Santa Elena

Today I set about exploring Santa Elena, after a relaxed start and good breakfast. It has been a very hot day although at lunchtime thunder has just started. It's about a 20 minute walk into the town, which has everything you could wish for including an umbrella and a watch to replace my casualties so far. The umbrella is bright pink so I had better not take it on the wildlife walk this evening,
and the watch is green, pretty compatible with my holiday gear! Both were the cheapest I could find. 

I did a tour of the town and recognised the book shop the minute I set foot in it, but the town has changed in that all the streets are hard surface and there are pavements everywhere. After my explorations I found a coffee shop called the Orchid coffee shop and had the first cappuccino of the holiday!  I rather stupidly asked where the orchid garden was and they said 'behind the cafe'! When I investigated, it is as I remember. They said if I bought a ticket for the tour I could then come back any time. It's about £7.50. Everything here has a higher price for tourists; perhaps something we could learn from! Similarly the hotel I enquired to, have said I can swim for $25, which is quite a bit but not if I go there to relax for a few hours, so that will be my plan.

Santa Elena is down in the valley so the journey home was quite a climb; if I go down for an evening meal I think it will be a taxi back which is only about £3, however there are plenty of restaurants nearby. I wish I had taken my sun hat but the sun rather took me by surprise. I have realised that I always need my rain gear, and now when i am thinking about going out for lunch the clouds have rolled in up the valley!