Wednesday, November 15

Ron and I had to get this cinnamon roll as it reminded us of a similar one that we ate one morning in Spain. I have to admit that this one was a lot sweeter so I preferred the other one, but it was good.

We are in no big rush today as it is a travel day and our bus only leaves at 2:20 for Monteverde, a four and a half bus ride. We shower and go for breakfast at 8. After breakfast we pack and then go for our last walk to the city center. We are thinking of a visit in the theatre national since it was closed when we went on Monday. Well, we have to wait for a tour which begins every hour. We would have thirty minutes to wait, the the tour and we have to check out by noon. We nix the visit and walk around returning to the hotel around 11. Around noon, we check out and ask for as cab to take us to rhe bus starion. We are there now with a two hour wait, but we wanted to make sûre that we got seats. There are only two busses a day and the first one was at 6:30 this morning. We had an early yesterday so not again today.

Two of the tables in the dining room for our buffet breakfast.

One of the tables with fruits and vegetables.

The other table with some fruits, cheese, ham, bread, buns, and pastries. Then of course there was a chef making you your choice of egg preparation, or French toast, or pancakes. 

We boarded the bus around 2:20 and it left at 2:35. It was more than 3/4 full with backpackers from all over the world even some with young children. There were locals as well. The first 2 and a half hours weren't too bad for most of us but unfortunately Ron's stomach was not cooperating. About one hour in he was hot and sweaty and then came the question that I was dreading, "do you have a plastic bag?" Oh no! Fortunately I did have a clear garbage bag that we had from Mexico. I had my dirty sneakers in there. Well, there was a more important role for this bag than carrying my shoes. Luckily it did not have any holes. As Rémi knows very well, Ron does not like long bus rides. We stopped for a fifteen minutes break at 5 so we got out to get a bit of fresh air. The fun began when we got back in, not with Ron, thank god, but the ride itself. We were headed for the mountains, dirt roads, and narrow  "two way" streets. The road was carved into the mountain. In certain areas you could almost touch the sides, and then there were rock slides, and then a vehicle was coming from the opposite direction. How was he going to pass? Anyway, one and a half hours later we were in Monteverde and we were very happy. I don't look forward to going down that Road....when it is time to leave. Another couple was headed to our hotel so we followed them. It was well hidden and on a very muddy street. They get a lot of rain as it is in a cloud forest. We checked in after getting her to find us another room. She had us in bunk beds. No thanks. We had enough of that in Spain, during the Camino. It was about 7:30 when we decided that we were hungry. The lady at the desk suggested a local restaurant with Costa Eican food. So we went there and ate Casado. Mine was vegetarian so it included potatoes in a sauce, black beans and rice, some avocado, and a salad and fried plantain. Ron had roast pork with his Casado and no avocado. It was very filling. The meal came with a dessert which tonight was a molasses cake, I think.