Hey again, everybody.

So Monteverde is amazing. I've taken more pictures here than anywhere else in the country I've been combined. I'll be posting those here once I return to Santa Ana, so don't you worry none.

The trip up here yesterday was forever long, roughly five hours from San José. We were riding with a tour group of senior citizens who were from (I think) Scandanavia. One of the guys asked me if I was Swiss while he was sitting down, and when I said no, he just said, "Oh, you look Swiss. My mistake." I guess that's a compliment, I don't know.

When we got to town, we got some food and headed out to the lodge we're staying in. I just have to say that I owe a big fat "Thank You" to the folk's at Frommer's, because the travel book I bought before leaving the States has come in immensely handy here especially. Because of them, I was alerted to the fact that there are dormitories right at the foot of the biological reserve that were super cheap for students. $38 per night gets us three meals a day and free admittance to the reserve (normally $12). So needless to say, we're doing quite well for ourselves. Hooray for us.

After getting accustomed to our lodgings for the evening, we decided to take advantage of our proximity to the reserve (as well as the uncharacteristically cloudless night, complete with a nearly full moon) and take a slightly prohibited night walk through the jungle. Quite possibly one of the coolest experiences of my life. We didn't see any animals, but it was just really cool to hear the sounds and feel the air. It's really humid, but it's so cool that you really don't even notice it. I had to wear my sweater for the first time since coming to Costa Rica; crazy.

This morning, after waking up early thanks to the family of howler monkeys living outside of our window (seriously), we had some breakfast and headed into the reserve to see what we had been missing the night before. I really wanted to spring for a guide to come with us, but it was pretty pricey (about $25 per person in the group... a little too steep for four college students just trying to see some plants and animals).

Slightly-relevant side note: there are some strange little raccoon-type creatures that come near the lodge every morning and harrass the incoming tourists. I saw one of these things try to snatch a photographer's bag out of a chair, but it failed miserably due to the fact that it tried to pull the bag out from the back of the chair, and so the bag was to big to fit through the space between the seat and the back. The chair came a-tumblin' down on top of the thing and nearly scared the daylights out of it. Hilarity ensued.

Back to the story: so it turns out that we probably should have sprung for the guide. The park had some of the most beautiful stuff I've ever seen in person, but I had no idea what I was looking at most of the day. Also, we failed to see any birds or mammals outside of the long-nosed raccoons outside of the lodge and the monkeys near our window. Not to say it hasn't been a great time, but it definitely would have been nice to see a quetzal or an ocelot or something. Another time, perhaps.

We walked in the forest for close to five hours, then we headed back to the lodge to do some R&R before leaving for what is called around here a "Canopy Tour." Canopy Tours involve strapping on a harness, climbing some trees, and then spending three hours or so riding ziplines through the forest. In other words, quite possibly the sweetest thing ever. I've got some photos for you that I'll post on Monday or Tuesday. Very sweet.

Not much more to say for now, I'm afraid. Have a great night, everybody.

"No... no, I can't afford that. No. No. No. NO TENGO DINERO, ALREADY!"
-Juan