The bus left early this morning to go to the Catarata Eco-lodge in La Fortuna and see the Arenal Volcano. On the way we stopped at a souvenir shop where many iguanas perch in the trees sunning themselves until some tourists (like ourselves) come to feed them. After a while of not being able to see many, Javier got some cabbage to throw down to them. Then all of a sudden, iguanas appeared from everywhere. We probably had between 30 and 40 iguanas on the ground racing each other for a bite of the food. That was something I had never seen before, nor expected to see. The iguanas were as popular there as squirrels are in Raleigh.
After this stop we continued to the Eco-lodge where there was an awesome surprise that we only had to share a room with one other person, and we each had our own bed. The rooms were completely closed off from the bugs, and had a fan. I cannot express how much we appreciated these things after living at the home-stay for two days. The home-stay was not bad at all, it just makes all of the amenities we are used to seem so much better. We even had a hammock outside of our room.
In addition to all of these wonderful things, there was a stunning view of the Arenal Volcano. Javier told us several times how lucky we were to see it because he has taken lots of groups to stay in this area for a few nights and some of them never got to see it. This is especially true because we came during the rainy season which is when clouds normally descend over the volcano and hide it from vew. The group reassembled to go to a restaurant in downtown La Fortuna for lunch. One of the best meals we have had, they even gave us a display of typical Guanacaste dancing. So far, this area has just been kind to us. Actually, we have been very lucky with the weather and the way the trip has gone in general.
To conclude the day, we went to the Ecotermales resort to relax in the hot springs and eat dinner. There were several naturally heated hot springs getting cooler as they go downhill. The temperatures were between 97 and 121ºF which is much hotter than a hot tub. Sitting in them for more than fifteen minutes or so was not good for you (rising body temperature), so we rotated between pools often and I even ventured to get in the cold pool. Even the rain that soaked our towels felt really good. Wasting time and relaxing in these hot springs was a great way to spend an evening. We could not stop talking about how perfect this experience would be on a honeymoon.
Dinner was okay, but nothing spectacular. Relaxing in the hot water had already made this place an unforgettable experience. Retiring to the hotel made us even more inclined to go to sleep, so no one chatted for long. The one thing the Eco-lodge did not have great service of was the wireless internet. However, I kind of enjoyed not being in contact with the rest of the world and just living my own life. It is funny how important we make social networking and focus on what others make of us when we function just as well if not better without it.
No comments:
Post a Comment