Hotel Paradise Alajuela

... updating the blog and uploading photos- it takes a lot longer than you would think! Sometimes the connections are poor or you have to wait for a computer to free up. But in the end, it's all worth it! There's a possibility that we'll do a night hike tonight, but so far our chances are looking slim due to the rain. If that's the case, then football it is! I'm traveling with a Texan, so GO LONGHORNS! Tomorrow it's off to La Fortuna for some more mountain time. <br><br>Pura Vida and love to all!

... Probably not the best idea we have ever had as it was pretty much uphill in the boiling sun. After 90mins of this we gave up and sat in a roadside pub for like 3 hours making a beer and a sprite last as long as possible. But of course, we couldn´t fault the amazing view of the volcano, which disappointingly, was only vaguely steaming. However, we were the lucky ones as the locals say that only 1 in 3 people actually get to see it as it´s usually covered in cloud. So yey for us. <br><br>

Endlich bin ich in Alajuela angekommen. Lisa ist noch mit mir zum Flughafen gefahren (Claudi, gehts dir wieder gut? ;) ) und nach langem, langem Anstehen - das Computersystem hat Mist gebaut - gings dann endlich los. In einer viel zu kleinen Maschine. Anstatt einen Gangplatz, gabs dann nen Fensterplatz und mit Rumlaufen ging auch nicht, denn der Gang stand immer voll mit etwas ( z.B. Leute, die auf die ...

... through the border correctly. I arrived at Santa Elena in the late afternoon, relieved that it was cooler than what I had been used to. I spent my time hiking the Santa Elena and Monteverde reserves. The forests in both are lush and wet, although not as muddy as the cloud forest on the volcano on the Isla de Ometepe. I met a girl from San Diego, Stephanie, while on a night hike looking for creepy crawlies. On the ...

... in that they wanted to also. Rosemery was just like, OK. So, in a minute flat the kids cleared all their desks to the outside of the classroom and had American hip hop music on and the classroom turned into a club scene. I am not kidding; I was literally in shock for a moment. Then, they were playing salsa music and were teaching me how to salsa. They were so good at it, and Rosemery ...

... are Baird's Tapirs (Tapirus bairdii). Anyway, my job is to extend the existing bathing area and knock 2 new doorways through the concrete walls. My extensive array of tools for this job comprises a standard hammer, a chisel and a sledgehammer with about 8 inches of handle. Already my hands are badly blistered, but progress is being made slowly and surely. I have added some pictures, more for myself than anything ...

... flops [tong] in the current and could only watch it get dragged away in the distance... left me barefoot for the rest of the day and at the mercy of local snakes... Next stop with Mr Lava Lava was... the lava [la lave] of course... night had fallen, so we approached the volcano... however, don't picture us at the edge [au bord] of the volcano braving a potential eruption, feeling the heat of the lava flowing past us... In the end, we were several ...

A very bumpy ride from Monteverde had us at the shore of Lake Arenal. An artificial lake from a hydro-electric dam, it couldn't be in a better location. Crossing it on the ferry, the active Volcan Arenal looms in front of you and lush vegetation comes down to the waters edge. Volcan Arenal reawakened in 1968 and rocks and gas exploded out the side of the original volcano, destroying villages and killing around 80 people. The town where La Fortuna is today was ...

... that I was not going to get any sleep here and I really needed some. I checked out the line for the shower and that wasnt as important as sleep. I went to the manager on duty and asked if he knew another place to go. There was another hostel nearby....but that seemed to be the same deal. I needed food. I needed sleep and my yoga buzz was fading away. Another guy suggested the other dorm room where he was staying because there was an old lady staying there. I checked it out and ...

... wary of returning the second night, but my friend that lives in MV assured us that the occurrence was rare and that he, as a male, would keep the drunks at bay. At first, there was a mix of cumbia, meringue, and other typical dance music. I, being who I am, was quite content to watch my companions twirling and spinning away. However, when the gradual trickle of foreigners had filled up a good portion of the bar, the music changed to a random selection of ...