Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica

March 25, 2011.

We didn’t get off as early as we had hoped. First Al insisted that we wait for the woman to come and take our breakfast order. Of course she never came, and then some guy walked straight up to the counter and ordered, got his breakfast within a few minutes. That wait set us back 15-20 minutes. Then we spent even more time talking to the the guy who had scooped the first breakfast, and therefore didn’t arrive in La Fortuna until fairly late in the day.

We quickly located our hotel beneath the billboard.

Billboard of the a cloud shrouded volcano Arenal in Costa RicaHotel Villas Vista Arenal overlooking the volcano Arenal in Costa Rica

The billboard didn’t do it justice – it was a series of small cabins surrounded by a garden of tropical flowers.

our hotel was a series of small cabins in a tropical garden overlooking the Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica

And as promised there was the ‘Vista Arenal’ just the other side of a fenced-in field.

Red tropical flowers against a fence with the our hotel was a series of small cabins in a tropical garden overlooking the Arenal Volcano in the background, Costa Rica

Along with some unidentified tropical flowers that look vaguely like a Bird of Paradise.

Orange tropical flowers in the garden at our hotel by Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica

pink tropical flowers in the garden at our hotel by Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica — *^{Beautiful, what ever it is.}*

The active Arenal Volcano creates its own cloudy sky.

Arenal Volcano creates its own cloudy sky in Costa Rica

The sun lowers itself in the sky forming a silhouette of the Arenal Volcano.

Silhouette of the Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica

We went for a short drive to Arenal Lake to watch the continuation of the sun setting.

Dinner was at Café Don Ruffino’s. The prices were high despite the casual look: $12 plus for pasta, $30 for larger meat/seafood plates. Despite the prices the place was packed. I had Carlos’s pasta $15: pesto, bacon, young mozzarella, mushrooms, tomatoes, a sprinkle of pine nuts and arugula on top. Tasty but dripping in oil – I left almost a quarter inch of it on my plate.

March 26, 2011.

The next morning presented yet another look for the volcano.

a cloud shrouded volcano Arenal in Costa Rica

The rest of the day was spent exploring the park at Hanging Bridge s.

Palm tree with seeds in Hanging Bridges, trails through the jungle of Costa Rica — *^{Palm tree with seeds in Hanging Bridges, a series of trails and suspension bridges through the Costa Rican jungle}*

The café at the Smithsonian Lodge where we stopped for a beer and stared out at the Arenal Volcano.

Café with an Imperial beer with the Arenal Volcano in the background, Costa Rica

The cafe had interesting tile-work, both on the tables and on the walls.

Tile mural showing a fiery eruption at Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica

Ceviche in the town of La Fortuna, at the Lava Lounge.

Map of Costa Rica. The Volcán Arenal is near the top of the map, the nearest town is La Fortuna and you can still see a view of the volcano from Hanging Bridges park.