Cloud Forest? What's that?? Only one way to find out - go there! Check-out of the fabulous Croc's Resort & Casino after a gourmet breakfast - no per rasher charge here! And a final swim with Lola and Paco before heading off to the mountain region of Monteverde and its Cloud Forest.
Just 8km from Santa Elena, centre of Cloud Forest Land we're halted by a broken down Tipper Truck carrying rocks for road repairs - all roads to Monteverde are dirt - no tarmac or concrete around - and this wagon has broken its back axle carrying too heavy a load.
Dirt Road + Heavy Rain + Broken Down Truck + Impending Darkness = Tricky Situation!
Try to skirt round the Truck, but mind the gap - Pablo's too wide and we slide sideways into the ditch! Reverse gently back and we're out! Phew!!
Dark now - still raining hard - does the rain ever stop here in Costa Rica?
Bizarrely a coachload of 20 US Senior Citizens arrives, debusses, waddles through the deep mud past the Tipper Truck and boards a second bus the other side of the road blockage! Birders in search of the elusive Quetzal - nothing is going to get between them and their Holy Grail!!
Next on the scene is Digger, which in no time at all climbs past Tipper Truck, claws open his rear door and tips the load of road-building rocks out onto the dirt track. Still pitch black, still raining hard, Digger is determined to get this road reopened! Skidding about on the wet and steep slope, Digger heaves and shoves boulders off the road into ditches and shoves Tipper Truck aside to leave just enough room for Pablo to squeeze by! We're the first vehicle through in three hours and celebrate by abandoning the scruffy place we planned to stay and check-in at Hotel Ficus - lured by its 4 Star rating plus individual Cabanas perched high on a mountainside up in the Cloud Forest!!
