On a map the distance between Puerto Viejo and Monte Verde looks to be about 50 miles. If not for the pesky mountains between the two, it would not have taken six hours of driving to make the journey. Had I opted to go by way of San Jose, it would have been faster, but I wanted to visit the Arenal volcano and lake along the way.  Two hours of normal driving, two hours of continuous winding roads and two hours of bumpy dirt roads through a torrential downpour made for an exhausting travel day.  Fortunately, my day started with an exceptionally productive nature walk at La Selva and a very enjoyable visit to the Costa Rican Nature Pavilion in La Virgen.