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Published: December 31st 2009
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We were very excited to go to Rio Celeste on a tour and hike. We saw pictures, and it was definitely at the top of our list for things to do. The river is at the Tenorio National Park, a volcano. The river is an amazing shade of blue - caused by dissolved minerals (mostly cobalt) in the water. There are hot springs and large waterfall. We had read a couple of blogs about the area, including an extensive description of an excursion with a guide named William-he sounded like a very interesting guy. Guess what - yep, he was our guide too. William is a survivor of the 1968 Arenal volcano eruption, which killed many people. He is a very experienced hiker - who has climbed to the top of the volcano (even though it is not legal/allowed or recommended). He is also part of the rescue squad that is called when there are accidents on the volcano - he was part of the team that went up the volcano when a small plane crashed in early 2000. On the drive to the park, he shared his photo album with us - which had many pictures of his experiences and
hikes on Arenal. We were on the tour with another couple - from Australia and Canada, they were very nice.
The park is not far from here, we drove for about 45 minutes on a 2 lane road to the park entrance. From there it was about 6km on a long and BUMPY road to the park. People joke and call these roads a Costa Rican massage. It took about another 45 minutes on this road, as we could only go about 5mph. On the way though, we did see a keel bill toucan and a howler monkey. We also stopped at the largest tree in Costa Rica - it was indeed huge. Our guide said he had been there with a large group, and it took about 30 people arm to arm to reach around the tree.
We started our hike - about 3.5-4 hours into the park on a trail around and through (yep through) the river, to the waterfall and hot springs. We were very glad that it was sunny and pleasant - but it was extremely muddy from the rains the day before. The trail goes through secondary forest and winds down to a
waterfall that is an amazing blue color. William was able to spot a couple of brightly colored birds - blue red and green, in the same family as the quetzal. We also saw tapir tracks, and a HUGE owl that was beautiful. The trail was not nearly as steep as our Cerro Chato climb, although the stairs to the falls were very steep there were stairs and a guide wire to hold. Everything was lush, green and covered in moss. The air smelled so clean, except near the hot springs where the sulfur smell was strong. As we made our way on the hike, we crossed the river several times on log bridges. Along the way we passed hot springs (boiling temperatures) - you could see and feel the steam coming from the earth. William knew all the best photo spots as well. There was a great scenic platform - where we were able to view other nearby volcanoes - Rincon De La Vieja and Miravalles, and all the way to Nicaragua (this area is quite close to the border of the 2 counties) We hiked to the spot where 2 rivers converge - the brown water from one river
and the deep turquoise blue of the Rio Celeste. The water was so clear, it was gorgeous and unusual-the combination of the 2 colors of water. We made a big loop through the park and ended up at the big waterfall, where the water was cool and blue. We needed to cross the river to continue on the other side. Fortunately, there is a guide rope to rope to help navigate across. We zipped off our pant legs (yeah for convertible pants) and Edward put on his water shoes. Our guide recommended wearing our shoes, as the rocks are slippery and sharp. So in I went - the current was fairly strong, but the water was only up to about our knees, maybe a bit higher. I almost took a dunk - but made it across without slipping. Everyone just went very slowly. Having soggy foot wasn´t great - but it cleaned up my shoes nicely.
After the hike, we had lunch at the small restaurant at the park. It was nice to chat with the other couple - about their world travels to India and Tibet, as well in Costa Rica. After lunch we headed back to town.
Since our room hadn´t been cleaned - we decided to head back out and grab a beer. We went to a nearby outdoor restaurant bar. We ended up chatting with a British fellow who was on a bike tour through Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama - was fun to speak with him.
Today we are just gearing up for New Years Eve-which everyone has told us is quite lively here, but we plan on taking in some of the festivities, but a mellow evening. If the weather is good tomorrow - we plan on more hiking at the National Park at Arenal.
Happy New Years to Eveyone…
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Kristy
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WOW
Happy New Year! The photos look amazing, as usual. I think I would have had to condition myself for that hike! Sound like you had an awesome guide. I always love it when you get a knowledgeable guide. Not doing too much here. Jeff and I are going to dinner with some friends for New Years eve. Elizabeth is going to Kate's and Maddie is with her bf. Jeff is still crazy busy. Jeff and I are going to the Caribbean next month for a few days. Jeff really needs a break. Keep the blogs coming I really enjoy reading them. Love you both very much! K