Fence Climbing

                                              Who Would Ever Guess

     I quickly learned England,s Lake District was quite hilly and that the small mountains were called fells. The sometimes badly eroded paths wove up and down everywhere we hiked. English National Parks are very different from our National Parks in the U.S. In England many people live in the parks and farm their plots. However, the right of way laws prohibit them from secluding the public to trespass their lands. It was not unusual for us to find a sign  reminding us to shut the gate, or to head us in the right direct: as in follow to the beck. (Small stream.)

     I walked through many sheep pastures with sheep most of the time ignoring our presence. Sometimes we entered a pasture through a gate in a fence. Many of the gates were kissing gates which have two sections and two gates to them. You can only enter one section at a time and shut that gate before proceeding through the second gate. These gates are very effective as the gate really can’t be left open.

    I climbed over more than one fence in the several days of hiking while in England.  Most times there was a step, frequently a large rock or  log, to make it easier to swing a leg over the fence. Most of these fences were about four-feet high. I had not climbed a fence since I was a child ---at least 50years ago—so this was a bit  of a surprise, but one I conquered easily.

     The cantilever stone walls took a bit of concentration until I mastered the climbing technique, Stones protrude on each side of the wall providing a foothold as one progresses up the wall. At the top is a space between two rocks wide enough for one foot, so one  can swing around and step down on the protruding rocks on the other side.

     The combination of climbing fences and the constant undulations made hiking through the English Lake District a bit more than a stroll, more what Americans consider a hike, but less than a trek. But the lakes, lovely scenery and views from up high were wonderful. Walking through the bracken, a fern-like plant, was pleasant. At times the plant grew 3-4 feet tall, so all one could see  of the hiker  in front was his upper torso. Bracken is an aggressive plant and is threatening sheep pastures in some areas.

     Our lead hiking guide was a sweetheart with a great since of humor. He enhanced this wonderful interesting trip.

Rainforests Stays

                                                Lovely Rainforests

     Besides visiting, seeing and playing in several rainforests over the years I have had occasion to stay and live in three. Each experience was a wee bit different but all were fantastic !

    The Daintree Rainforest, a World Heritage Site in Australia, is a coastal rainforest that runs in pockets for 450 kilometers, and as an upland rainforest the area protects 70 animal species, over 200 bird species, including the cassowary, which I’d never seen, plus many flower and plant species.

    My large cabin had lovely wooden floors and a large sitting area with huge picture windows—the equivalent  of glass walls that provided views of nothing but thick lush greenery. I woke early in the morning to the sounds of nature and enjoyed my coffee sitting on the couch watching dawn arrive and the small birds and critters shake off sleep and eat breakfast. Eventually I waved a fresh cup of coffee under my friend’s nose to wake her so she could also enjoy the beginning of a wonderful day.

     Great care had been taken designing this resort to blend in with its surroundings in an ecologically sensitive way.  Meant to have minimal impact on local flora and fauna, all cabins  were built high on set poles, that required minimal removal of trees. Boardwalks eliminated the impact of pedestrian traffic  that can damage the forest floor. The facility had its own water supply and generated its own electricity.

    We hated to leave this fabulous peaceful place, but Australia is a huge country  and after  a couple of days it was necessary, as we still had much to visit and see.

     In Costa Rica, Chachagua’s hotel was located in the depths of the rainforest on a private preserve, relatively close to Arenal volcano and adjacent to the Monteverdi Cloud Forest Reserve.

      We crossed a waterfall and walked through lush vegetation to reach our cabin. Because the cabins are hidden in their environment, our guide walked us to our cabin the first time. Our cabin was large and the bathroom floor was slated wood;  there were many potted plants and greenery inside under the high windows. The wet rainforest created a lot of mildew on walkways and stairs. The scenery was exquisite and I fell asleep to the sound of running water. Howler monkeys woke us early in the morning, then the singing birds followed and they were a lot more melodious!

    One evening while walking back to our cabin I heard this loud noise that sounded like a single knock on a clay pot, which I learned the next morning was a ting frog talking.

     The lodge dining room was a large railed patio, roofed but all open otherwise with lovely wooden floors. Nature was all around us at every turn!  The resident green macaw, would perch on the patio rail,  almost always visiting close to mealtime. He was free to fly anywhere anytime. He was a bit cantankerous as its mate had died a few years before. Macaws mate for life so more than likely she’d be alone for the years ahead. The food was fantastic—a huge surprise for hotel/lodge fare.

     This pleasant Costa Rican jungle and its lovely eco-lodge provided us an authentic immersion with nature without sacrificing quality or luxury. We could have stayed a lot longer!

   

    In Panama we stayed in the rainforest at a new eco-lodge.  Our patio with its nice big easy wooden rockers and slung hammock looked out on a cove of the Panama Canal river. The facility was large with a large dining building, A short hike in the back was a lovely orchid  and botanical gardens. The butterfly house fascinated my grandchildren. This facility was close to a Eros village with easy access by boat. Some American money had been invested in this native village and I'm not sure the easy access is necessarily good for the native peoples as slowly but surely their culture is being impacted. My grandchildren did have a wonderful time playing with the small native children. This rain forest was the least interesting and was located in a less dense environment than some others.