Ishicilelwe: 02.05.2022
Warm Caribbean trade winds blow from the sea inland and encounter mountains that rise up to 1700 meters. As the winds rise, the moist air cools and condenses, forming thick, hanging clouds that rain on the mountains or shroud them in fog. The result is the so-called cloud forest that we want to visit today.
The reserve is home to 3000 tree species and over 400 bird species, including the Quetzal, of which only 200 specimens exist worldwide. The reserve can be explored through 13 km of well-marked trails, some of which lead to hanging bridges or waterfalls.
We will meet our guide Juan Carlos at the entrance at 7:30 in the morning. He will take us on a small hike and explain to us all about the forest, and then he will skillfully find us a big, fat tarantula the size of a hand in a hole.
Sebastian even found that exciting, even though he had fallen flat on the path while running and now has a fancy abrasion wound on his knee.
After the hike, we will go to the Hummingbird Coffee, where hummingbirds are lured with sugar water. And what can I say. That works great :-)
Later on, we will stop by the local dairy for some ice cream and to take care of Sebastian's wound. Later, we will come back for another short walk to a waterfall and explore the plantation that belongs to our accommodation. Sebastian is refusing to walk now because of knee pain. Well, we'll let it slide because he really had a hard landing in the morning and continued walking quite bravely....
In the evening, we will have dinner IN a fig tree. It's somewhere between cheesy and cool 😂
Tomorrow we will continue our journey to Rincón de la Vieja.