Green Whip Snake in Arenal National Parque.
Day 5 of our adventure-December 6 we're exploring La Fortuna.
After a fairly late night dinner in La Fortuna, we have a 7AM breakfast at the Hotel Lomas del Volcan.
Our bus is departing at 8 AM for our visit to Arenal Volcano National Park.
The buffet breakfast was very yummy and the coffee very strong, we're refueled and ready for the day. It rained pretty heavily overnight and it seems a bit cooler than it was in Tortuguero but it's still very humid. Today we're hiking in the Arenal Volcano National Park.
Edgar shares his knowledge of local plants with us along the hike up to the view of Lake Arenal.
He points out what's OK to eat and what's definitely NOT OK to eat.
Also, what's OK to touch and what you shouldn't touch.
Martha shows off a leaf that had a little too much competition for sunlight.
We hike farther in and higher up to the area around the volcano's base. Edgar points out to us the forest succession of plants and trees following the 1968 eruption of the
Arenal Volcano.
As we get close to the end of this trail, we can see evidence of the jungle reclaiming the volcanic rock fields.
We make it to the top and get a view of the Lake Arenal. It's still very foggy/misty so it's not the best viewing.
On the way back down, Edgar spots a Green Whip Snake (above) well camouflaged on a tree branch and we see some very beautiful flowers.
It's pouring rain, I mean like buckets, but it is the tropics so we wait it out then start our tour of the farm. We meet up with our guide and off we go.
Our first stop is sugar cane processing, in the traditional way.
Our efforts were rewarded with some cane juice and a little "moonshine".
We get to learn about the Bix orellana tree, which is shrub native to Central America and we have a little fun.
According to Wiki-The seeds are ground up and used widely in traditional dishes in Central and South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean, such as cochinita pibil, chicken in achiote, caldo de olla, and nacatamal.
Annatto and its extracts are also used as an industrial food coloring to add yellow or orange color to many products such as butter, cheese, margarine, ice creams, meats, and condiments.
Some of the indigenous peoples of North, Central, and South American originally used the seeds to make red body paint and lipstick, as well as using it as a spice.
For this reason, the Bixa orellana is sometimes called the lipstick tree. This is where the fun comes in.
We continue our tour around the farm and learn about chocolate, cassava and some of the medicinal herbs and plants they grow on the farm.
All this touring and learning has worked up an appetite and we're served a delicious farm to table meal.
Back on the coach and we're headed back into La Fortuna-we have a date with a Salsa Dance Teacher. Along a side street from the main road and just down a small alley is the
Kawe Dance Studio.
We're booked for a lesson in traditional salsa dancing. Everyone is encouraged to participate.
Unfortunately, I couldn't dance and photograph at the same time.
And it was Lorena's birthday, so we sang to her. I think we all had a fun time and both Yaudieth and Lorena were very patient with us, even with the folks with two left feet.
The
EcoTermales Hot Springs was just what we needed after our long day. The energy from the Arenal Volcano heats the thermal pools which range from 32°C to 41° C (90°F to 106° F) so you can find a pool that's just right for you.
The cocktails helped us relax too. Katja, Darlene and I all tried the "Diamond Hearth Spritz", no idea what all the ingredients were but it was SOOO GOOD!
Next up: A cruise on Lake Arenal, a visit to Heliconia Ranch, a coffee plantation tour then on to Monteverde and the cloud forest.
