Costa Rica April 2007 - Day 3
We got up early to try to get to Bike Arenal (who offer mountain bike tours) when they opened at 8 AM, so we could make a reservation for a half day mountain bike tour for that afternoon (with the plan of going to the 9 AM Sky Tram tour). Unfortunately, when we arrived, they didn't have any space left and could only make us a reservation for the following day. We chose their morning departure at 8 AM. Then we headed down the street to check out some possibilities for other tours. We made a reservation to go canyoning (rappelling) on Saturday afternoon.
Then we set out for the Sky Tram tour. We made it there in time for a 9 AM tour, however, there were enough people for two groups so we waited until 9:15 or so and went up with a fairly large group. There was a group of 6 (a family and their friends) and two other couples besides ourselves. We chatted a bit with a couple on their honeymoon from Boston. The tram ride up was nice. It was peaceful and the guide told us some facts about various plants and animals. It was basically a small open gondola that moved slowly up the levels of secondary, then primary forest in the hills of Arenal park.
Once at the top, we were given the option to take the tram back down or use the zip lines to get down. We chose to take the zip lines. First we had two very very short lines where we learned what to do. One guide would go down first on the other end to catch us, while the other stayed up top to send us. The guides were fun and crazy (but very conscientious and safe). I was feeling a little nervous as I got read to zip down the first line. It was so long and incredibly high up! But I went and it was super fun. The views were spectacular. Since there was such a big group, it took awhile to get everyone to the bottom, but we had a great time.
By the time we were done with that adventure, it was time for lunch. We decided to try a "soda," which is basically a Costa Rican diner. We both ordered "casados," which are sort of like a local blue plate special. It's generally a large plate with black beans, rice, a small salad, a fried plantain, and some meat or vegetables. The casados we ordered also had some diced potatoes and carrots cooked in a sauce. Everything was delicious and we thoroughly enjoyed it. (It was probably one of my favorite meals so far.) It was a lot of food and very cheap too - probably about 10 USD total for both our plates plus drinks, tax and tip (we both ordered some traditional Costa Rican drinks - mine was a blackberry fruit drink with milk).
After lunch, we went into town and did a bit more souvenir shopping and checked into the possibilities of an evening hike tour. Our guidebook recommended a particular tour agency so we popped into their office. They were offering an evening tour departing around 3:40 for a very reasonable price. We made reservations and headed back to our hotel to rest.
Roger rested while I took a quick swim in the pool (which was too small to really swim much and too warm to really be refreshing). I came back, cleaned up and we were picked up at our hotel by the tour bus.
Our hike began in the Arenal forest again. We saw a number of birds and some howler monkeys. The guide was great and we stopped often to check things out. He was able to name all the birds by their calls and gave us a lot of information about local flora and fauna. Perhaps the most interesting thing about our guide was that he wasn't native. His name was Greg and he was originally from Oregon. He's lived in Costa Rica for 15 years and his wife is Costa Rican. He had some interesting stories to tell and we really liked him.
We went back to the van after our hike and headed over to a prime volcano viewing spot where he told us a bit about the history of the volcano and it's current activity. Then we watched. All day, it had been making noise and spewing puffs of smoke, but at night is when you can really see the lava. In the case of this volcano, it doesn't really spew a liquid molten lava, it mostly shoots out very large rocks and sand. During the day you can see puffs of white smoke trailing down the side, where a large rock is tumbling down. When it emits gas and smoke, it sounds almost like a jet overhead, except that the volume never changes and it just happens for a couple of seconds. When the rocks are tumbling down the sides, it sounds somewhere between distant rumbling of thunder and popcorn (really big, distant popcorn).
We were lucky last night and the cone was not fogged in (some people come to Arenal and never actually see the volcano - it can be very foggy here because of the rainforest) and we had a great show. Some good rocks were really coming out and at one point, it really puffed and spewed lava into the air. It was really neat.
After our tour, we went to find dinner and ended up at a little restaurant that is not well known, but was recommended both by our guide book and by some folks we did the Sky Tram with that morning. As we ate (outside on plastic lawn furniture - definitely a bit of a hole in the wall) the volcano continued it's activity and we had a great view. At one point, our waitress hollered at us and pointed at the volcano while simultaneously turning out the lights and we all watched as lava spit out from the top.
Just as we were paying our bill at the restaurant, the lights flickered, went out, came back on, then went out again. There was no power. They brought a flashlight, we paid our bill and decided to head into town to find that bakery again. As we headed back, it was clear that there was no power anywhere. When we arrived in La Fortuna, there was no power there either and the bakery was closed.
We went back to our hotel and stumbled up to the front desk area where they gave us a flashlight. I asked one of the people what was happening. He explained in rapid Spanish that the power was out all over, even in other cities south and east of La Fortuna. I didn't catch much else or a reason why (my Spanish is a bit limited) but it didn't sound like it was going to be restored soon.
We went back to our hot and stuffy room and tried in vain to open the large bay windows. They wouldn't open, but they didn't have screens anyway. We tossed and turned in the heat and humidity until the power was restored around midnight (at which point, all the lights came back on in our room). Roger said that the volcano was still putting on a good show when he got up to turn off the lights and turn on the A/C.
Click here for Day 4.
Then we set out for the Sky Tram tour. We made it there in time for a 9 AM tour, however, there were enough people for two groups so we waited until 9:15 or so and went up with a fairly large group. There was a group of 6 (a family and their friends) and two other couples besides ourselves. We chatted a bit with a couple on their honeymoon from Boston. The tram ride up was nice. It was peaceful and the guide told us some facts about various plants and animals. It was basically a small open gondola that moved slowly up the levels of secondary, then primary forest in the hills of Arenal park.
Once at the top, we were given the option to take the tram back down or use the zip lines to get down. We chose to take the zip lines. First we had two very very short lines where we learned what to do. One guide would go down first on the other end to catch us, while the other stayed up top to send us. The guides were fun and crazy (but very conscientious and safe). I was feeling a little nervous as I got read to zip down the first line. It was so long and incredibly high up! But I went and it was super fun. The views were spectacular. Since there was such a big group, it took awhile to get everyone to the bottom, but we had a great time.
By the time we were done with that adventure, it was time for lunch. We decided to try a "soda," which is basically a Costa Rican diner. We both ordered "casados," which are sort of like a local blue plate special. It's generally a large plate with black beans, rice, a small salad, a fried plantain, and some meat or vegetables. The casados we ordered also had some diced potatoes and carrots cooked in a sauce. Everything was delicious and we thoroughly enjoyed it. (It was probably one of my favorite meals so far.) It was a lot of food and very cheap too - probably about 10 USD total for both our plates plus drinks, tax and tip (we both ordered some traditional Costa Rican drinks - mine was a blackberry fruit drink with milk).
After lunch, we went into town and did a bit more souvenir shopping and checked into the possibilities of an evening hike tour. Our guidebook recommended a particular tour agency so we popped into their office. They were offering an evening tour departing around 3:40 for a very reasonable price. We made reservations and headed back to our hotel to rest.
Roger rested while I took a quick swim in the pool (which was too small to really swim much and too warm to really be refreshing). I came back, cleaned up and we were picked up at our hotel by the tour bus.
Our hike began in the Arenal forest again. We saw a number of birds and some howler monkeys. The guide was great and we stopped often to check things out. He was able to name all the birds by their calls and gave us a lot of information about local flora and fauna. Perhaps the most interesting thing about our guide was that he wasn't native. His name was Greg and he was originally from Oregon. He's lived in Costa Rica for 15 years and his wife is Costa Rican. He had some interesting stories to tell and we really liked him.
We went back to the van after our hike and headed over to a prime volcano viewing spot where he told us a bit about the history of the volcano and it's current activity. Then we watched. All day, it had been making noise and spewing puffs of smoke, but at night is when you can really see the lava. In the case of this volcano, it doesn't really spew a liquid molten lava, it mostly shoots out very large rocks and sand. During the day you can see puffs of white smoke trailing down the side, where a large rock is tumbling down. When it emits gas and smoke, it sounds almost like a jet overhead, except that the volume never changes and it just happens for a couple of seconds. When the rocks are tumbling down the sides, it sounds somewhere between distant rumbling of thunder and popcorn (really big, distant popcorn).
We were lucky last night and the cone was not fogged in (some people come to Arenal and never actually see the volcano - it can be very foggy here because of the rainforest) and we had a great show. Some good rocks were really coming out and at one point, it really puffed and spewed lava into the air. It was really neat.
After our tour, we went to find dinner and ended up at a little restaurant that is not well known, but was recommended both by our guide book and by some folks we did the Sky Tram with that morning. As we ate (outside on plastic lawn furniture - definitely a bit of a hole in the wall) the volcano continued it's activity and we had a great view. At one point, our waitress hollered at us and pointed at the volcano while simultaneously turning out the lights and we all watched as lava spit out from the top.
Just as we were paying our bill at the restaurant, the lights flickered, went out, came back on, then went out again. There was no power. They brought a flashlight, we paid our bill and decided to head into town to find that bakery again. As we headed back, it was clear that there was no power anywhere. When we arrived in La Fortuna, there was no power there either and the bakery was closed.
We went back to our hotel and stumbled up to the front desk area where they gave us a flashlight. I asked one of the people what was happening. He explained in rapid Spanish that the power was out all over, even in other cities south and east of La Fortuna. I didn't catch much else or a reason why (my Spanish is a bit limited) but it didn't sound like it was going to be restored soon.
We went back to our hot and stuffy room and tried in vain to open the large bay windows. They wouldn't open, but they didn't have screens anyway. We tossed and turned in the heat and humidity until the power was restored around midnight (at which point, all the lights came back on in our room). Roger said that the volcano was still putting on a good show when he got up to turn off the lights and turn on the A/C.
Click here for Day 4.
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