Day 6 - Granja y Caldera autentico

Not raining anymore.

A quick breakfast and we are ready for the hot springs. We hiked down the hill to where our driver would meet us and take us to the hot springs. We drove for nearly 40 minutes just to reach our destination. As we drove the temperature continued to rise until we were above 30C instead of the 20C in the mountains.

We asked to be picked up in 2 1/2 hours and proceeded in waing about a 500m to where the farmer who owned the property met us and cautioned us of the dogs and the monkey. The monkey was climbing the tree just 10m from us and was a larger brown type of monkey. Elliot and Tegan didn't seem too interest with this monkey anyway. We were also cautioned to watch our mochilas as the monkeys were sure to follow or find us.

The hot springs were just a short walk through the farmyard and from what we discovered there were 2 pools, 1 large and 1 small one. The small one wasn't being used at the time of our arrival so it was ours. The water was pleasantly hot and the kids eventually were able to cope with the temperature and enjoy themselves. A spiky lizard showed up while we were soaking but no monkeys. After nearly a couple of hours of lazing around and when another family came to use the hot springs we then decided to leave.

Correen investigated the other pool with the kids and it turns out a couple of monkeys were there harassing the family that settled on using them. Our driver arrived just after we made it to the parking spot and we asked if he could stop at a comida for some lunch. We ordered a Meal of fish and of pork. Elliot and I shared the pork and Tegan and Mom had the fish. Elliot liked the pork so much that I only got to really have one bite of it and the remaining rice and beans. The kids also got to try a pop called Squirt which they really enjoyed.

Back at the hostel the water was running again and hot showers were available to us as well. The previous 2 days there was no water due to a crack in the water line. While we were sitting around the table we spotted an Emerald Toucanet as it flew into a nearby tree. We had an early supper of grilled cheese / tuna and while Correen and the kids watched a movie I was able to get in on a small stakes poker game. I initially lost half of my chips but ended up winning and take the $15 pot. The next game I lost, but I was still up $6 and and a great time playing and drinking $1.50 beers.

Tomorrow we leave the rainforest for the Carribean.

Day 5 - Treasure hunting in the jungle

Today the rain was continuing to rule the weather forecast. A tour of any sort seemed just out of the question, so we settled on the Treasure hunt today. The prizes for winning the treasure hunt needn't matter as they were all alcoholic and winning was likely not within our ability, as it was an all day event and we were setting out around 10 a.m. The first stop was the labyrinth. It was a neatly constructed maze of overgrown plants and we set off on the wrong path quite a few times before locating our next clue.

The next clue was actually something we spotted upon entry, so it was easily handled and next we were in search of Treebeard in the Forest of the Elders. Still raining. At the beginning we were given 2 maps that I was keeping inside my gore tex jacket. Sadly though we kept relying on them for navigation and rain and paper make some kind of consistency on par with mash potatoes if handled enough.

We made it to the crest of the hill and the Forest of the Elders wasn't too far below that. Elliot was doing really well climbing up the hill and down to where Treebeard stood. Soon after though he started to get chilled so we split up, Mom taking Elliot back to the hostel and Tegan and I proceeding. Oh yeah, Treebeard was so cool! He stood in a massive girth likely 10m in circumference. The trunk split in the middle and formed what felt like legs and the canopy covered a good portion of the sky above us.

Tegan and I continued down the path and came to a couple of junctions. We eventually made it to Little Kitten falls but when we stopped and opened our map for the next destination, we were left unfolding mushy bits of paper. Considering that without the map we had little chance of getting anywhere a clue would tell us to go, we decided to head back to the hostel too.

Still raining.

Once back we went to have a shower. Mom and Elliot already had one and said they had enjoyed it. Only Tegan and I suffered with a promisingly warm shower at first but very quickly the water ran out and we were very sudsy. We attempted to A) keep warm and B) rinse off but neither were entirely successful. We dried off and got dressed and then we went down to the lodge. While I made us lunch, Tegan continued to prove her new mastery of the game Yannif with a bunch of fellow travelers and Elliot warmed up with Mom watching a movie.

We continued with a night of just chilling including a visit with Rocky and a movie with popcorn.

Off to bed and it was still raining.

Day 4 - Arriving at Lost & Found

Tegan and Elliot were outside in the courtyard early checking out the parrot Coco and they both got to have the parrot perching on their arms. They really loved the parrots and the toucan, Tegan liked the 2 labradors that lived there as well. When I completed the latest blog entries we went on down the street to get some breakfast. The crepe place just a few doors down was closed so we opted for the bakery across the street.

Elliot and I each had a cinnamon bun for breakfast while Mom and Tegan had some local styled pastry, coffee and juices. Nearing our checkout time we quickly ran back to our hostel to get packed and grab a taxi to the David bus terminal. I paid $14 for the 4 of us to go about 100 kms in distance and to our next few nights of accommodations. I, Correen and the kids jumped on the bus and settled into the back seats.

We passed by many small farms where the family worked together working the land by hand and on horses. The drive up into the Fortuna Reserve was amazing with vistas of rolling hills and clouds blanketing the mountains at the higher altitudes. The roads were quite good considering the shear slope of the hills the mini-bus was tackling. Only about 1 1/2 hours into our ride and we were dropped off at the foot of the hill that our hostel resided. Correen's reaction to me reading that we had a 10-15 minute walk uphill to reach the hostel was priceless.

It was lucky for us and more for me that Patrick, one of the owners of the Lost & Found hostel, had also just arrived and was willing to assist me with getting our big black bag up the hill. I had to stop about 5-6 times on our ascension of the road that turned into some gnarly singletrack. Reaching the top and the hostel the kids encountered the capuchin monkey that they had rescued and was now leashed into an area on the property.

While we waited for our room to be organized for us, we got a tour of the place including where everything was and how everything operated. Tegan and Elliot liked the hammocks right from the start. Elliot really liked one of the girls staying there, her name was Diana and they swung on the hammock, played games or watched movies together. Tegan was always getting herself involved in card games with others as the hostel including learning Poker and an Israeli game called Yannif.

We suggested to the staff that we would like to do a couple of tours while we were there and the 2 we selected were the coffee plantation and the hot springs. Tegan upon learning that there was a treasure hunt immediately engaged her persuasive self to asking us if we could do this. Elliot was also keenly interested in the treasure hunt.

The pantry at the Lost & Found will keep you out of hunger, but the diversity of dishes you could create from the stocked ingredients is few. If you wanted to expand your mealtime choices you would surely need to resupply with some food from a super-mercado. I made spaghetti with meat sauce and fresh veggies including a native root vegetable that had the same consistency of an apple but with just a watery taste.

Not long after our supper we all went to bed and half-enjoyed the rain as it pelted the metal roof all night long.