Arenal Country Inn La Fortuna

... Nach La Fortuna sind wir hauptsaechlich wegen dem Vulkan Arenal gekommen...einer der Top 10 der aktivsten Vulkane der Welt. Bloederweise hat dieser Kerli die meiste Zeit einen Wolkenmantel um. Wenigstens hat er sich an einem Abend fast ganz gezeigt :-)

... being her usual self (ie., 2 minute attention span). This was an encouraging sign.

After the class we got on a tractor trailer and rode up the mountain for 20 minutes to where we began a 15 minute hike to the first platform. We were surprised at the speed at which Isabella seemingly ran up the mountain. She never once complained about the path being too steep or too long. She was a real trouper and even shamed most of the adults huffing ...

Today we went on the conope tour which was brilliant a couple of people were a little nervous but everyone did it teachers included. It was 11 different zips across a jungle we were all a little disappointed when we found out the superman zip wasn't included but it ...

... the shuttle bus just happens to drive right past the ranger station at the entrance to the national park, so after a token visit to the ranch (there wasn't really much to see there), we were able to get dropped off at the ranger station on the shuttle bus's return journey. It wasn't actually raining when we were dropped off; h owever the low-level clouds were still present, so the result was that for the entire morning while we were walking in the ...

... sweet and let us cnater along the path around lake arenal. after three hours we reached the shuttle which took us into la fortuna. we were very achy by now but decided once we;d got dropped at gringo petes that we should do the night tour to see lava on the volvano so at half thre off we go to hike up the start of the volcano for an hour or so. it was pretty tough and my legs were really regretting this decision. the ...

We mosied into Costa Rica on an uneventful bus ride and decent border crossing. It is free to enter and exit Costa Rica which is a great treat! Our bags were checked both exiting Panama and entering Costa Rica which we haven't had happen before at land crossings. Otherwise it was smooth sailings. Costa Rica as Panama has been receiving a ton of rainfall and the Caribbean Coast was out of the question for travel as flooding is ...

... This afternoon we took the jeep/boat/jeep shuttle from the volcano to the Monteverde Cloud forest. It was great to not have to sit in a bus again. A public bus ride would have been over 9 hours because of the rough roads. Instead we sailed across the lake and made it in 3 hours. Yay for us! Our cabin for the evening is right on the beginning of a nature trail throught the forest. We are lucky to be able to go out there mornings and scout for animals.

... and at the end of it (just before the hanging bridge, which was a bit scary) was a sloth in the tree. I was so happy as I have been dying to see one of these!!! It was only a baby, but what a treat to see one in real life! No pics I am afraid, it was all too dark and too far away for my camera to cope with, so you will just have to imagine!!! Off to Monteverde tomorrow, in a 4x4 and over the lake.

... note. The sightings included: - blue crowned motmot, a gorgeous bird with a blue stripe on its head and very long tail ending with two feathers shaped rather like love hearts; - emerald toucanet, a beautiful bird with dark green plumage changing to blue around the throat and a beak in the same shape as a toucan's but not so oversized; - an olive wood pecker which has dark green feathers and a deep red head (the hoffman's woodpecker we also saw has a much ...

... beaten half to death, and threw him in the back of the truck with handcuffs on! He was a thief and the locals were exercising vigilante justice to an extreme. We were a little shaken by that, but in a way I was slightly relieved that if I were the victim of the robbery I would be protected....maybe. PV happens to be a pretty dangerous place and one is not always so lucky. The next day we headed off to Tortuguero for the evening. The idea is to go to ...