Day 6 - Hello Costa Rica

We managed to squeeze in a little animal spotting around our hotel in the early morning before we headed out for a big day.

Toucan at the rescue

A very loud rooster

Then it was time for a river float down the Tenorio River, one of the highlights of the trip

Our first iguana of the day. There were so many after that...

Heron

Bats!

Snake blending into the branches

Another iguana

Monkey (there were not enough monkeys for me, ever)

Baby croc

Not-so-baby croc

Poor cow standing on an island near the crocs


At the end of the river cruise, the bus met us with the bikes and we started out first ride of the day.  It seemed so nice at the beginning...

but quickly became my least favorite ride of the trip.  The surface was AWFUL on service roads around the sugar plantations and was so bumpy, while facing headwind, that I wanted to just throw my bike in a field and go home.

At lunch I tried to regroup and made a little friend

Our afternoon ride was cut a bit short due to high winds in the mountains we would climb but once I got in the saddle I was VERY happy.  Pavement! And big climbs! And lots and lots of rollers! AND beautiful jungle.

Overlooking Lake Arenal at the top of a big climb


When we rode up to our hotel that night (the AMAZING Mystica), I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.  Jeff and I were given one of the jungle cottages.  Our room was virtually all windows, on a platform overlooking the jungle and a small river.  I didn't want to leave. Ever.

Swimming pool

View from the hotel

The hotel is owned/run by an Italian and the food was TO DIE FOR as well.  Seriously...just heaven!

Ride maps/profiles for the day