Arenal

Arenal was the last area of Costa Rica that I visited before returning to San Jose. This area continues my fascination with volcanoes. I stayed at a place that is about as close as you can get to the volcano without hiking gear and overnight supplies. The problem with the volcanoes, in general, is that they are generally covered in clouds. Arenal was no exception.



Sunny and Rainy Volcano, Arenal, Costa Rica

Arenal is definitely beautiful. And its a place where you can be completely isolated, if thats what you want. There are the same adventure sports here that exist in Manuel Antonio but the operations are smaller and it will require more elaborate transportation to get there. Outside of hiking the jungle, the unique activites here are touring the hanging bridges and mineral baths.

The Hanging Bridges are a wonderful way to spend 3-4 hours. The bridges vary in height and spanse from a few feet to a several hundred feet. The plant life here is extraordinary to see, if you dont rush through, which is what most people were doing. This is not a hard trek but dont look down when youre on the bridges if you are afraid of heights. The are open weave grates; you can see straight down :)





Hanging Bridges, Arenal, Costa Rica

On my last day I found a surprise in my shower. This little guy looked totally disoriented by the tile, soap and the fact that I seemed to like hot water falling on me (he clearly did not). I finally managed to coax him into a laudry bag then released him on the porch. He stayed on this plant for hours before venturing back into the jungle.



Thats about all for Costa Rica. I totally loved my time there and look forward to going back some day. I still need to see the OSA peninsula (the most biodiverse area on the planet), Limon (the Afro-Caribe side) and MonteVerde (the cloud forest). But all in good time.

Next trip, Argentina! Or maybe Germany. Turkey? Who knows :)