Sunday, February 26

I did not sleep well and only reluctantly got out of bed at 7am to try again for a view of the male quetzal. The trail to the nesting hole offered Spotted Barbtail, but once again only two tail feathers were on display. Many of the same birds from yesterday also appeared. Overhead, the Central American variety of Red-tailed Hawk (bright rufous tail, but clean white breast) made a few wide circles before disappearing behind the ridge. I again left for breakfast without seeing the male, but returned later when everyone else had left. My patience was rewarded with an outstanding view of the female from several angles, though I never did see the male full-on. My last new bird of the trip appeared in the brush on my way out, Yellowish Flycatcher, along with Tanwy-capped Nightingale Thrush, Philadelphia Vireo and Common Brush-finch.

Resplendant Quetzal female

The women working at Suenos packed a lunch for me and I headed to Savegre to grab a ride up to the Pan-American Highway. As we ascended, it became increasingly misty. Memories of getting soaked in Cotapata sprang to mind, but thankfully the bus stop was covered with a tin roof. It took some time for a bus to San Jose to pass, giving me plenty of time to observe Ticos. For instance, it caught my attention that a large trailer was charging up the mountain far faster than those that had preceded it. I then noticed a large sticker of a hemp leaf on his window. A second truck was decorated with a large mural of Moses parting the Red Sea so his truck could pass. Stay classy, Costa Rica.

When I saw a bus coming down the highway, I waved it down with my hat. There were obviously no seats available so I eventually found a spot on the floor reserved for wheelchairs. The twisting and turning and smell of diesel fumes did a number on my stomach, but I held it together long enough to eventually get a seat when a man got off before the outskirts of Cartago. The remaining ride to San Jose was uneventful.

Now, I generally have few complaints about Costa Rica. It is basically paradise. But why on god’s green earth can’t there be one central bus terminal? The terminal for the bus from San Isidro is about 20 blocks from the terminal for Alajuela. Since it had stopped raining, I took this as an opportunity to see some of San Jose. The central plaza is great for people watching, but the city lacks any sort of real charm. The walk and subsequent bus ride out were sufficient sight-seeing as far as I was concerned.

Arriving in Alajuela, I went directly to Hotel Pacande, dropped my bag, grab an inferior meal, packed my bag and went to bed for the early flight the next day.