We awaken before dawn to see more lava flowing before the sun rises, at which point we can no longer make out the red smoldering lava, only the smoking of the ash. But we can now see the beautiful lake, too! Our activity today is taking a canopy tour via an aerial tram up through the rainforest and (three of us) taking eight zip-lines down--the longest and highest cables in Costa Rica--adrenaline rush! The cables go through the trees and also above them, where we get a great view of the gorgeous volcano. The terrific guides tell us we are lucky because the volcano has been extra active and rumbling today and last night; plus we enjoy perfect weather. We then get on the scenic road that takes us around the length of the northern side of the lake. We stop to shop at fun Toad Hall and for a great lunch at Caballo Negro. That night we arrive at our villa at "Sailfish Bay" at Playa Ocotal on the Pacific coast, where we eat dinner and settle in to stay five nights.
Day 2
Volcano Arenal at dawn
Volcano Arenal, Lake Arenal, grounds of our lodge
View from our lodge,
which is on the southern side of Lake Arenal.
Arenal Vista Lodge
Lake and Volcano
. . . It's Beautiful
Some of us think we could hear jaguars from our room before dawn.
Mila looks through her binoculars.
Riding in the
aerial tram gondola.
Looking down at the
tree canopy below us.
Lake Arenal from the tram
Howler monkeys
in nearby trees.
Watching the monkeys.
Ellie looks at Grammy
through the wrong end
of the binoculars.
Arenal from the top platform.
Volcano Arenal and us.
Helmeted and harnessed up and carrying our own pulley, ready for the zip-line tour.
Jen on the platform
ready to zip.
The zip-line tour includes
8 cables that together have
a total length of
2.8 Km (1.74 miles).
Jen arrives
at the next platform.
Aaron on the platform
ready to zip.
The 8 zip lines range from about 100 to 2500 feet in length and from 65 to 650 feet in height. That's Aaron in the middle of a long one.
Aaron arrives
at the next platform.
Tiffany on the platform
ready to zip.
Tiffany tries to free an arm to wave to Mila and Ellie below.
Tiffany arrives at the
next platform.
Monkeys on the
side of the road
One last shot of Arenal
from the road.
Pizotes (coatis) getting fed
on the road around the
north side of Lake Arenal.
Traditional painted oxcart outside Toad Hall.
The Caballo Negro restaurant in Nuevo Arenal town serves hearty German fare and organic vegetarian specialties.
Adjacent Lucky Bug Gallery, run by triplets who are artists.
View from the patio:
The Lucky Bug B&B
and private lake
in the Tilarán Mountains.
Ellie on the restaurant patio.
Fresh fruit refresco.
Only one of hundreds of beautiful vistas from the northern side of Arenal Lake.
Grocery store in Liberia.
Villas at Bahía Pez Vela,
Playa Ocotal,
on the Gulf of Papagayo.
Ready to hit the beach!
