I've got to be honest I think one person at a time is the rule, because they're a
bit wobbly, and a bit rickety, and there squeaking. crikes,
*** Cheerful Music ***
Oww, it's a bit bright
this morning, so we're up bright and early this morning we got up at 6:00.
We've had a couple of coffees, and we are heading up towards the bus station, this
morning, to get the bus to, Monteverde Reserva, there you go. So we're gonna go
check out the cloud forest. We've made it to the bus station here in Santa
Elena, and we're just waiting for the bus to take us to Monteverde. It is funny
actually, because the town is on a peak, you think you've only got a couple
of minutes to go, because it is literally a couple of minutes away but because
it's all on a hill, it is steep, so if you're going up it takes five minutes, and if you're going
down it takes one minute, it's true so allow a little extra time,
depending on the power of your legs. It's a little bit confusing, where you
actually get the bus to the rain forest reserve from, because we asked in the
bus station, they said behind in the main bus terminal.
We waited there, nobody else came, so we went ask somebody else just to make sure, he said no, come out
and cross the road by the pharmacy, which you can see behind us and so we're
waiting here, there's still nobody here and it's due to arrive in the next
couple of minutes, so maybe it's too early for everybody else, or maybe
they're on private tours. But us lowly budget travellers have to get the
public bus! ha ha
*** Music ***
We made it! We're on an orange bus as always
Mariannes Spanish just about got us there !! Only Just !!
*** Music ***
So after a short bus ride, we have arrived at the Monteverde Cloud Forest
Reserve, and we're just going to go and get some tickets and see what it's all
about, but we are like super excited yeah a little bit of information when you're
actually around and about, you'll see a big orange bus, you can flag him down
wherever you are on the side of the road, he will stop for us from Santa Elena to
Monteverde it cost us, one mille four hundred colonas, for both of us ,for
both of us, so cheap, that was super cheap. Super clever to do a budget travel. Don't
go on the tour ! Get your own bus here and maybe get a tour guide.
when you get here. That's another great thing about hostel life, Pablo
our host in our hostel, told us about this local bus, so when you're staying in
hostels always ask for local tips. It is the way forward for budget travel.
Absolutely!!
*** Music ***
So we've got our two tickets for the day, and it's 22 US dollars per person, and
the trail that we've chosen to do, is about three and a half hours long, it should
take us up to a nice viewpoint, over a nice hanging bridge, and up to a
waterfall. So let's go and see what we can find.
*** Music ***
There are like Tarzan vines, you can imagine Tarzan swinging through the
jungle, and it's covered in like a beautiful soft moss, like really stringy
fairy moss, that's really very like, in fact it reminds me of Ireland, and those
fairy forests.
So one of the wonderful things about the cloud forest, is it's
just so lush, and it doesn't really matter today what we see nature wise,
because there's quite a few people hiking through the forest, and you may or
may not see actual animal wildlife, but it doesn't matter because we're
experiencing such a biodiverse forest, up in the clouds which is what this area is
famous for. You can hear the birds around us, they're there and
oh it's just amazing.
*** Music ***
We've been walking for about 40 minutes, and we have seen so many birds, but it's
really hard to get them on camera, because obviously everything is wild and
just moving so quickly.
*** Music ***
So we've hiked all the way down to this viewing point, which has taken us
probably about an hour to get down here, and the view behind us is breathtaking,
but what's an interesting fact, there is a sign here that says, from this platform any
rain that falls on this side, will go into the Pacific. And any rain that falls
on that side, will travel hundreds of miles and will end up in the Atlantic.
That's amazing!
*** Music ***
Amazing! just as I was walking along the path, I spotted this little bit of
movement, and found this amazing yellow and red colourful bird, and I stood there
and watched it for a moment, and it's actually making a nest in the bank.
Literally just behind me, absolutely fascinating.
*** Music ***
You just keep over filming here, it is just so beautiful but as Chris just said
off camera, it is green on green on green on green, there is literally so many
shades, so many different shaped leaves.
*** Music ***
If planning on coming to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve - word of warning!
Have a degree of fitness, they do tell you on the trails the elevation, but even
we're finding it hard, it is steep, some of these pathways are super steep and they all
good pathways, they're well maintained they're well looked after.
*** Music ***
so after the
jungle walk, you go over a little wooden bridge, and then to a big metal bridge
and it's bouncing - Howdy !
He is checking it out, nobody will cross, until they know it's safe.
*** Music ***
Marianne aches from her zip wiring yesterday I think she was so tense that
her stomach aches, I feel like i have done one hundred sit up !! and everything is tense and sore. Surely it was harder for me
running through the jungle below, trying to film from above, Oh love it must have been hard for you !!
But some of these pathways are super super steep, or we're unfit a little bit, we know that.
too much time in the van. I miss our van.
As soon as they see us they they go away, but Chris has got some lovely pictures of foliage ha ha,
with oh I've got a mosquito in my hair trying to bite me little bugger but we are gonna have
so much footage and we will probably bore the pants, no we won't because I'll
cut it down to a couple of minutes, it will be fine I'm just the best bits