Yes,my day predictably started with a 70 length or 30 minute swim in the pool - particularly important as today was a travelling day with at least 4 hours in the bus as we headed to the hot and humid Pacific South West rainforest.
As we were all ready by 8am that's when we left.
En route we stopped for petrol - all off the bus just incase of it igniting - next stop a supermarket so people could buy alcohol at reasonable prices- if that's what they wanted to help lubricate the new year in!! We opted for apple juice, some water, two snickers and two fresh baked apple pastries - no alcohol for us - we only need intoxicating good humour! Next we persuaded Juan Carlos to stop for coffee - it was great as we stopped at a little place used by Costa Ricans and had two mugs of coffee for a $1 each - all refreshed we got back on the bus wishing all the stops were as cost efficient and nice as that one !!
Just before reaching the lodge we had to get out of the bus and walk over a rickety bridge - weight limits would no doubt have been exceeded. Due to the uneven nature of the wood the lady in today's photograph also dismounted her bicycle and did likewise and as you can see she set off ahead of us, but struggled to get momentum on her bicycle; her fantastically vibrant orange outfit suited her smiling persona!
Further on down the track we started to see several birds including orange cheeked parakeets tucking into figs.
On arrival we decamped to our rustic cabins and returned to the main lodge for our home cooked organic lunch - cold beetroot soup - the two vegetarians amongst us had a very nice cauliflower omelette -a first for me - but to be recommended- others had beefsteak in mango sauce and we finished off with banana loaf. After lunch I jumped, well eased myself, into the pool to cool off - it is noticeably hotter here so a dip was necessary! - they have a lovely stream fed freshwater pool.....cool and refreshing with only a slight gasp required as you got in!
In the afternoon those interested in birds joined Juan Carlos for a walk back down the track to see what we could see - a grey headed flycatcher - took lots of identification, but as we continued we saw lots of other birds including a black shouldered kite, woodpecker, a chestnut mandibled toucan, a yellow headed caracara, purple gallinule, little blue heron, great blue heron, white ibis (immature), cattle egret and young, they were dark brown and the first we have ever seen, black seedeaters and a lovely fork tailed flycatcher - a farmer let us go onto his land to take photos - never easy though to get a good picture!
We were back around 5pm and decided to go to the bar to bring in the UK new year at 6pm as we would never be awake at midnight for the Costa Rican one. Dinner at 7.30 was salad followed by a Costa Rican speciality which was like polenta with additions eg raisins olives, rice and vegetables/ meat wrapped in banana leaves (a bit like a Costa Rican Cornish pasty - but you don't eat the banana leaves) and we finished the meal off with a local fruit mousse for desert ( the latter was very strong flavoured and not my favourite)
A local musician with guitar (who we had earlier seen pass us on his motorbike while we were birding) serenaded us with typical local music.....I have to say it all sounded very similar - but it made for a change!
Our eyes would not stay open beyond 9 ish - so it was back to the cabin - we were greeted by a frog which leapt from the patio onto one of the uprights as we arrived - I had to photograph him- then we checked all the important places to ensure no scorpions or other wildlife were joining us for the night!