Waterfalls and Volcanoes

Well, it was clearish at sunrise, when I stepped out from our hotel cabin and onto the front porch to check on the volcano. It was still there.

I could tell, because I could finally see it. There was still some cloud cover on top, like a cap that was too big for it.

But DW and I said we'd take what we could get. The weather forecast in La Fortuna, Costa Rica, called for rain off and on throughout the day. 

We quickly readied ourselves and hopped into the SUV to make it to our first destination in time for its opening. We've learned that to get to a tourist attraction as early as possible meant that you'll beat the tour buses and most of the crowds.

We didn't have far to go: as the crow flies, it was only 7 kms away, but to drive, it was about 11. We were headed to La Fortuna Falls. 

We made it with about two minutes before opening, and the parking lot was cordoned off. Only one vehicle was waiting ahead of us. 

There's a lookout across from and above the 70-or-so metre-high falls, that emerge from the jungle and drop to a small pool, below. To access the base, you must descend a 500-step, winding stairway. But the view is worth it.

Thing is, what goes down must go back up. The months without using my spin bike cost me dearly, but I eventually made it back to the car park.

From there, we headed into town for a traditional Costa Rican breakfast at a coffee roaster and soda (the term for a small restaurant that serves simple and inexpensive food). It was so tasty and the service was so good that we promised to return (we ended up going for dinner and had the same server).

Next, we chose one of the many nature trails in the area, in search of sloths, monkeys, and whatever else we could see. By the time we arrived, Arenal Volcano was once again shrouded in cloud but the rest of the sky was clear.

We decided to leave our rain jackets in our vehicle. Big mistake. 

While most of our hike was under cover of the forest, there were some open areas, where we could catch cool breezes and see more of the landscape. We had chosen a trail that took us to part of the lava fields from the 1968 eruption that lasted for 42 years. Massive black boulders also covered the trail area from the initial eruption.

It was at this open area that the rain came down hard. We got drenched but it was worth it, even if we couldn't see the volcano.

We had already seen the volcano in all her glory.

It's too bad that we didn't spy any sloths or monkeys, but we have only been here two days. There is still time.

Today, we leave this region and will do more exploring. I'll try to keep posting as much as I can. 

Stay tuned. 

Life in the Clouds

Sometimes, the weather doesn't cooperate.

Sometimes, you imagine a place, and the environment that surrounds it, and the photos that you're going to take. And when the day starts off on the right foot, it's hard to imagine anything else.

We started our first full day in Costa Rica at a hotel, just north of the San Jose airport, up in the hills. We had a great unit with a large terrace that looked above the jungle that surrounded us. Breakfast was delivered to our door and we sat outside, marvelling at the myriad birds fluttering and singing over our heads.

Beautiful.

Our rental agency delivered our four-wheel drive SUV to the hotel. Our first order of the day was to get a data card for our phones, some local currency, and then to head to our next destination: La Fortuna and the Arunal Volcano that stands as the town's backdrop and is the area's biggest attractions.

The volcano erupted violently in 1968 and spewed lava for more than 40 years. It caused widespread devastation and caused the town of La Fortuna a lot of damage. 

Getting to La Fortuna was a two-and-a-half-hour drive that had us climbing windy, narrow roads over steep mountains. There were lots of switchbacks and tight corners.

But as we climbed, we encountered fog, then rain, and soon we were in thick clouds that made visibility a challenge.

I love challenging drives.

As we descended into La Fortuna, the clouds lifted (or more correctly, we got out from under them). We even caught glimpses of blue sky, and we looked forward to seeing the volcano.

But it wasn't to be. Not on our first day. 

We stopped in the heart of the town and found a nice restaurant for lunch. It was an open air restaurant and we could see straight up a road that led to the volcano, that was completely shrouded in thick clouds. We kept or cameras handy, in case there was a break in the clouds and we could capture a peek.

No luck during lunch.

After our meals, DW and I went to the town square, a park that is in front of the town's main church, which is a famous attraction because the volcano fills the background.

On this day, we only saw clouds. At best, we caught glimpses of the mountainous base.

We checked into our hotel, which is even closer to the volcano and our room looks out to it. So far, all we see are clouds.

All that was left for us to do was to visit a natural spring that is naturally heated by the volcano. The whole time we were there, it rained.

But no matter: we were getting soaked in the best way possible, up high in the clouds.

Today, we'll try to see Arenal again. And a waterfall.