Day 4
6:00am You can see the volcano from our room!

8:45am Todd ate for the first time in more than 24 hours. Feels much better. Nice breakfast buffet at Tabacon’s restaurant. Walked down to the hot springs and saw howler monkeys playing in the trees on the way back.

2:30pm Guides picked us up at 9:00 and drove us to town. Took a “jungle limo” up the side of the mountain. Put on some climbing gear and hiked and rappelled down a series of waterfalls including one that is 210 feet! Really funny guide. Beautiful. A blast. And we got SOAKED.

6:30pm At the last minute we signed up for a 3:00 hike to the base of Arenal Volcano. Soooo great. Saw two baby pit vipers. A drop of venom could kill you and babies will hit you with all they have! Guide also found a taranchula and another spider with a web so strong its being studied by Nasa. You can pluck it like a violin string. He showed how a soldier ant can hold a tree branch by it’s jaws. We watched birds for awhile. Then we saw the full height of the volcano with clear skies which is very rare during rainy season. The view up there is spectacular. Volcano, jungle, hillsides, and Lake Arenal. Stunning sunset on the short drive back. Great trip.

9:45pm Dinner at Lava Lounge downtown and then headed to Tabacon Hot Springs. Amazing area built up around part of the river that runs hot. Waterfalls everywhere gushing hot water.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

7:00am Todd’s ulcer is acting up. 🙁

9:00am Breakfast on the porch overlooking the garden. Walked the grounds again and checked out the huge suites up on the hillside while Todd rested in the room. Beautiful morning. Tried to stay an extra night but it didn’t work out with the other hotels.

12:00pm Todd feels pretty sick so I decided we should not to do the raft trip out. He stayed in our amazing bungalow and tried to rest more while I went with our new friends on the canopy tour. Saw bullet ants (poisonous, over an inch long, bite feels like being shot)!

1:30pm Left our paradise at Pacuare Lodge. Crossed the river in a rough made cable “car”. Locals grab ropes hanging down from a tiny metal bench you sit on, run down the hill, and throw it so it skids across the cable to the other side. Saw a gigantic dead boa constrictor. Yikes.

4:00pm Four-wheeled out with the locals and our guide Antonio for about 45 minutes. Really rough on Todd’s stomach. 1 hour in a van to pick up our luggage. 3 more hours to the volcano.

7:00pm Really beautiful drive. Went by fast except when stuck behind huge trucks trying to get by each other around tight corners on a narrow road. Checked in to Tabacon Resort by Arenal volcano. Showered, ordered room service, and relaxed in our room.