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Published: December 21st 2008
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Jeep Boat Jeep
I mean taxi ferry taxi... All the ´jeeps´waiting for the ´boats´ to arrive from Monteverde to La Fortuna Well, from when I last wrote I was headed to La Fortuna to check out the one and only Arenal, a still very much active volcano in the north of Costa Rica...
Brian and I jumped on board the adrenelin rushing jeep boat jeep from Monteverde to Arenal... Ok ok, it was more like a bumpy taki ride onto a small passenger transporter back onto a taxi, and as far as adrenilin goes I think the potholes were the most exciting part!
It was awesome to be actually starting my solo journey but nice to have Brian as a fellow traveller as I moved into my ´big adventure´:-) We met two ladies Nathalie and Jean in the taxi and it was good to hear their stories of Jaco, surf lessons, Tamarindo. There was no decision around accomodation so when we were asked where we were staying we just tagged along with them to their spot in the hope for a nice bed, clean shower and availability - luck struck! The glamourous (yeah right!) room was a bargain at only $20...
After a brief walk around the incredibly touristy La Fortuna we booked an Arenal tour with a the
Arenal Volcano
It doesn´t look like much more than a random mountain, but this is a VERY ACTIVE volcano! The clouds are covering the top but it is still majestic in it´s own right. finale at Baldi hot springs... Now I´m not one for the touristy thing but it seemed to make sense as it got us to the volcano with a guide, drop off at the hot springs then back to our door step again. But if you have a car I would recommend doing it solo!!!!
Our guide William was super awesome! He showed us pics of La Fortuna 20 years ago - nada! Tourism has been kind to La Fortuna´s growth, but it has also crept into the place like a silent steady infection, and you wonder if Ticos actually reside there at all! He also had great stories about the large eruption in 1968 (I think...), his friend who died a terrible death with a woman tourist and her daughter when a gas eruption got them, as well as the plane crash that took 11 lives and the trepidation of a rescue to recover their bodies. We saw sloths, bees, birds, gum trees spilling out liquid rubber and most of all we were blessed to hear the grumbling thunderous Arenal as it spat out dribbles of lava sporadically flowing down its side as a reminder that its force is
Forgot their names...
I´m a dork, can´t remember what these are called! But they literally ran up to the car - obviously due to naive tourist who go áh cute lets feed the animals!´And then they nearly get run over by cars crossing the road... And yes I was: áh cute look at the animals´- but I didn´t feed them! still very much alive! It was tough trying to get a picture so you´ll have to imagine this one I´m afraid...
Baldi is an Americanised version of hot springs. I wanted to go to the much talked about Tabacon but at $75 it just didn´t seem worth it, and I´m glad cos the next day we went to the Eco-Thermales (yes spoilt myself 2 days in a row with the detoxing springs!!!!). Eco spings is smaller, surrounded by the incredibly natural presence of forest vegitation and there was no one but us - awesome!!!! I would def recommend this over any of the others, a little more expensive than Baldi, but worth it!
That night I got talking to Devon and Jack from New York and we went for a drink at the awesome local bar Lava Rocks (we were the only non-Ticos: sigh!) - yes I am having the occassional cervesa when the moment demands, but I have graciously managed to control the devil within and behave myself... Devon and his girlfriend have an amazing intrigue and much knowledge about South Africa, and I wanted advice for my time in New York, so we chatted and I
William´s Arenal Tour
William showing us pictures of Arenal when it exploded, how much tourism has infected La Fortuna which was a town of nothing 20 years ago, and telling torrid tales of friends dying on the mountain from gas eruptions and plane crash rescues. rapidly adopted them as my NY guides before they got to know me and ran a mile! :-) (Only kidding guys - I´m not bad at all I promise...)
On the second day I thought: ´well now is a good time as any to jump into budget traveller mode!´So I checked into Gringo Pete´s purple abode, with a room smaller than a closet, but at $6 dollars I was happy!
Brian - sorry I didn´t get to say goodbye - I was waiting at the restaurant for you guys but seems the plans got mixed up... Hope your last few hours were cracker!!!!! And the bus ride fun :-)
The plan was to head to Manuel Antonio from La Fortuna before it became infested with holday Ticos and tourists, but that night I decided as I was up north central I would head to Liberia and the Northern pacific Gaunacaste working my way down. I was excited to start the local bus solo travelling so said goodbye to Nathalie and Jean and jumped onto the bus headed to Cañas then Liberia, but... as things go when you´re living in the moment... I met Hannah and Laura who
Spot the sloth!
Don´t move he might run! Yeah whatever... were headed to Samara (which I had heard so much about and was going to get to at some point...) and decided to change direction :-)
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Brian
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Have a Merry Costa Rican Christmas!
Sounds like you're having a great solo experience, Samantha. I'm glad all is well with you - I was a bit worried when you didn't show up at the Soda after checking into Gringo Pete's. We must have confused Soda's - I ended up catching the 3:15 bus to Cuidad Quesada and made it to Hotel 1915 at about 8 PM. Went to Volcan Poas all day Wednesday, but saw nothing but clouds, fog, and rain. It was cold - not even 60 degrees (15 C). Your blog is awesome! The pics and narrative of our Earthwatch adventure are treasures for the memory. Have a great Christmas, hopefully on some warm and sunny beach. It's been snowing nearly everyday since I've been back to Wisconsin - seems all I have been doing is shoveling my driveway! I'll have to send you a wintry picture of 3 feet of snow everywhere. Don and Sandi have been having similar fun in Seattle. Be Safe and Take Care, Brian