 |
| Learning with Javier. |
It was a long bus ride from Monteverde to La Fortuna. In order to get there, we had to drive around Lake Arenal. Corey spotted the volcano long before we reached our destination and there was a tiny wisp of smoke that we could see off in the distance. The drive around the lake was very beautiful and since the road is not paved, we had to drive more slowly which gave us an opportunity to see more of the local homes and even some wildlife. At one point our driver (now Julio) had to come to a complete stop and navigate around a giant pot hole of mud that nearly covered the entire road. I watched out the window as Julio carefully guided us around this obstacle and little did I know that we would all come to know why the local inhabitants have been pleading with their government to pave the roads between Monteverde and Arenal.
 |
| My wonderful lunch! |
After stopping in La Fortuna for an excellent lunch (I had a great pork casada meal) we all hopped back in the bus and headed to our hiking destination; Sendero Silencio. Javier led us on a narrow path through the forest and once again pointed out its inhabitants (many of which would have otherwise gone unnoticed)! I have to say again how much he impressed me and I was thinking about how lucky we were to have him as our tour guide. Here in the forest, we saw several exotic birds and some monkeys as well. As the path begin to wind around I noticed how our pathway had been very carefully constructed so as to prevent any erosion from travelers hiking here. Ecology and sustainable resources were common theme on our entire trip and while this is something I actively study, I learned a great deal. For many of our group these ideas were new and I'm confident when I say they were also impressed and will be thinking of how they can implement some of the strategies we learned once they get back home. It was a little humid that day and one member of our group began to feel a little lightheaded, so Javier stopped for her and gave her a little bit of candy. In about 5 minutes her blood sugar came back up and we were off...Javier to the rescue! He would have made a good member of our boy scout group in Springfield as he was always prepared and knew just how to handle a sticky situation. As our hike was nearing the end I was walking with Matt at the very back of the group and we saw some monkeys high up in a tree. While we watched the monkey leaping from branch to branch I was impressed with how agile and powerful he was. I told Matt that I thought it would be funny if the our driver; Julio had snuck around to the end of our hike only to spring out of the forest and surprise us all! We snickered about this and much to our surprise Javier had hidden himself behind some trees. As we rounded a corner (now way behind the front of the group) Javier laughed as he startled us by shaking some branches and making an animal sound. Ha! What a great time!
 |
| Our cabin! |
After our hike we headed to the Arenal Hot Springs resort that was the perfect ending for our long day. There are several pools of differing temperatures and our cabin was excellent. I especially liked our shower which had a skylight that gave it a feeling of being outdoors.
All of cabins were top-notch and the
buffet-style dinner and breakfast were absolutely fabulous! I could not get enough of the Costa Rica coffee and I must have bought ten bags that I brought back home with me. The waters of the pool provided us all with some relaxing down time and I spent the rest of the afternoon walking the grounds and admiring the gardens (there was even a greenhouse filled with vegetables used for the resort meals). Julio took the opportunity to clean the mud off the bus and we spoke for several minutes. He was very patient just like Andres and was happy to let me have the opportunity to practice my Spanish. As the sun began to sink and the light was fading, it was time to meet for dinner. I enjoyed more excellent native food and good conversation with our group members and some of the resort staff.
