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GUEST REPORT

Kristin Reimer
Trip Report
May 20th-27th, 2006

Arenal Region , Costa Rica

After a wonderful and relaxing 4 days in Ocotal, it was time to continue onwards to the next portion of our trip, to the Northwest region of Costa Rica , Arenal. Arenal is host to one of the ten most active volcanoes in the world. I believe that I can speak for both of us when I say that while we loved Ocotal, we were both quite excited for this leg of our trip.

We were met at Ocotal Resort by our guide for the trip, Alonso. My first impression of Alonso stood true and firm to the image of Costa Rica Dive in general; efficient, well mannered, classy and all around good people. Alonso showed up with a seemingly brand new Toyota Prado 4x4 and from that moment on there was not one thing that we would ever be lacking, Alonso was so in tune to our needs and was always on the ready to make our dreams come true.

The drive to Arenal was estimated to take about 3 hours. Along the way, north of Canas, we made a pit stop at:
Las pumas , a sanctuary for big cats, where you can see jaguarundis, jaguars, ocelots, cougars, leopards as well as monkeys, parrots and toucans. Las Pumas is a small sanctuary run by a "Swiss-born environmentalist" and operates on donations. It was a pleasure to visit a "zoo" that actually cares for the animals and acts in their best interests. I highly recommend a visit to Las Pumas, where you can get up close and personal to a wild leopard.

When we arrived at Las Pumas we learned that Alonso had been a ranger and botanist, this turned into a major blessing as throughout the entire trip he would teach us about Costa Rica 's flora and fauna. We learned not only about these beautiful cats but he also brought to our attention every bug and plant along our way and taught us about its habits and its impact upon our environment.

When I first began to plan our trip to Costa Rica , I knew without a doubt one hotel that we absolutely had to stay in. Arenal Observatory Lodge lived up to its reputation and it was worth every penny. The Observatory was originally built in 1987 for the scientists from the Smithsonian Institute who were studying the volcano. I recommend you are doing this trip by yourself, not only to have a proper vehicle, but be sure to make to the lodge before nightfall. It's a long and bumpy road leading up to the lodge and rather remote, you don't want to find yourself stranded.

We had a Smithsonian room at the lodge - again, highly recommended! The room was perfect and simple. Don't expect to be "wired in" to life here - you won't find internet access nor air condition, nor should you, you won't need it. Instead, you'll find floor to ceiling glass windows facing the volcano. The beds face to the windows so that you can lie at night watching the eruptions from the volcano. Unfortunately we did not have any nighttime fireworks from the volcano, our only disappointment from our trip. The best action we had was the last night when the clouds parted and I was saw puffs of smoke at the top of the volcano along with a very low rumble.

The lodge offers many activities if you wish to partake of them including various guided hikes, horseback riding, a large pool and Jacuzzi and nature watching. Be sure to walk around the grounds and explore. There is an awesome suspended bridge that leads to another section of the lodge which also houses the seismograph to monitor the volcano's activity.

Our dinner was taken in the observatory's dining hall that sat just next to the base of the volcano. During dinner we were given a very informative background about Costa Rica , that ran the gamut from the wonderful health care system to the bugs we will see the next day! We discovered that Alonso is a true " Renaissance Man" having many talents in life from singing in the choir to cooking to his wide range of ranger and botany skills.

Having a great day of weather ahead of us, we took advantage of the sunshine to do all of our outdoor activities we had planned. Alonso would show himself to be the expert guide as each adventure we took, he had us there before the crowds, before the rain and in general provided the smoothest and most enjoyable tour of the region. We started the day with a zip line tour, with Sky Trek . Sky Trek is a relatively new company but they incorporated every safety precaution available. Sky Trek took us up via tram 4100 ft to the top of the mountain where we zip through 8 different platforms back to the base. The longest cable being 2460 ft long. Before our first ride we were given a background of Arenal as we took in the view of the manmade Lake Arenal which was created in 1973 to provide hydroelectric power. We then were given a safety check and practice platforms before embarking on the real thing. The first platform was 1525 ft long, the first seconds of terror giving away to sheer pleasure. I would do this again and again if I could!

From Arenal we headed to La Fortuna waterfall . You can arrive in your bathing suit already, or use their restrooms to change. Bring bottled water or purchase it there and be ready to hike the 500 steps down (and yes, it's 500 steps back up!) Be sure to plan this trip before any rain as rain will make the steps muddy and almost impossible to tread.

At the base of the waterfall, after your hike down, you will find the frigid waters very inviting! We took a leisurely moment to enjoy the crystal blue water and talk to other tourists in the area. It was magical.

Once reaching the summit once again, after a grueling 10 hour hike back up the 500 steps, okay, I'm kidding, it wasn't that bad, but you do need to be in shape - we dried up, changed clothing and made our way to the the town of Fortuna where Alonso took us to a wonderful Italian restaurant for lunch where Arenal Volcano finally lost its cloud cover and we saw the peak for the first time.

Our next stop was to be the Eco Termales Hot Springs. I hesitate to even mention this place because it is a hidden gem! The Springs lie off an unmarked road across from Baldi springs, one of the more popular and packed springs in the area. While we didn't visit the other springs, we were told Eco is smaller and you don't have the view of the volcano. We also were much safer than the springs that afforded views of the volcano should an eruption occur! You honestly don't need the view once you make into their pools however! It is glorious. There were a number of pools of varying temperatures, a large and clean changing room/shower room, a restaurant and a bar. Reservations were required. The springs are still small and private so they don't have website presence yet.

We almost had the place to the ourselves. Be sure to dip into the cold pool occasionally so that you don't overheat.

This was the location of my second surprise of the trip. While relaxing in the upper pool with the waterfall to our side, cool jet streams spraying us from overhead, my boyfriend pulled a ring out of his pocket and proposed. It was the perfect setting to a perfect romantic moment. My answer of course was yes!

Feeling like little children after a full day of wild excursions, Alonso took us back to the lodge for dinner and a hopeful night of lava watching which never arrived but nevertheless provided a perfect setting to a perfect day.

Our last full day, one that came with some rain, was spent on a hike around the base of the volcano. Again - Alonso managed to get us going before the full crowds came, giving us once again a private tour. And while they may not believe me, I really do think I heard a cat's growl in the forest on our hike!! If it was, Alonso said most likely it would have been an Ocelot. Once more, Alonso pointed out the plants along our path including wild orchids that only grow in the immediate region of the volcano and it's heat.

After all the excitement of the trip, coupled with the intermittent rain, we were beginning to wind down. The always accommodating Alonso quickly met our needs with an excursion into town for double massages. Unfortunately I did not take down the name of the salon, so I am unable to provide further information. The massages were reasonably priced, though I'm not entirely sure I received the aromatherapy massage as it didn't seem to be much different from Joe's deep tissue massage, but overall, it was still a good experience.

From our massages, we took a detour to the local snake farm, the serpentarium which can be reached off the main road leading to the lodge (well marked by signs). I was thoroughly surprised by this tour I have to say! My first thought was it was small and the snakes were not fully properly cared for. Once there, being given an English tour, we quickly discovered that the owners of the farm truly do care for the snakes and other animals there. Alonso, with his background, was able to give them further help in giving the best possible care of their creatures which they seemed to appreciate. My hope is the next visitor will see these improvements. Overall, they have many species of snakes and will even take out a few of the non poisonous varieties for you to see up close and personal. There are also a few varieties of frogs and lizards including the famous "Jesus Lizard" and the famous green frogs. In addition you will be treated to a butterfly sanctuary, beautiful plants, and very curious and very shy creatures that are very common in Costa Rica , the paca.

An eco friendly tip that we learned from Alonso that I would like to pass along. As much as you may want to touch a snake or other creature, please refrain as the oils from your skin are not normal for these creatures and may interfere with their natural body processes and eventually lead to damage to the creature.

Our last night in Arenal was bittersweet. We had a wonderful dinner discussing the decline of the world's environment and how fragile life is and what we can do to protect it. A country that once saw heavy rainfall every day during the rainy season now sees intermittent and light rains. Creatures once found throughout the rain forest remain elusive, have they adapted to the new climate Or have they disappeared Costa Rica is still a pristine and eco friendly country. Life is laid back and enjoyable, the people are gracious and accommodating. A country without a military means a country that can put its resources into its healthcare and people. My hope is that Costa Rica remains the gem that it is and does not become spoiled by the negatives that exist elsewhere.

Our trip would not have been the same without the attentions bestowed upon us by our wonderful guides - true testimonies to the nature of this country. Are all the men in Costa Rica brought up to be perfect gentlemen? Rolando and? Alonso certainly made us think so. We have plans to return again to visit the South, and we will be sure to work with both again.

for a full slideshow of photographs from trip reports 1 and 2 set to music that accompany this report.

Kristin Kay Reimer
www.photomuse.com
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