Lake Arenal, Monteverde and the Cloud Forest Preserve

We revisit the sloth from an earlier stop Commercial house plants are a big business in Costa Rica DSCF0479 rv DSCF0484 rv
Approaching the cloud shrouded Arenal volcano The town of La Fortuna near the Arenal volcano Afternoon views of the Arenal volcano DSCF0489 rv
DSCF0490 rv DSCF0491 rv Where else can you find a waterfall in the bathroom next to your shower? Our room at the Mountain Paradise hotel
The grounds outside our room with Arenal volcano hidden in the clouds Our room patio with a hot tub The Arenal volcano seem from our patio in the morning DSCF0503 rv
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DSCF0513 rv The hotel swimming pool DSCF0515 rv DSCF0516 rv
DSCF0523 rv Flowers of the Mimosa tree DSCF0529 rv DSCF0530 rv
DSCF0534 rv The volcano in mid mornnf with steam rising from the main crater Walking along the Arenal volcano trails DSCF0543 rv
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Looking towards Lake Arenal DSCF0551 rv Cut sugar cane stems DSCF0555 rv
Using a sugar cane press to squeeze out the juice Coffee plants on the left and sugar cane on the right, the 2 main exports of Costa Rica Pineapple plants Views of the Arenal volcano from the trails
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Orchids growing in the lava field DSCF0568 rv Lake Arenal in the distance Up we go over the lava fields
DSCF0571 rv DSCF0573 rv DSCF0574 rv Down we go
Plants found in the lava field DSCF0581 rv DSCF0582 rv DSCF0584 rv
What appears to be some type of wild iris blooming in the lava field DSCF0587 rv Leave cutters at work on a hotel walkway View of the Arenal volcano as we get ready to leave the hotel
The volcano from Lake Arenal Lake Arenal is a natural lake but was made 3x larger with the construction of a hydroelectric dam in 1979 DSCF0600 rv DSCF0601 rv
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Blue heron on the shores of the lake DSCF0619 rv DSCF0620 rv DSCF0621 rv
Herons populate the shores and trees around the lake Driving through the countryside to Monteverde A wind farm on the countryside hills A Mealy Parrot giving us a show
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DSCF0638 rv Soccer in the afternoon in a small village The Heliconia Ranch near Monteverde Walknig to lunch
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DSCF0657 rv Some members of the dance troupe The dance performers DSCF0659 rv
Traditional Costa Rican ox cart DSCF0661 rv Waiting for the show to begin The troupe performing traditional dances
DSCF0673 rv Butterflies playing in the fields DSCF0696 rv DSCF0697 rv
DSCF0698 rv DSCF0699 rv Driving closer to Monteverde DSCF0701 rv
DSCF0702 rv DSCF0703 rv DSCF0704 rv Leaf cutters on the night rain forest walking tour
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The bugs come out at night to forage Wild bananas growing in the rain forest A kinkajou up in the canopy A type of mini orchid
DSCF0744 rv Rainforest trees with support vines DSCF0748 rv DSCF0749 rv
Walking through the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve DSCF0752 rv DSCF0755 rv DSCF0758 rv
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DSCF0764 rv Bridges over the valleys DSCF0767 rv DSCF0768 rv
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Hummingbirds putting on a show DSCF0777 rv DSCF0778 rv DSCF0780 rv
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DSCF0859 rv A tarantula on the forest floor DSCF0865 rv DSCF0866 rv
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A juvenile Three-wattled Bellbird DSCF0890 rv DSCF0891 rv Sunsent from the El Establo Mountain Hotel looking towards the Pacific Ocean
DSCF0899 rv Views of the ciuntryside as we descend from the Cloud Reserve DSCF0903 rv DSCF0906 rv
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The butterfly preserve at the Doka Coffee Plantation DSCF0915 rv DSCF0917 rv DSCF0919 rv
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DSCF0927 rv Learning about growing coffee DSCF0930 rv DSCF0931 rv
Wild bananas growing on the plantation DSCF0933 rv Raw coffe beans on the plant DSCF0935 rv
Colorful rainbow eucalyptus tree Touring the coffe mill DSCF0941 rv A coffee batch "computer"
Washing the coffe beans DSCF0944 rv Vats with cleaned coffee beans DSCF0947 rv
A very large coffee bean roaster Coffee beans bagged in the warehouse DSCF0950 rv DSCF0951 rv
DSCF0952 rv Drying coffe beans outside the mill DSCF0954 rv DSCF0955 rv
DSCF0956 rv DSCF0957 rv Tools used during the coffee bean curing process Processed coffee beans in the raw
DSCF0961 rv Looking out over San Jose on our last day. ¡Qué maravillosa experiencia ha sido con un clima estupendo, gente amable y fabulosas vistas. Adiós Costa Rica.