to Limonal.....refuel as directed in our flight plan and then turn inland and North to the small but user friendly Town of Juntas. It provides a good staging post for the "off road" drive up to Santa Elena some 30km away and set high in the Cordillera Ranges. The road climbs out of Juntas and Pedro is put into low gear. We bumble along a half made up road........up and up.....the views of the Pacific Gulf of Nicoya to our left are magnificent.........

With the Sat Nav "canned" and languishing silent on the back seat we now rely on Cathy's excellent navigation........however signs are few and far between........we start to question our route.....eventually after a few heated exchanges we pull over an ask a local herdsman the way........he must have spoken some weird local dialect........if having trouble making yourself understood abroad speak you all know what to do...........speak very slowly and loudly in ENGLISH! This had little effect on the swarthy but smiling local. Eventually we end up in Santa Elena which turns out to be a charming Alpine village full of guest houses, gift shops and pizza bars!

Much of the The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve was set up by Quakers who fled the USA in the 1950's so as to avoid the draft for the Korean War. As a consequence, there is a distinct European feel to the place. They set up a cheese making plant and started the now flourishing Eco-Tourism industry. There are all sorts of "ECO" things to do such as bat watching, butterfly spotting, night safaris etc....all good stuff!

Our little Eco Lodge is set high above Santa Elena in the lush cloud forest. It consists of about 14 wooden bungalows with a central restaurant and reception area some 50 yards below. We are greeted by the smiling and helpful Roxana and settle in. The supplies truck is well stocked and we pour a well deserved "sharpener" after a hard 24 hours travel. It seems hard to believe that we left London only the day before!

After an excellent dinner the Cloud Forest "did what it said on the tin" the heavens opened and we were treated to a biblical deluge.....all night long the wind and rain lashed our little cabin.....even now at 1400hrs the following day we have a real mix of bright sunshine interspersed with heavy showers. They rain showers drift across the vast jungle clad valleys around us .......then as suddenly it starts..... it stops.......and the inspects start up again in the bright sun.....To be frank, it is very relaxing and has not hampered us whatsoever.

We mange to fit in a long forest canopy walk earlier and head up well marked tracks with vast trees and jungle towering above us. Mysterious "jungly" noises can be heard but not an animal in sight! We spot a small moth and a lone ant making his way across a track..............but then suddenly from nowhere, in front of us a troop of half a dozen or so Coati (raccoons type animals) trundle along in search of food.

My ornithological knowledge can be fitted on the back of a dry roast peanut but even I have to admit that the bird life is astounding........we have a plethora of small highly coloured species as well as huge birds of prey that soar high above us. Even at breakfast, we were treated to several iridescent humming birds feeding a few feet away from us. We have also been fortunate to see a group of "White-faced Capuchin monkeys near to our cabin.

We are here for another 2 nights.........

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Comments

[M Tyler]

What fun! Looking forward to the next installment! Safe travels!

[katie.jenks28]

Wow! Hellooooo little thing!

[Chris McDonald]

A lovely read as ever. Looks idyllic, although that monkey look like it might have criminal intent - don't take your watch off!