Waterfalls and Butterflies

Waterfalls are amazing sites, especially when one gets up close and personal with them in a rain forest. Today was an adventure beginning at 5:30 am when I had to wake up and get ready for the tour bus. The first stop after picking up the other passengers was to the Doka Estate Coffee Plantation where we received a tour of the coffee operations and breakfast with some very fresh coffee. While we’re on the subject of coffee, I’ve learned to enjoy a few cups every morning and sometimes in the evening. The French roast was very good and so was the breakfast. Did you know they still hand pick the coffee beans at this plantation because they only want the best coffee. I suppose they can afford to do it this way when the workers only get $1 per basket and they usually bring in about 6 to 8 baskets per day.

After the coffee plantation we boarded the bus and were on our way to the Volcan Poas. A leisurely stroll along the paths led us to the look out area where we could see the area of the last eruption. Another stroll along a more strenuous path led us to the site of another eruption, which is now a lake. The highlight of the day was the La Paz Waterfall Gardens. The tour began with the Aviary where exotic birds of all sorts were flying around and even landing on Will’s (a young man from London) head, which caused quite the start. Macaws, Toucans, Pavas, and Tanagers were flying about very close to us. From the Aviary we walked to the Butterfly Garden where we witnessed the birth and death cycle of various types of butterflies. This was an incredible experience, as I have never seen a butterfly emerge from its cocoon and then slowly engulf its wings. There were many types of butterflies emerging, some struggling greatly and others just slipping out easily. When they come out of the cocoon you can barely see their wings and within minutes they are full size. Next were the Monkeys, but they only had two kinds of actual monkeys, but they did have several types of marmosets. For those who enjoy hummingbirds then the next area would astound you. There were so many hummingbirds flying right next to you that it was hard to keep track of any one type, and there were many types sporting various colors and sizes.

The snake exhibit was very informative about the snakes in Central and South America. I really liked the yellow ones, which were some type of eyelash viper. They weren’t very big, but looked really cool. Cool was also the temperature in the Colibries Restaurant were we sat next to a waterfall under a thatch roof. The food was an assortment of local and American favorites, and the butterflies tasted the food and drinks while we were eating. After lunch was the highlight of the tour, the waterfalls. As we descended into the rain forest the temperature dropped even more and the sounds of the waterfalls filled the air. The first view was of the stream and then the views of the waterfalls. The next hour was spent walking up and down the many steps that lead the way around, through, and under the waterfalls. By the time we reached the end my legs were shaking. I was able to rest on the one-hour ride back. Now I’m resting and typing, so all in all today was a great adventure.