Lurid Xmas tree?

We have had a long, quite uncomfortable day. Left at 7.45 journeying through the rain forest on Pan American Highway then a lesser road by a river, gradually climbing till we reached the cloud forest. We got out to look at some pineapple farms on the way, and we passed some white fluffy flowered fields which were sugar cane. We emerged through the cloud as we crossed a pass at almost 10,000 ft. The following descent was slow, especially after we turned off for the last 9 km to our hotel. 2 months ago our guide’s group had to be helicoptered out as they got cut off by landslides caused by the big storm. They are still fixing the road so we had an interesting holdup watching the diggers clear a passage for us to get through.

The publicity said the Hotel Savergne had a great view but in fact it is in a narrow valley which has very steep sides so I feel, again, quite claustrophobic, as we are surrounded by cloud forest as well, and the rooms are very dark. However it is dry and maybe the bed won’t be damp here! Our cabins are set in pretty gardens with a few bird feeders so we have photographed more flowers and birds.

We are to be out at 5 am to look for a resplendent quetzal. I bet I won’t see it though there is a chance as it is a big bird. Then after breakfast we are out again to walk up the hill. It is steep and at an altitude of 3700m so we might be puffed!