Alajuela zoo

15 March 2009

It was a slow transition day. The ride from Monteverde back to the outskirts of San José was blissfully uneventful. Even the climb from the coast up to the saddle (about 4000 vertical feet on the one lane per direction Pan American highway) went quickly as traffic was unusually light.

We arrived at our hotel about 11 AM and spent a lazy day in the neighborhood. Lunch was at a “typical” Costa Rican place: arroz con pollo with a small serving of beans and fresh tomato salsa plus an iced fresh-squeezed fruit juice. Just before arriving at the hotel, we passed the entrance to an attractive zoo and decided to visit in the late afternoon. I’m ambivalent about zoos, but this one was very nice, with strong emphases on conservation and education. The animals seemed well cared for. The birds and monkeys were the best to see.

For dinner, we braved a typical Costa Rican walk on the shoulder of the highway in the dark about a mile to near the zoo. There we ate at an excellent Italian restaurant — La Foccacia — which is housed in an upscale resort hotel. We sat on an upstairs balcony overlooking their pool and grounds. There were only 2 other tables occupied. The food was very good: Ingrid had vegetarian lasagna with fresh pasta; Daniela had penne with vegetables; and I had penne with salmon in a vodka sauce.

A few noteworthy photos came from the zoo visit.
Giant bamboo, which grows to 30 m, including about 0.5 m/d maximum growth rate!
Spider monkey, endemic to Costa Rica. Note the face!
A few peacocks were loose on the grounds; this one was in full display for a good 15 minutes and didn’t mind up-close viewing.