Itsy bitsy orchids

Behind the Orchid Coffee Shop there is a beautiful Orchid Garden. Winding concrete and stone paths, lush vegetation, a huge variety of miniscule orchids and a greenhouse for the ones that prefer a drier climate.

It is not just any kind of orchid garden, it has the tiniest orchid in the world. These orchids live on leaves and one needs a tour guide and magnifying glass to see them.

At first we just wanted to go for a walk along the rambling paths, but we had to hit the reception area first. And pay. But a few minutes with our guide, I was happy that it worked out this way. Lucy loved looking through the magnifying glass and seeing how things were enlarged. I enjoyed learning about the tiny orchids and taking in the aroma of the white ones (only the white ones have a scent)  

 

Metal tags w/ partial latin names hang near the orchid flowers. Partial names because they are so long.  In the picture below you can see the yellow flower orchid.  Some orchid flowers only last for a day. Wouldn't you love a back garden like this!

After the walk, we returned to the cafe to pick up our stuff.

A hip girl posing in Orchid Coffee and Tea House, Santa Elena, Costa Rica

Close up orchid flowers