Month: October 2022

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Costa Rica 2022: Breakfast in the Treetops

For our second day in Monteverde, I planned the adventures – starting with an early morning hike with breakfast, tea, and hopefully some more exciting avian sightings. The hike was guided, and arranged through our hotel, so we were in the lobby waiting at 6:00 a.m. sharp.

It was a small group – just us, one other couple (who were from San Francisco and adding a few days in Monteverde after a two-week Ayurveda retreat; we hit it off immediately) and the driver and guide. We drove a mile or so, still on hotel property, and then set out for our walk. Almost immediately, we heard a quetzal calling – but weren’t lucky enough to see one two days in a row. (We were still walking on air from the previous day’s sighting, though, so it was okay.) Our guide led us through the woods, pointing out the occasional bird, and soon we approached our breakfast destination: a platform built into the trees, sitting almost on top of the Continental Divide.

A few hotel employees had arrived ahead of us and set up a delicious looking spread, but in order to get to it we had to cross a hanging bridge. Not a big deal at all for me – I’m very comfortable with heights and had been hoping to get my feet onto one of Monteverde’s famous hanging bridges. But Steve has vertigo and a strong fear of heights, and he was not happy. He made the crossing, but realizing that it wasn’t necessary to get to the next part of the hike, he quickly grabbed his breakfast and hightailed it back to solid ground.

No such scruples for me! Roped in and ready to go.

I had way too much fun. Give me a harness and a helmet and I’m happy. (I’ve often suspected that I missed my calling and should have been a window washer.)

Breakfast! There were three ham sandwiches (for Steve and the other couple) and one turkey (for me – I don’t eat four legged friends). The ciabatta bread was delicious, and I loved the little sprig of rosemary tucked into the wrapper, a very nice touch. The breakfast included fruit kebabs, juice and fabulous Costa Rican coffee, too.

Also, how can you argue with breakfast in the treetops right on the Continental Divide? The mists were rolling in over the cloud forest and it was just beautiful. I felt a little bad about staying on the platform to eat while Steve was back on the trail, but I figured it would be okay, since how often do I get to have a meal a hundred feet above the ground?

Pretty happy!

(Thanks to the nice other couple for taking this picture of me. Why didn’t I take off my mask?)

While I ate breakfast, I checked out the flora around me in the treetops and watched the skies clear. What a beautiful spot!

So cool. After we’d all had our fill of the giddy air in the treetops, it was time to clip back in, cross the hanging bridge, and continue on our way. (Steve had a long list of the birds he’d seen while he waited on solid ground.)

The next brief stopover (for water and restroom) was this little hideaway, tucked into the woods. We looked at an exhibit about the insect life, hydrated, and moved on.

Our ultimate destination was a garden, tucked away in an out-of-the-way corner of the hotel property. It was packed full of flowers, herbs, and enchanting little corners. The hotel staff had set up a table with homegrown herbal teas for us, and we were treated to a crash course in the benefits of each herb (all of which I have now forgotten, but it sure did taste amazing).

After tea, we were turned loose to explore the garden. I couldn’t get enough of the flowers. Considering the wintery landscape we’d escaped back in D.C., this was paradise indeed.

I could have stayed and taken in these flowers for ages, but we had to move on eventually – we had more stops to make. Our guide explained that if we drove a little further into the countryside, we could possibly see the bellbird – another iconic Costa Rican species, and one that Steve and I had not spotted on our treks through Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve or Reserva Curi-Cancha the day before. We all agreed eagerly, and after a bumpy car ride (at one point, I grabbed the side handle in order to scoot away from the other woman on the tour – we were crammed together in the backseat and I didn’t know her well, so wasn’t that keen on snuggling – and our guide got the impression that I was scared of the road and advised, “We call it a Costa Rican car massage. Just sit back and let it happen to you.” LOL!) we arrived at the spot where our guide thought we may see a bellbird.

Bellbird check! I wish I could show you a video – this bird really did sound like a ringing bell. We hiked a little ways along the road into the countryside and it sounded like bells were ringing all around us. Just magical.

Ended the morning at a beautiful overlook, drinking in the sight of rolling hills and the Pacific Ocean rolling into the Gulf of Nicoya. Gorgeous!

Next week: my afternoon’s activity involved a little more adrenaline…

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Reading Round-Up: September 2022

Reading is my oldest and favorite hobby. I literally can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t love to curl up with a good book. Here are my reads for September, 2022.

Summer Pudding, by Susan Scarlett – I’ve been wanting to try Susan Scarlett – Noel Streatfeild’s pen name for when she wrote novels for adults – for ages, so I was beyond excited when Dean Street Press brought out a whole collection. Janet Brain (terrible name, but what can you do) joins her frail mother and selfish sister in the countryside after she loses her job due to bombing in the Blitz. Hijinks and miscommunications ensue! Summer Pudding was a total delight – refreshing, absorbing, and such fun for a few late summer afternoons.

Going Solo (Roald Dahl’s Autobiography #2), by Roald Dahl – This is the second time I’ve read the second installment of Dahl’s memoirs (and still have never read the first installment, Boy), and I enjoyed it every bit as much as the first time around. This time, I listened to the incomparable Dan Stevens (better known as Matthew Crawley!) read the audio version, and it was fabulous.

Nella Last’s War, by Nella Last – Another one that had been on my list for ages and rocketed to the top of the pile when a favorite small press (Slightly Foxed, this time) brought out a reprint. I loved the wealth of detail in this very ordinary, everyday account of a housewife’s activities during World War II, but I must agree with the introduction – her husband was just infuriating.

Mr Mulliner Speaking (Mr Mulliner #2), by P.G. Wodehouse – Another audiobook; it’s really fun to listen to the Mulliner stories on audible – rather like you are sitting in the Angler’s Rest with the rest of the clientele, listening to Mr Mulliner discourse on the fascinating lives of his seemingly inexhaustible stash of nephews and cousins. Roberta Wickham – that most mischievous and hilarious of Bertie Wooster’s love interests from the Jeeves books – makes an appearance in several stories, which made this even more fun.

Flower Crowns & Fearsome Things, by Amanda Lovelace – The best poetry is both so universal and so personal that it seems to have been written just on purpose for the immediate reader, and Amanda Lovelace’s poignant, powerful and galvanizing poems read in exactly that way. I loved this collection and can see myself returning to it again and again.

Ruth, by Elizabeth Gaskell – Fully reviewed here, for the Classics Club Challenge. While Ruth will never be my favorite Elizabeth Gaskell novel – so far that honor still belongs to Cranford, with Wives and Daughters a close second – I really did find Gaskell’s novel of society’s cruel treatment of a “fallen woman” an absorbing and thought-provoking read.

September Moon, by John Moore – After reading and loving Moore’s three volume memoir of life in rural England between the wars, I was excited to get an early edition of one of his novels. It’s early September and hop-picking season is about to begin. Tim, only son of a prosperous yeoman farmer, finds himself drawn to Marianne, daughter of his ne’er-do-well neighbor – it must be the hop moon. This was fun and light, although the references to gypsies were quite dated and there was some casual racist language that is all too common for books of this era and always jarring to read. So, trigger warning on that front.

Just William (William#1), by Richmal Crompton – I don’t know what took me so long to get to this very slim collection of linked short stories about a young troublemaker and all of his misadventures. I read it in two sittings, cackling the entire time. William’s adventures in babysitting were definitely my favorite part.

The Pale Horse (Ariadne Oliver #5), by Agatha Christie – Another audiobook to close out the month! I was trying to save The Pale Horse for October – spooky season – but couldn’t wait. The novel focuses on Mark Easterbook, a London-based writer who becomes intrigued with a list of names, found in the shoe of a murdered priest. Who are the people on the list, and how are they connected to the village of Much Deeping and to three self-proclaimed witches who purport to be able to kill with psychology – and seances? This is supposed to be one of Christie’s weakest novels, and I guess it is, but it certainly kept me engaged.

The Lark, by E. Nesbit – This is more of a summer read than a fall, but I closed out September with a real gem – one of E. Nesbit’s final novels, and one of her only novels for adults. Jane Quested and her cousin Lucilla Craye are gently reared young ladies when, just after World War I, they are plucked from school and given the hard news that their guardian has spent their inheritance and fled the country. Whoops! Left with only a cottage and five hundred pounds to get on with, Jane and Lucy set about to earn their living. In the process, they acquire a big house, make a lot of business mistakes, and meet a few handsome young men – as one does. Total comfort, total fun.

Whew! What a month. Three audiobooks! This is a feature of being just about done with my months-long podcatcher cleanout effort, and I’m really enjoying mixing audible into my listening time. “Going Solo” was a highlight, just like the last time I read it, and I also really enjoyed listening to “The Pale Horse.” As for reading of the ink and paper variety of reading, the light and frothy reads definitely made up the highlights of September – especially “Summer Pudding,” “Just William” and “The Lark.” Looking ahead to October, I’ve got my eye on a few fun autumnal reads and am planning to knock out a couple more classics, including – if I have time – the last Elizabeth Gaskell novel I’ve not yet read. Watch this space!

What were your reading highlights from September?

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The Week in Pages: October 3, 2022

Busy week on the work and home front translates to slower week on the reading front. The recent standard pattern – slow and sporadic during the workweek, sustained and productive on the weekend – held true again, although this time the weekend was devoted to a tome. But one thing at a time.

I spent most of the workweek over The Lark, which was absolutely delightful, lovely and fun. And as has felt par for the course lately, very odd that it took almost a full week to finish, but I chalk that up to fitting it in around everything else during the week. I just don’t have the attention or the time reserves from Monday through Friday. But I did wrap this up early on the weekend and absolutely loved it. And a relaxing, restful read like The Lark set me up nicely to tackle a tome from my Classics Club list – Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man. After devoting ample reading time to it over the weekend, I’m just about halfway through and feeling motivated. (Right away, I thought to myself, I can see how this book must have been a huge influence on Colson Whitehead – the magical realism elements are strong.) Not sure what’s next, since I still have a few hundred pages left to read in Invisible Man and I don’t want to get too ahead of myself, but it will be something comforting, I think.

No Instagram photo this week! My weekend was nothing to write home about – rain, rain, more rain, and some errands.

What are you reading this week?