Monday, May 5, 2003  Albergue de Montana Savegre  (aka Cabinas Chacon)

Our last time on the balcony for coffee and birding at Rancho.  I was sad to leave as it had been a lovely stay, but we were headed to the Chacon Family’s place which was my favorite in 2001.  

We pulled out at 7:15 a.m., (ahead of Charlie’s schedule).  Niño negotiated the Cartago traffic with ease but once we got on the Pan American Highway we got stuck in a huge traffic jam of large transport trucks.  There were lots of curves, twists and turns as we climbed into the Talamanca Mountains so passing was often not an option.  The Pan-Am is only two lanes in this area which makes it slow going. 

Turning onto the gravel road that would ultimately take us to Chacon’s, we began birding again.  A Sooty Robin was spotted, then several other interesting birds and THEN WOW!  Right beside the road - a pair of Resplendent Quetzals!!!  They were sitting on fence posts practically posing for us.  The male’s tail streamers were a good length and in the sun their iridescent colors were spectacular!  How fortunate for us to see them almost immediately upon arriving in their habitat.  Now Charlie can breathe easy because the main reason to come to Chacon’s is to see the quetzals.  Mission accomplished so everything else we’d see and do would be just frosting on the cake.  

We arrived about 11:30 a.m., got our rooms sorted out and went to lunch.  There is always the option of having freshly caught trout when you stay at Chacon’s because they have a trout farm.  The kitchen staff knows just how to prepare it to perfection.   

Tuesday, May 6, 2003  Albergue de Montana Savegre  (aka Cabinas Chacon)

Up at 5 a.m. as usual, out on my own at 5:30 for an hour or so of birding before breakfast at 6:30 a.m.  Ran into Charlie and then Dick and Gloria so we headed into the apple orchard to look for the Quetzal that we’d heard was resident there, but he was somewhere else at the moment.   

A four-wheel drive vehicle driven by one of Don Efrain Chacon’s grandsons made two trips up the mountain road to take us to the staging point for our morning hike.  This was a trail that Charlie did not attempt with us two years ago, but this time he thought that we might find it workable.  It was through a beautiful stretch of primary forest.... a bit tough in places for a few of us but we found it a lovely challenge.  After reaching the top of the mountain we then made our way back using the mountain road we had come up in the vehicle.  It was very steep in places which put quite a strain on my bad knee.  Seeing my difficulty, Charlie suggested that I “tack” my way down.  This helped tremendously.  

After lunch and a 90-minute  rest, we began by searching once more for the quetzal but he wasn’t there.  So we continued and picked up the road that lead toward the log bridge that had been my nemesis two years ago!