Day 16. 18.4.16. Sarapiqui to Lomas del Volcan Hotel. Arenal. GT day # 3.

Breakast at 7.00. Rainforest hike with Omar at 8.00.

Walked to breaky in light rain and while we sat in the open air restaurant it started to pour. The Lodge here at Sarapiqui is built after the indigenous old style with a very high peaked thatch roof and open sides. It was warm and humid and the air conditioning was really cold, as a result the camera totally fogged, but had cleared by the time we were due to walk. Thankfully the rain cleared up too.

Walking over to breaky, some of the gardens.

The pool.

The main building, with the very pitched thatched 'teepee' like structure.

Very high pitch.

Some more of the gardens.

Saw a 3 toed sloth up on a palm in the driveway, then very little else other than some birds and a Blue-jeans Dart Frog. The birds we saw were a Great Pacimar, Tinamur, Black Mandibled Toucan and a Keel Billed Toucan. No decent photos, they were far away and it was very dull lighting. On return we saw another sloth and iguana.

I think this was the Tinamur, but that's not how it's spelt, cos I can't find it on Google in a hurry.

and again, this was taken from the swing bridge.

Crossing the river again. Already hot and humid.

A group of school kids we met towards the end of the walk.

Looking down onto the River on our return.

Some shiny new foliage.

A flower of some sort. the only thing we could capture.

Time for showers, we were hot and sweaty, finished and uploaded a blog then off for our next destination – Volcan Arenal.

We travelled through San Miguel, there were many large trucks, lots more ornamental plant farms – we think they become pot plants eg. Yukka – but not sure as some things are definitely lost in translation.

We stopped for lunch at a place by a river, that actually feeds the iguanas with their left over fresh vegies, so there were iguana’s eating on the pavement when we arrived. I was pleased to see out the back they were more naturally draped over trees and were moving about below near the river and climbing the trees to warm themselves in the sun. There were some pretty big ones.

Iguana's feeding on the verandah of the restaurant. That's cauliflower.

Perched together basking in the sunshine.

Then out the back I found them in their more natural habitat, basking up in the tops of the trees.

Big, lazy looking buggers they were.

Scrambling over another to get to where they want to go. 

Then on a little further to La Fortuna – a small town at the base of Volcan Arenal. It is called La Fortuna for two reasons:

·     When the volcano erupted, it destroyed villages and lives were lost on the OTHER side of the mountain. La Fortuna had the good fortune to be spared

·     The volcanic soil is agriculturally rich, so many crops thrive here.

We stopped for money at two banks, I was OK at first ATM so had a tiny look around La Fortuna while the others sorted money. Poor Margot was then walked from the original bank to the second bank where I was waiting in the bus with Carlos. I was not impressed by Omar, as we were coming back to get Margot. I made it very clear that he shouldn’t have done that and it was too strenuous in the hot and humid weather. (another black mark against Omar)

Some of the buildings in La Fortuna.

The central square/park area in La Fortuna.

Looking towards the Volcano - shrouded in cloud.

More of the Volcan Arenal.

Then a short ride out to our hotel Lomos del Volcan. A fabulous place, individual bungalows and the most lush and well kept gardens. Staff were lovely too. Josie was from Monteverde, which was established by Quakers and Ticans, she was quite pale and obviously Quaker.

The bathroom.

Quite fancy decorations too.

Even the tissues were a flower, and a selfie opportunity too.
I was so impressed with the bathroom, I forgot to take one of the actual room. Might have to pinch one of Suzie's when we get home. The room was very nice too.

Here I am in front of my Bungalow.

A short opportunity to sit and look at the views over the gardens towards the Volcano – which is shrouded in cloud.

Took a wander around the gardens, pool, Jacuzzi, saw some parrots, a bush turkey, a howler monkey and lot of little birds and flowers. Light was fading, so photos not going to be great.

Yellow birds, we later learnt they are Social Flycatchers.

Mum and Dad seemed to be feeding two babies in the treefern outside Suzie's bungalow.

The Volcano Arenal - still shrouded in cloud - there is a pattern here!

The pool area.

Trumpet flower.

A bush turkey up a tree.

and again.

Parrots in silhouette.

and again.

The orchids were amazing.

Time for a cocktail – Margot’s shout – she is loaded at the moment as she accidentally exchanged her US dollars for Colones (she was expecting, smaller US notes!) and is a multi-millionaire.

The view from our drinking vantage point.

We caught the courtesy bus to La Fortuna about 4kms away, where ate at Novillitos Steak House.

The restaurant.

Meals were beautifully presented and tasted good too.

Here we all are.

We are staying two nights here. We were pleased to see the back of Omar, there was a lot of questions he couldn’t answer and he was a bit frustrating.

NB: Cacique = Costa Rican Vodka. The cocktails in both countries so far have used their own versions of a spirit.