Costa Rica Unplugged: Day 8, Part 1-- Forest and Butterflies

We maxed out Day 8 in Monteverde with activities. We hiked in a cloud forest, toured a butterfly garden, zip-lined, walked through hanging bridges, saw a hummingbird pavilion, took a night hike, and concluded the day the following morning at a local club. 

I was so excited to go hiking. It's an activity I enjoy doing regularly locally but knew Costa Rica would offer views I had never even dreamed of in Southern California. I was actually pretty bummed we had waited so long to take our first nature walk since I had anticipated way more outdoor activities in such a woodsy place.

It was drizzling when we arrived to the cloud forest. Our guide gathered us to give us some information about the park before taking off. We were about one hour in when we crossed paths with another tourist group and their guide. They told us the walkway was obstructed by a fallen tree. Our leader walked ahead of us and confirmed that we wouldn't get much further so we turned back. I was so disappointed. I hiked back twice as slow taking in every view, leaf, raindrop, and bug in an attempt to maximize the short walk. 

Check out the hand on the bottom to compare it to the size of the fern. It was the size of a patio umbrella.

A pop of color.

I miss that view. Not Jackie's rear, but the foliage. 

Tarzan and Jane type of stuff.

I love the colors!

Big tree.

So many trees and not a single monkey sighting.

The cloud part of cloud forest.

Nerd.

Centipede, millipede... I still don't know.

We heard beautiful songs in the trees but never found the singers :(

Half the time, my brain thinks in Spanish. "Musgo."

One of these things does not belong.

After the cloud forest, we drove to Selvatura Park where we started with the butterfly garden. I had just visited the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles where a butterfly display was being exhibited. It felt a little redundant for me but I kept my eyes peeled for new and colorful things. All I could think about throughout my walk was how great it would be for my students to be there with me seeing firsthand, instead of reading about, the life cycle of a butterfly. I needed to be a better teacher and take them on field trips but those cost money that I didn't have. The next best thing I could do was capture what I found to compile them into a Power Point presentation. 

Beautiful macaw parrots.

Eggs.

My favorite color.

Caterpillar.

Many caterpillars.

Turning into cocoons.

Cricket.

Acrobat caterpillar.

Hummingbird.

Up next, zip lining. I was nervous. My stomach churned. I felt like I had to take a dump.