Day 3: Our first stop is the bakery not too far from the hotel, where we get a selection of your typical sugary pastries...and we get some rolls filled with cheese and meat. Now that's a breakfast! All yummy, all a lot cheaper than anything we'd find in the US. We then hop a van for our rafting trip. Only once we get on the van do we discover that being the dry season, the water level is low and the rafting will be a lot more class 2 than class 3. The guides make it fun, as we go backwards through rapids, crash into rocks, etc. We also pass the lodge where I had lunch on the first day! At a rest stop, some of the more adventurous cross a bridge and then take turns jumping 25 feet down into the water. One guy does a double flip while Whitney dives in. We then dig into some delicious pineapple and watermelon. Costa Rica grows both yellow and white pineapples. Never had the white before, which isn't quite as sweet but a better taste. After arriving back at La Fortuna, we drive out to Lake Arenal, where a boatman persuades us to take a ride with him to the other side of the volcano. Unfortunately, the volcano is mostly clouded over, although we do see several tumbling rocks trailing fire behind them. After dinner, we then go to the Baldi Springs, a series of warm water pools (including a swim up bar). I find them just the right temperature - warm but not hot. We also run into a couple from the rafting trip who had recommended the place to us. (No pictures today - didn't want to get my camera wet!)

Day 4: Hiking! All of us have had enough of sitting in boats, so we pass on the Cano Negro trip. Instead, we head first to Catarata La Fortuna, a beautiful waterfall about four or five miles from town, and then to Arenal Observatory Lodge, next to the national park. The waterfall is a fairly steep but short climb down (i.e., will be a tiring climb up...benches are provided!). By the waterfall, the spray keeps the humidity high and the rocks slippery. We clamber around and relax, spotting several couples swimming in some pools below the falls. Looks inviting, but we want to do some more hiking, so we head back up and to the Observatory. The Lodge has a picture perfect view of the volcano - or would if the clouds weren't there. This would be a cool place to stay! On the way, we pick up a worker who's struggling up a steep hill. He speaks much better English than our Spanish and gives us some hiking advice. We soon find ourselves on the Old Lava Trail, heading to the flow resulting from the 1962 eruption. The trail is beautiful, with wild impatiens, leaf cutter ants, bromeliads, ferns, flowers, and shades of green in abundance. After 45 minutes or so we reach the lava flow. It's a big contrast from the jungle - lava, grasses, and small trees. Whitney and I continue up the volcano for another 15 minutes but then turn around as the view doesn't improve. We retrace our steps, finding more leaf cutter ants.

Fresh from a hot and sweaty hike, we head to Tabacon Resort, the home of the best hot springs in the area. The place is beautiful, with verdant gardens all immaculately maintained. I don't recognize many of the trees and flowers, but the whole effect is amazing. Many people - including us - simply wandered around the resort admiring the lush profusion. However, the water is the draw, so we settle back for some serious soaking. The resort has numerous man-made pools, all connected by streams. The further down you go, the cooler the water gets...but cool is relative when the air temperature is in the upper 80s and low 90s! According to the signs, 36 degrees Celsius is the coolest pool and the warmest was at least 42 (that's 108 fahrenheit). My favorite was the waterfall that pours 39 degree water over you. Just like a back massage! There was also another one - even hotter - that was like a hot tub with the foaming water. Still, I found myself by the end heading to an out of the way corner where the cool river water mingled with the hotter water and formed a wonderful soothing pool, complete with a waterfall at one end and a bar at the side. As the only showers of our trip began, we sat on an underwater ledge under some trees and enjoyed the evening. A perfect ending to a great day!!