“It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds.” – Aesop

Time is winding down in Costa Rica, and we’re off in search of an exotic bird, the elusive Resplendent Quetzal. We’ll drive from the Caribbean and head west towards the Pacific into the middle of the country, passing by coffee plantations dominating the landscape, and head up into the Talamanca Mountain Range.

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But first, hunger pangs speak out and Linda knows the perfect place – Restaurante Rancho de Cucho. It’s a roadside stop that could easily be featured on a Costa Rican “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives”. It sits cliffside, hanging precariously overlooking a small valley below, filled with a raucous colony of the “yodelers” – the Montezuma Oropendolas! (See Part 3).

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The rustic, open-air terraced restaurant features a local specialty – Tortilla de Queso, a large, flat corn-style pancake that’s stuffed with a mild, locally grown, fresh ranch cheese. Simple, but simply delicious – this slightly chewy, cheesy carb concoction would keep us fortified as we headed on towards our final destination: San Gerardo de Dota, at the headwaters of the Savegre River.

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This tiny cloud forest community sits deep down in a canyon or crevice, making for a hair-raising drive. It’s at an altitude of 2200 meters, (over 7,200 feet), with fresh, clean and crisp mountain air; set amidst lush, tropical green rainforest and incredible biodiversity.

The Sueños del Bosque Lodge (Dreams of the Forest) is located nearly six-miles down the long and winding, partially paved, barely one-lane wide road; complete with switchbacks and hairpin curves galore, with deep mountain drop-offs. I’ve driven in many parts of the world, but this one tops it all. (The road to Hana, HI, is at least all level.) Thankfully, few tourists (mostly European) come here.

Linda kept mentioning how happy and relieved she was that I was doing the driving in her trusty Montero 4-wheel drive/stick shift SUV. In the backseats … you had David just looking straight ahead, but Rita digging it. For me it was just focus, focus, FOCUS!

A cozy fire in our bungalow provided a good night’s sleep (nighttime temps at this altitude are brisk, being in the high 40s; quite the contrast from the Caribbean). At the ungodly hour of 5am, it’s up ‘n out, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, meeting up with other dedicated birders (a crazy breed); all in search of our fine-feathered beauty.

A short drive away, it surprised me when our guide, Carlos, stopped by the side of the road and corralled our group into a cow pasture (watch those cow pies, folks!) Suddenly, with the dawn’s light, in the distance, heard, but not yet seen, was the Resplendent Quetzal! Hooray!

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With the help of large telescopes and binoculars, we were able to finally see, perched high up in the trees, Mother Nature’s gorgeous gift to the world. Live photo closeups were easily captured from the scopes.

We continued to watch for them for an hour or so longer, hoping to stretch out this wondrous moment in the cow field (btw … none were out). When the Quetzals would fly between trees, their long plumage was like a tail of a comet in its trajectory, its striking colors streaking across the sky. The gathered birders all cheered in stunned amazement on the incredible sight before us; not ever to be forgotten.

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Btw … having not known for sure what to expect and per chance there’d be no sighting (a possibility), I took out photo “insurance” of me standing closeup, buddy-buddy, with a 6’ plus Quetzal statue gracing our lodge’s property, “We’ll always have Paris!”

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The name Quetzal is an ancient Mayan term for tail feather, and the bird itself represents liberty. Ancient people believed it wouldn’t survive in captivity, that it would rather die than be held captive; this has proved false as you can see them in zoos throughout the world.

In Costa Rica’s cloud forests, Quetzals primarily eat wild avocados and migrate along with the fruition of them. The fruits, which can be as big as a pear, are swallowed whole. It’s while the bird sits and digests the avocado (it takes about 15 minutes), that one might be able to spot it.

Unfortunately, due to habitat loss, the Quetzal is becoming harder to view in the wild. Even with their famous bright plumage, they can actually be hard to see camouflaged within the forest. But, the more we learn about these birds, the more we can appreciate them and protect them from extinction.

So, rather than killing these birds for their long plumes, the Mayan people would pluck them and set the birds free to re-grow new ones, which they do with every mating season. They can grow up to three feet long! Our tour guide mentioned he’s found a few treasured feathers from this moulting time and covets them mightily. I now have feather envy.

For our final full day, we head back to San José for an overnight stay before heading home. But not before treating ourselves to some fine dining at the Restaurante Grano de Oro, with its French-Mediterranean and Tropical influenced cuisine. It’s listed on TripAdvisor’s Top 10; best for special occasions.

We celebrated our 11-day adventure with good friends; seated in an elegant, old courtyard, and served a well-executed ’80s inspired French menu … sea bass in a cardamon foam, and breast of duck medallions with a caramelized fig reduction. A fine bottle of Argentinian Viognier accompanied the meal. ¡Salud!

The Caribbean/Pacific duo nation offers so much with its appealing way of life … from its countryside landscapes, beaches with bathtub warm water, palm trees, and mangroves dotting its shores; to the food and warm, friendly people … all bringing back a sensation of déjà vu, a sense of familiarity, from my childhood in Cuba.

That’s pure magic ~ Pura Vida!

Imagine this … Total miles driven = 550 miles, in a country that’s just 288 miles long x 170 miles wide!

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Muchas gracias for tagging along with us with this “Musings de Mexico and beyond” adventure. We hope it’s been entertaining, informative and inspiring. If you haven’t been to Costa Rica, maybe it’s time or time to return!