Leaving La Quinta today, and we stop at
Barulio Carillo National Park. It gets an amazing 8
metres of rain annually, though thankfully we didn't get
anything while we were there.
The trail here is a long narrow loop, so we split up and
some of us go with Andy and the others with Gustavo.
Pattie and I hooked up with Andy and saw some interesting
skulkers and new tanagers. Gustavo's group saw the
Ornate Hawk-Eagle that we only heard, and also saw the rare
Lattice-tailed Trogon. All the more reason to go back
;-)
After the hike, we stopped at a deserted hotel property
(except for the guy collecting $5 from every party that
visited ;-) and saw some new hummingbirds, including the
beautiful Snowcap and Black-crested Coquette.
After a quick lunch we headed up through San Jose again, and
eventually started climbing the Talamancas, and Cerro de la
Muerte. Part way up the mountain we turn off and take a 9km
twisty, steep road (and it was getting dark and, since we
are at a high elevation, it is quite foggy). Pattie was
just as nervous, if not more so, than our adventure in
Virgen. She vowed not to drive it again until we were
leaving, and even then I think she wanted to walk it.
Eventually, we arrive at the
Savegre Hotel de Montana, a very nice resort nestled in
a river valley, very alpine in feeling, chilly in the
morning and at night, but with a whole host of new birds
(including ... the Quetzel).
February 22, 23, 2008
We start the day early, as usual.
Pattie needs to unwind, so she decides to walk (!) up to the
top of the road, where there are some artisan shops.
It is 18km roundtrip, and takes her a good 3 hours -- not
bad given the steepness of the hike and its length!
Here are a few pictures she snapped along the way, including
a pooch that kept her company for part of it.
Pattie and I eventually hooked up over a late lunch, and
then wandered the grounds for an hour or two. There
were trout ponds (fresh fish for dinner), scenic bridges,
and lush trails. Surrounding the hotel were hills with
fruit plantations and vegetable gardens.
The late afternoon and evening of the 22nd we (except
Pattie of course) drove up to the peak of Cerro de la Muerte
to look for specialties above the timberline. On the
way back down, in the dark, Andy called out a Dusky
Nightjar, a regional endemic, that I managed to get distant
pictures of.
February 23, 2008
Our last day, and we make a
stop on the way back from Savegre -- it is quite foggy, but
we catch a couple of new birds.
