Head in the Clouds

OK I said we were in the cloud forest. We actually stayed in Santa Elena instead of Monteverde as we we told it was less over hyped. All I can say is that both came as a surprise. To get to Santa Elena (and then Monteverde) involves driving up the hills on unmade roads full of potholes and gullies washed away by the rains. You have no choice as no tarmac roads lead to the two communities. The dirt roads are some 35 kms long whichever of the 3 you choose and constantly climbing. Santa Elena is the first community high up on the mountain and came as a big surprise, All the way up are isolated communities strung along the roads and very little traffic but you hit Santa Elena and there is a town, tarmac roads, shops, hotels, supermarkets, restaurants, taxis, kids on motorbikes screaming everywhere. Such a surprise. The first comunity has the most restaurants but we had been advised that Monteverde was worse, more "Disneyland" but we think it was a lot more refined rather than brash like its lower down neighbour. We did stay in Santa Elena and had one day walk by ourselves in the Santa Elena cloudforest on the Caribbean side of the devide then the next day a guided morning walk at 7.00am on the Pacific side at Monteverde. Both were good but not a lot of wildlife to see. The best walk in the forest was the night walk we did lower down on the Santa Elena side where we came across a Two toed Sloth, lots of insects and a second Palm pit viper high in a tree. I had hoped for the yellow one but these are not found at that height above see level so it was two green ones we saw, sadly too high in the canopy for good viewing.
Have to look for the yellow one lower down on the coast.
After leaving the cloud forest today we drove back down the mountainside and onto the Pacific coast heading south. Great change in the weather with it getting much warmer and sunnier as we came down the hillside.
A stop was made on a bridge over a large river to see the crocodiles below. Approx 15 or so were present and could easily be seen from the bridge before we drove onto Jaco and found a small little hotel for the next three days and some beachside entertainment, surfing as well as walking in the forest down at sea level. The weathr is much warmer as well.
As for the weather we have found that normally the air is clear in the mornings with rain, usually torrential rain and storms occur most afternoons. When it rains here I mean proper rain, no drizzle just turn the tap on full for several hours but it is warm