Exploring Arenal Volcano
An abundance of food awaited us at the resort buffet breakfast this morning. We ate our fill of Pico de Gallo, sausage, eggs, bread, and an assortment of fresh fruits. Our waitress kindly explained the unfamiliar granadilla to us as we pried it open and experienced its crunchy seeds lathered in a sweet goo (for lack of a better word!).
Stuffed yet again, we were on our way to Arenal Volcano National Park. The $15 entrance fee gave us access to both sectors of the park. We started with the trail that led to a view of the lava trails carved into the rock during the 1968 eruption.
Even more impressive to us, though, was the loop trail on the way back that led us to a 400-year old ceiba tree. Wow!
Several treats awaited us at the Peninsula Sector of the park. As soon as we left the main paved path for the more wooded natural path, a family on their way up waved their arms at us while exclaiming “Monos! Monos!” I was suspicious that they were teasing us, but as we rounded the corner, sure enough, the canopy above us was the playground of at least half a dozen monkeys swinging from branch to vine and knocking off leaves. It was thrilling to watch them in their natural habitat. Until a couple of them started peeing a little too close to our heads!
Our next treat was climbing to the top of a 30+ foot tower with panoramic views of Arenal Volcano and Lake. The sky was mostly sunny with patches of clouds drifting rapidly across the cone of the volcano. We soaked in the surroundings while eating our packed lunch of beef sticks, apples, and granola bars.
Having trekked about five miles, we decided that a sweet reward was in order. So we drove back to La Fortuna and patronized the Gelateria. Despite their refusal to allow sampling of their flavors, I settled on mango and cookies and cream. Julian opted for a papaya blackberry smoothie. The gelato was creamy and delightful – a perfect conclusion to our hiking for the day.
We spent a couple of hours chilling beside the pools at our resort while reading, writing, and talking. Then for dinner we chose the Restaurante Café Mediterraneo, which boasted probably the best seats in town. Light was fading quickly, but we sneaked a few last glimpses of the towering volcano from our table at the edge of the al fresco dining room.
One of the things I love so much about this culture is the seamless merging of the indoors and outdoors. Most restaurants and shops are open air; balconies on homes often connect right in with the rest of the house; churches have open doors and windows with no glass panes. Not to sound too much like a hippie, but there is something exhilarating about feeling more connected with nature. Not that I would want that when it’s 20 degrees back home! It’s just one of the perks of living close to the equator and experiencing 60-80 degree temperatures year-round.
