El Bosque Nuboso de Monteverde (Cloud Forest)

Monteverde Cloud Forest is located in the center of the country on the continental divide.
A boat ride across the placid Lago Arenal, then a rocky, meandering mountain passage delivered half the group to the Bosque Nuboso de Monteverde, Costa Rica. El Hotel Don Taco is set into the hill overlooking the village. A dusty main street of which only a couple blocks are cobble stone takes us past cafes, pizzerias, tabernas y super(mini)mercados.
Others have selected the full mountain passage route that will deliver them in the late afternoon. For $10US extra, Lorraine of England, Xavier & Sandra of Switzerland, Dashani & Asenka Newleyweds of Toronto, and Gary of California take a direct route across the large fresh water basin that is fed from the springs descending from the volcanic, cloud-covered mountains we see in every direction.
Minutes after checking-in, I lead three of my travel companions to the center of town into a local tour company called Camino Verde. Here we cash traveler's checks and purchase a tour that will take us immediately into the La Reserva de Santa Elena - Bosque Nuboso de Monteverde. The entrance into the reserve is a $9 conservation fee used to maintain the trails and for their sponsor school, a local high school in which the students actively take part in the preservation of this home to an amazing variety of birds and monkeys. The entrance to the reserve is lined with hummingbird feeders. Los colibries are zipping around our heads, stopping within inches of our noses. They say "hola" with a moment of curious before returning to their business of sipping the sugar nectar so needed to sustain their remarkable metabolism. Quite undisturbed by our presence, we are able to capture photos... but you must be quick, as they are gone in a blink. They seem territorial, as they bicker with their chums in little aerial spats. They take care not get stung by the bumbles and wasps that share the feeders.
We were happy to sign in, so the park rangers could take an inventory of hikers. Our receptionist provides a photocopied simple map that denotes river crossings and turns. We hike three our of the four senderos, each becoming progressively more challenging than the last. Lorraine and I are accustomed to such strenuous activity, however, our Torontan Newleyweds are easily winded by the vertical demands of this damp forest. The special significance of this place lies in the rareness of having such an expanse tract of land that is a primary forest, that is a forest that has never been cut. We pass thru a secondary forest which seems healthy and lush, yet are shocked by the difference in vegetation density of a true cloud forest, as we cross into the primary forest of 200 year old trees that are coated from trunk to tip with moss, ferns, vines, orchids, and a variety of other hitchhikers.
So gargantuan are the ferns and palms, that I can easily hide behind one leaf. Species of such plants range in the thousands. Several ferns so desperate for light they have grown some eighty feet in height and easily span twenty feet across. I feel small(-er?). We enjoy a visit off the path to a miniature waterfall. It refreshes us, giving good courage at the halfway point of this four hour adventure. Birds, such as the clay-colored robin, Costa Rica's national bird, flit and chirp but are difficult to spot in this overgrown and obscurely lit dream, now becoming overtaken by drifting fogs. The clouds have now settled in around us and chill my ears, but my heartrate raises the body temperature enough to continue for the most part without my jacket, that is, until the rains come. Thunder enchos across the valleys. Occasional dull flashes are filtered through the clouds, and a light dusting of droplets moisten our hair and tickle our noses. The smells have changed, as the earth scents are triggered by the excessive moisture and the increased airflow lifts them to our nostrils. A couple five inch yellow striped black catipillars appear at our feet. They freeze upon seeing us, on the cross sections of hardwood trees that have been sliced and placed as stepping stones for the paths.
One more abrupt turn and we enjoy our final kilometer return to base in a silent satisfaction. One ranger awaits us outside the giftshop at the base. He calls the taxi for us.
Our evening meal is at Restaurante Morphos, with all the GAP Adventurers. We sit at chunky, varnished log tables and chairs handmade from indeginous cloud forest trees. Everywhere we go there are bags of coffee from numerous plantations. Monteverde Coffee donates a percentage of their revenue to the preservation of the cloud forest, once again providing examples of Costa Rica's commitment to ecology.
The night is young, and so are "some of us". It's off to the pub slash disco to mix and mingle, okay to salsa with the Ticos (native Costaricans). We arrive in advance of the action. A few folks glued to the soccer match with light music in the back. By the time we've finished a ron con pina bebida the music has gone up several decibles, y la gente llega para bailar!
Baile, baile toda la noche. Lorraine wants to learn some salsa steps. The rhythm and electricity that flows across the floor peaks by midnight. Hip-hop Latin mixes, the DeeJay knows how to please the crowd. In true latin fashion, movement is all in the hips and ripples down to the feet. Here, the spins, dips, and occasional grinding moves made famous in our part of the world by La Lambada dance troups and the movie Dirty Dancing are common place. Latins are not shy and can be highly sensual as they freely display their sexuality with deep stares, holding gazes that usually unfold with grins and hair tosses, as it is all meant for good fun and teasing.
Six foot seven Karl from Sweden scoops me up under his arm to match his height. A couple camera flashes go off. The crowd is applauding. Probably a third of the couple hundred people crammed in to this sauna are tourists, mostly from Europe and the U.S. Having made a good evening of it and realizing our next day commitments, we politefully bowed out. This is a tremendous workout of frivolity and fraternity. Sleep comes easy considering the miles of water and road we have traveled, steps we have hiked and moves have danced. All this, hidden behind a volcano under the clouds.