We awoke to the clearest day yet yesterday, being able see the entire Arenal Volcano. If you look very closely at the picture above, you can see steam coming out of the vent on the right "hump".
Unreal. A brief 101 on this volcano which mom and I learned yesterday...It used to just be the left "hump", as I call it. (Sorry, I'm not a volcano expert.) The last time it erupted was in 1968. It actually erupted out of three craters on the right side of the volcano, destroying the town of Tabacon on that side. Many think the town on the left side, La Fortuna (fortune in English), got its name following the eruption as it was so lucky to not be destroyed. However, La Fortuna had been the name many, many years before. Two of the three craters eventually got blocked and pressure from the magma kept growing and growing forming the second "hump". And voila, the Arenal Volcano today. I'm not going to lie...when I found out mom and I were staying at the base of the volcano my worry-some self (promise that's a trait I'm continuously working on) got a tad nervous but calmed back down when I learned that they do not expect this volcano to erupt for another 400-500 years. I
highly recommend visiting La Fortuna and the Arenal Volcano area. I'm already working on the hubs to come back down...me encanta Costa Rica!
Mom and I had a lovely breakfast overlooking this beauty before our transportation arrived for our all-day excursion to the Tenorio Volcano.We received an integrated history and geography lesson from the very intelligent Julio and the "Costa Rican Back Massage" (as they so lovingly refer to it) on our way there. Holy Batman, bumps and potholes galore! All totally worth it. We made a pit-stop at Arbor de la Paz, a jaw-dropping tree that reminded mom of
Gulliver's Travels. While we were there, Julio found a blue-legged frog that we could examine close-up...an unexpected, added bonus of the trip.
We jumped back in the van to finish up the last bumpy-stretch to the Tenorio Volcano and Rio Celeste River. Y'all, this place was
beautiful! (Not to mention, an excellent, much-needed workout for my behind.) The water gives off an aqua-turquoisey color from the silicon at the bottom of the river. I'd only ever dreamed of a place this gorgeous. It was truly picture-perfect. A few of my favorites from the day can do a much better job of explaining this hike than I can. A picture is worth a thousand words, right?
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| What goes down, must go up... |
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| Two hundred stairs |
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| I think I can, I think I can... |
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| Bubbles = proof of the volcano being active |
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| The Dye, where the water changes color |
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| Serenity |
Following the difficult two and a half hour hike (Julio kept that pace up...no messing around), my ridiculously sweaty and muddy-self had a delicious lunch at Nayara's sister hotel,
Rio Celeste Hideaway. It was so nice to sit back, relax, and enjoy some down-time with the rest of the group before the bumpy trek home. Speaking of the ride home, Alex (our wild
race-car driver) was on a mission. I'm pretty sure we made it back in two-thirds the time it took to get there. We even encountered a herd of cattle on the highway being taken to another farm. I may or may not have freaked out when they surrounded our van. Thankfully we made it back to Nayara a little after 4pm and headed straight for the pool. Hello, refreshing water and mango margarita!
Mom and I wound down the day by enjoying the peaceful, light breeze, sipping on moscato, and indulging in the best crunchy spicy tuna roll at Sushi Amor...
nom nom nom. We (of course) had to visit Elquin at Nostalgia for our nightcap. Another memorable day in the books. We're looking forward to a relaxing trip to the Hot Springs this morning and sitting poolside this afternoon to take in and appreciate our last full day in Costa Rica (
tear).
Happy Friday to all you working people at home!
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