Stage 10: In the Palo Verde Cloud Forest surrounded by hummingbirds

For today's stage, we have arranged a local guide in advance (contact José Masis), as we will be crossing over 600 hectares of private reserve called Bosque Nuboso Palo Verde. This cloud forest has been preserved by the family for four generations, protecting it from deforestation (although they don't make any money from it, the small entrance fee is just a compensation for their efforts). This allows us to experience the full splendor of the lush rainforest. Our guide Nelson shows us flowers that resemble female genitalia, tells us about poisonous mushrooms, and takes us on a journey to discover the famous 'God Bird', the Quetzal. This emerald green bird with a red chest has magnificent long tail feathers that were used as headdresses by the indigenous people's priests. Ornithologists greatly admire this majestic bird, and you can only find it, like here in Palo Verde, in cool cloud forests. We are currently at an altitude of 1800 meters, the perfect place for the Quetzal. Unfortunately, the day is already quite advanced, and despite our guide playing the bird's calls on his phone, we don't get to see one. The howler monkeys also do not grace us with their presence. Nevertheless, this has been one of the most beautiful stages for me, and I am so enchanted that I hardly feel the weight of my backpack. The soft mossy forest floor is a delight for my feet. By the way, the rubber boots are only necessary here because of the mud (the rainy season just ended last month), as there are no poisonous snakes. The babbling little river that we cross multiple times contains clear, clean water straight from the source, so we can refill our water supplies (using our filter, of course). I am also impressed that Nelson meticulously picks up even the tiniest piece of trash, and we even come across an old bullet casing from poachers. After about 3 hours, we are almost at the end of the reserve and pass by several small houses. The family has set up nectar feeders for the hummingbirds, which attract a large number of them. We are absolutely mesmerized by seeing about 20 hummingbirds flitting back and forth just a few meters away from us. Among the four different species of hummingbirds there, we are particularly captivated by the Purple-throated Mountain-gem, which shines in the sun with a purple hue. For the last stretch, the father of our guide accompanies us, as he realizes that we know a bit of Spanish. We decide to take a small footpath as an alternative to the road, which takes us on a little detour to our lodge, allowing us to wander through the rainforest a bit longer. The path becomes increasingly adventurous, and our guide clears a path for us with his machete. He tells us that he has to do this weekly because the trail grows back so quickly. His enthusiasm for this nature is contagious, and we are thoroughly enjoying our time. After a total of 12 kilometers, we arrive at the Verdesana Lodge, where we will be staying tonight in a dreamy wooden cabin amidst this magnificent nature. Once again, right in front of the cabin, we find an abundance of hummingbirds, attracted by the purple flowers of the hedge. It's a sight that never gets old. We learn that we are the only guests on the spacious grounds, and a high-end three-course menu made from local organic ingredients is specially prepared for us, which, in our opinion, can easily rival any fine dining restaurant. We even discover a sweet Costa Rican wine that we enjoy. As the cherry on top, during dinner, an opossum appears outside the window and helps itself to the fruit plate that was originally intended for the birds.