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We traveled from Arenal to Monteverde on Monday. It was supposed to be a combination of van and horseback riding, but apparently the horses being used weren’t looking too sharp (after reading in the Lonely Planet, this seems to be a hot topic in the area, but a good opportunity for travelers to support locals who treat their animals right). So we went horsebackriding in Monteverde instead. My horse’s name translated as “has little tantrums”. Yikes! Thankfully, he didn’t live up to his nickname and we got along fine.
Monteverde is one of the most visited areas in Costa Rica, and is home to the Cloud Forest (where the Pacific and Caribbean winds meet to create a Cloud Forest instead of Rain Forest). So needless to say, it rains quite a bit here. Now if you’re visiting from the Pacific Northwest, it might not be at the top of your favorite list. I still had fun in Monteverde, but the climate was so much like home (raining one minute and sunny the next) that I was more than ready to hit the beach by Thursday!
I felt like I was in Monteverde for three weeks, instead of three days! So I did a lot of walking, visited the Frog Pond, went on a Cloud Forest hike, toured the Quaker cheese factory, and went ziplining. Ziplining was definitely the highlight of Monteverde, and as the German couple keep saying “No risk, no fun!” ;)