Arenal

We made it to Arenal after much more trouble in Atlanta than in Costa Rica. The flight was so short and the movement through customs and immigration very smooth. We were picked up at the airport by a private shuttle service and rode to the Arenal area in complete comfort. The driver, Alex, did not speak much English, but Danny kept him entertained just the same.

We arrived at the Hotel Linda Vista just 4 hours after arriving in C.R. and it was everything I hoped it would be. Our rooms have a wall of windows that overlook the lake and the volcano. We spent the evening on the porch of the hotel restaurant watching the lava flow down the mountain and feeling awe about how beautiful our surroundings were/are. Brian, the hotel manager, has been an incredible resource for helping us out in getting transportation and suggesting things to do. It started raining last night around 10pm (an odd circumstance during the dry season) and hasn't stopped for more than an hour since. Brian helped us out by suggesting that we go to the hot springs at Baldi, a resort nearby. We just left after enjoying an afternoon of moving from warm springs pool to warm springs pool. Danny and Terrell were a bit more adventurous than I was when they attempted to get in a pool that was close to boiling. I like to think that I am smarter than them, not that they are braver than me. :)

We are now in the town of La Fortuna getting ready to grab a bite to eat. It's only 5pm, but we have been in a constant state of hunger since we got here. The food is wonderful, but we aren't getting the standard American size portions!! On the other hand, you can see that Terrell's "crawfish" is a little larger than the ones we find here in the states.

All in all, this place is absolutely unreal. I can't imagine a more beautiful place with more friendly people...and this is when it's been constandtly raining!!

I have much more to say and will hopefully enter a more relaxed and thought out entry in the next couple of days!

Pura Vida!
Kimberly