Exploring Cano Negro National Park

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The day started with breakfast at the hotel where they provided great bird photo ops by feeding the birds just outside the dining room. Guans, tanagers, woodpeckers and honeycreepers came to eat.

We were hoping that the day would be clear and the volcano fully visible, but clouds quickly covered the top allowing only a brief glimpse at the top.

The day was scheduled to be a free day with an optional boat tour in the Cano Negro National Park near the border with Nicaragua. We chose to do the optional tour for the chance at more wildlife photography. We first had about an hour and a half bus ride to reach the park. After arriving we boarded a nice catamaran with plenty of room to walk about and get photos of the wildlife along the river. We had herons, Sungrebes, Anhingas, Kingfishers, and swallows along the water, monkeys playing in the trees, and lizards and iguanas stretched out on limbs and logs.

Upon returning to shore, we had lunch at a local restaurant, before returning to our hotel. This evening there was a trip to the hot springs which we decided not to participate in, deciding instead to have dinner at the hotel and checking out the birds in the feeder.

Tomorrow we hike into Arenal Lake and then more on to Monteverde and the cloud forest.

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