Part 2 of our Costa Rica adventure took us on very steep curvy roads, up into the mountains, where the cloud forests account for a large percentage of the world's biomass. In Monte Verde the canopy was amazing but made it almost impossible to see birds. We spent a couple days hiking in these beautiful ecological preserves and then went to lower altitudes in the middle elevations of Bijagua. We got hit with some rain, however Bijagua was our favorite stop on the whole trip. Not only is it a beautiful place but it had a quiet energy that was 'pura vida'. We opted to relax on our balcony and drink coffee while wild toucans flew around in our yard.