Day 9- Savegre Cloud Forest
This morning we had our wake up call from the howler monkeys about 5 a.m. but we slept until around 6:30 a.m., and then we had breakfast and then packed to get ready for our next stop on this vacation, Savegre Mountain Lodge.
This drive was about 2 hours to San Jose and then about 2.5 hours south to the cloud forest in San Gerard de Dota. The Savegre Mountain Hotel, located in the midst of a beautiful cloud forest, is dedicated to luxurious and sustainable hotel service. Located in San Gerardo de Dota, a small community in the Talamanca Mountains, Savegre is at an elevation of 7,220 feet.
The forest around the hotel is one of massive oaks, colorful plants, and an incredible variety of animal life. There are numerous insects, mammals, and amphibians. The pristine valley is a paradise for birdwatchers: over 170 species of birds can be seen in this cloud forest and the magnificent quetzal, which lives here year round, crowns the list.
In addition, our 35 km (22 miles) of hiking trails make our valley perfect for hikers. Don Efraín Chacón and his family arrived here in 1954 and were the first pioneers to settle in this valley. The family still own and run the lodge.
We got here just in time for lunch and just as we finished, the rains came. Boy did it rain hard and turn cold! We napped while it was raining; best thing to do was to take a nap! As the rain stopped we got up and walked around the different areas around the lodge. John built us a nice fire in the fireplace we had in the room and we enjoyed playing cards in front of the fireplace. We did the same thing in Peru last year!
