A fast-moving streams runs through the grounds of Talari Mountain Lodge.

Saturday, May 10, 2003  Talari Mountain Lodge
Awoke to clouds swirling around our balcony bathing the trees to the point where we couldn’t see the birds that we could hear singing.  Everything was wreathed in mist and dampness.  It gave the feeling of being lost in an eerie forest. 

Following the daily procedure we headed to the terrace to bird before breakfast.  As we stood watching, a little female Green Honeycreeper flew into a window pane stunning herself.  Charlie hurried over to pick her up.  She shook her little head and promptly pooped in his hand.  I handed him a tissue to clean up, and he handed the Honeycreeper to me.  She sat shivering in my hand while I stared in wonder at her.  Charlie soon returned with sugar water in a spoon.  By then, she had stopped shivering but remained very quiet and still.  She drank a little, then some more and again a third time.  Moving her head a little she seemed to “come to” and drank again.  Charlie took her to the rail where the fruit was located and placed her there.  A few minutes later she flew into a nearby tree.  Hopefully she recovered fully from the shock.  What a beautiful little creature she was - brilliant green with a yellow beak, legs and feet.  It was truly an inspiring experience for me to hold her. 

By 7:15 a.m. we were loaded and ready to head toward our overnight at Talari Mountain Lodge, the halfway point between Las Cruces and Villa Lapas.  We will spend just one night at Talari Lodge.  A rustic little place near San Isidro with very good birding, owned by a Dutchman who is married to a Tica.  We arrived just before lunch, were given the keys to our rooms,  met Jan and had a tasty lunch. 

A cabin at Talari Mountain Lodge.

Right after lunch it began to rain heavily so instead of going birding at 2:30 we waited till 3:30 when the downpour was reduced to a drizzle.  Handling umbrella, binoculars and my walking staff was difficult but somehow I managed while Jim juggled his video camera, accessories, binoculars and umbrella like a pro.  The rain stopped as we were heading in to get ready for dinner.  

We sat talking a bit after the meal before we walked down the hill in pitch black darkness to our cabins. While we were talking, Charlie told me what a nice group we had and how he appreciated the consideration we showed him.  He indicated that with many groups he never gets to finish his meal because someone has a problem or wants sympathy or demands attention immediately.  I replied that even though he was our guide, we considered him our friend and would never think of taking him away from his meal unless it was a true emergency!  I find it difficult to realize that some people are so demanding. 

The hot shower was wonderful and we fell into bed before 9, tired and happy. 

The owners of the lodge raise some livestock on the grounds, including these baby goats.

Sunday, May 11, 2003  Hotel Villa Lapas
Early morning birding brought us, among other things, a pair of Pearl Kites snuggled up together on a bare branch.  Sweet enough to melt your heart.  By 8 a.m., we were heading back to San Isidro de El General, then took the road that would lead us to Dominical and the Pacific side of the country.   

A word here about San Isidro (Saint Isidore in English – Feast Day: May 15) Saint Isidore was born in Madrid, Spain, in the latter half of the 12th century.  For the greater part of his life, he was employed as a laborer on a farm outside the city. Many marvelous happenings accompanied his lifelong work in the fields and continued long after his holy death. He was favored with celestial visions and, it is said, the angels sometimes helped him in his work in the fields. St. Isidore was canonized in 1622.  His Prayer reads as follows: God, through the intercession of St. Isidore, the holy Farmer, grant that we may overcome all feelings of pride. May we always serve You with that humility which pleases You, through his merits and example.  

And since we now know about San Isidro, here is information on the rest of the city’s name - the El General part. According to Charlie, the El General comes from a former President of Costa Rica, General Tomás Guardia Gutiérrez, who was a military officer.  Apparently he used to own land in that particular Valley.  In addition, he was a cousin of Charlie’s great grandmother, on his  mother's side. 

We stopped for fuel at the crossroads in Dominical.  This is where the road turns to gravel/dirt - 44 kilometers of gravel/dirt.  This is the Pacific Coast Highway!  The only way to get to several well known areas in the central pacific region.  Word has it that about 20 years ago it was supposed to be paved but the funds were sent elsewhere.  Word also has it that finally within the next two years, this paving should come to pass.  We did see evidence that they were beginning to work on several small bridges that span seasonal streams.  It was slow going through plantations of oil palms, but the traffic wasn’t heavy. 

This wild parrot is somewhat of a pet at Casa Grande where it visits regularly for handouts from the dining room.

Our lunch stop was at Rancho Casa Grande where we had eaten two years ago when we traveled this road.  Arriving at 11:45 a.m. we took a short walk in the gardens before sitting down at 12:15 for a delicious meal.  It was so yummy that I must tell you about it.  We were served a delicious refresco (cold drink) made of blackberry juice.  Our salads were of field lettuce, avocado and tomato with balsamic vinaigrette.  The main dish was dorado (mahi mahi) grilled to perfection.  Also on the main plate were small amounts of crisp cassava strips, grilled plantains, a small amount of refried beans with crispy homemade tortillas in them as well as rice and a delectable salsa.  The meal was presented beautifully.  Dessert was Tres Leches which is a yellow cake made with three different milks, all of them sweet and fattening.  The entire meal was one of the best we had on the trip. 

Continuing  toward Villa Lapas, we passed the turn off to Manual Antonio National Park and the towns of Quepos and Jaco.  When we finally arrived, it was quite hot but, our rooms were air-conditioned and there was a delightful pool.  We were given the choice of a short birding walk or the pool.  Several of us opted for a very refreshing dip! 

The pool was a bigger draw than birding when we arrived at Villa Lapas after a day on the road.

We gathered in the bar at 5:30 p.m. for drinks.  Villa Lapas is an all inclusive place so we were wearing little colored bracelets that let the bartender and restaurant servers know we have the “run of the house” and no one has to worry about a tab at the end of the stay.  We opted for Cuba libres and headed to the room where we would mark our lists each evening. 

The bar and dining room were roofed but without walls.

Meals at Villa Lapas were served buffet style.   I didn’t eat very much the first evening because we had such a fantastic lunch, but I couldn’t pass up Tiramisu for dessert. 

Bedtime was at 8 p.m. this evening because we were to be up at 4 the next morning!  Yes, you read that correctly.  To do the Sky Walk at the best time of day we had to begin early.