Monteverde Road

Arenal Lake crossing

Leaving the Rain and Arenal Lake

Crossing over the range on way to Monteverde

La fortuna Arenal lake

Arenal Lake crossing

Laps of wet Luigis pool

My home for 6 days La Fortuna

Luigis bath luxury

San Jose--2nd time

guesthouse San Jose

Jane and Greg--some great tips

My girlfriend San Jose

San Jose-La Fortuna-Monteverde-Nicaragua

SAN JOSE---LA FORTUNA---MONTEVERDE---NICARAGUA

Went back to San Jose to meet my traveling companion for the next month and it was nice to finally get away from the wet. The continental divide has a very definite effect on  the weather patterns with La Fortuna being on the Caribbean side and getting a lot of rain. There was a problem for a semi trailer, on the top of the range, dropping its back wheels over the side of the pavement, so we had an hours delay there. Amazing how they drive these big trucks and buses on these skinny winding roads.

My friend from Colorado arrived the next day and we had a good look around San Jose on the Saturday which is a lot of fun as everyone comes in to the ‘big smoke’ for the day. Lots of pedestrian boulevards and markets to explore and some nice buildings and art galleries.

La Fortuna’s weather had got worse by the time we went back and we moved on to Monteverde the next day. The rain stopped for the shuttle-boat-shuttle trip and it was bloody nice on Lake Arenal but you still couldn’t see the volcano!

Monteverde was dry being on the Pacific side of the mountains and we heard a massive clap of noise about 6 pm and it was a small eruption from Arenal volcano, so it was a shame we didn’t go on the trek to it because of the rain! That would have been really something to see and experience.

Monteverde is famous for the Cloud Forest and it was a great walk around it the next day for about 4 hours with a really enthusiastic local guide who pointed out all the critters, including; tarantulas in holes, army ants, quadrupeds, humming birds, etc.

A 4.30 am start the next day on a local bus down to the Trans American Highway and the Trans Nica bus there was an hour late so by the time we got to the Nicaraguan border we were all pretty tired. It took nearly 2 hours of queuing to get our exit stamps from Costa Rica but it was quick on the Nicaraguan side with cursory customs and the bus people processed our immigration and so we were in Nicaragua.

La Fortuna swimming hole

LA FORTUNA

3^rd BRIDGE OUT OF TOWN

 Found this beauty for a swim and walk of 20 minutes. So refreshing!!!

ARENAL HIKE

ARENAL VOLCANO

The walk to the forward observation point opposite the lava outpour point was such a great time I’m going to go back and do it again. Because we didn’t see lava we get the option to have another go and I can’t resist. We stopped for photos and some Tucans feasting on some fig trees on the way around the volcano. A potholed road led to the start of our trek in. A long swinging bridge over a stream and we were on our way through the rainforest. We were shown the industrious leaf cutting ants and a very small snake that was quite venomous. The tree frog was still resting under its leaf but we saw it out and ready for action on the way back down much later. We had to climb up two steep parts on the way to the forward observation point opposite the steep incline where some lava rocks were trying there best to start avalanches by taking off down the slope.

We waited patiently for an hour while the sun went down somewhere else and we watched the clouds tease us with the possibility that they may actually go away and give us the lava show we were all looking for.

We started back down with torches and some of us saw a large dangerous snake that had been over the track but I only saw its bum disappearing into the rocks. At the large lower observation area we joined up with a younger group and we had a nice helping of rum and coke that got us all in the mood for the hot springs on the way back. Under the road bridge there are several ponds as the 38 deg water makes its way down from the thermal springs that the Tabacon Resort has built around. What a great mix of things to do in a 6 hour tour that costs $20 if you buy it from the right seller. Haha I paid $30!! but it was worth every penny .