We woke up at
4:30 am to the sound of multiple roosters.
It was still dark and absolutely DUMPING RAIN. By 5:00 am the birds, chickens, goats, cattle and horses were all serenading us.
We enjoyed fresh
brewed Costa Rican coffee and made a revised game plan for our activities. What we had planned on Saturday for Sunday was
trashed and everything changed due to the weather.
In the tiny
community of El Castillo are several unique nature experiences. For our first stop we chose to visit the
world renowned Butterfly Conservatory to learn about the hundreds of butterflies,
frogs and insects from Costa Rica.
CLICK HERE to see their website
After a couple of hours of touring the indoor habitat, outdoor facilities and trails, we needed a break. Off to explore El Castillo eateries… many which were closed because it was Sunday (definitely a religious day here). Fortunately we DID find Pizza John’s (originally started by a guy from California in 1999). FANTASTIC thin crust veggie pizza with a cold cerveza!
The family run eatery has a tradition that EVERYONE visiting should write a message on the wall. LOOK what Diana created for the “Cactusheads” from Arizona.
On the way back up the mountainside (in the cold, rainy, windy conditions), we stopped to shop at the local Super El Castillo market. The father and daughter who ran the very small store offer just the basics. We’ve seen several of these little markets and the prices are high (by American standards). I don’t know how the local “Ticos” have enough money to afford to shop at these stores. However, in this area, many people grow their own food and only need to go there for packaged goods.
This is a special nature place and our donation helped the organization
The "owl eye" butterfly in the Edge of Forest Habitat
So many butterfly species... too many to show in this post
Red eye tree frog hiding under a leaf and blending in
Several species of turtles were on display in the Turtle Habitat
After a couple of hours of touring the indoor habitat, outdoor facilities and trails, we needed a break. Off to explore El Castillo eateries… many which were closed because it was Sunday (definitely a religious day here). Fortunately we DID find Pizza John’s (originally started by a guy from California in 1999). FANTASTIC thin crust veggie pizza with a cold cerveza!
The family run eatery has a tradition that EVERYONE visiting should write a message on the wall. LOOK what Diana created for the “Cactusheads” from Arizona.
On the way back up the mountainside (in the cold, rainy, windy conditions), we stopped to shop at the local Super El Castillo market. The father and daughter who ran the very small store offer just the basics. We’ve seen several of these little markets and the prices are high (by American standards). I don’t know how the local “Ticos” have enough money to afford to shop at these stores. However, in this area, many people grow their own food and only need to go there for packaged goods.
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