Settling in for the flight to Liberia, CR
Nice. View.
Go figure. We go on vacation and there are what? Stairs.
Wedding ducks.
The walk down to the beach from the Grand Papagayo.
Danger. DANGER!
The view north from the beach.
That's Anna. She's on the beach. And loving it.
The view back out west towards the Pacific.
Anna demonstrates exactly how snails do their snail things.
Tidal pools...
Anna, svelte.
A coati, one of many around the resort. Very friendly!
A view back up towards the main Grand Papagayo buildings.
So Anna blew up one of her flip flops and had to pony up the money for new ones at the gift shop (expensive). This was tempered by the realization that the flip flops have - get this - integral bottle openers. :-)
Um. Getting used to this. Yup.
Anna getting ready for a canopy/zipline tour.
Climbing up the side of the hill to start the canopy tour.
Us. Jungle.
More stairs...
Reaching the first platform of the ziplines.
Anna? Natural.
An agouti - a large rodent coming by for some vittles.
Anna decides to try it upside-down!
The view from the hillside.
You're stepping off these platforms over a green abyss of foliage. It's incredible!
Anna. Coffee. Happy.
Anna. Horsepower. Happier.
Shortly after this was taken, Anna decided to show me who's boss by rear-ending me.
Anna, Alfonso, and Eric - our guide for the day.
Anna did not slow down for the water. Nope.
So you're just cruising along the banks of some random stream in the jungle...
Cows?
Cows!
Anna, again, does not slow down for the water.
Wait - what is it in the tree?
Anna, spellbound by the sloth way up there in the tree. Don't feel so bad if you can't see it. I barely could.
More sloth. More Anna agape.
MORE THROTTLE!!!
Anna, shortly after she almost ate it getting on the horse. :-)
...and then I got handed the minihorse.
Climbing up through the rainforest.
To the privately-owned bridge towards the waterfall.
Anna's just fine on high, swaying, rickety bridges.
The entrance to the waterfall.
Now we're *really* in the forest.
One part of the waterfall we're heading towards.
A quick stop for pictures before we're stripping down to our bathing suits!
Anna, all pinup-pose.
Me? Just in pain. Felt sort of good on my sunburn, though.
And - go figure: it started raining. While we were in the rain forest.
A view of the river from the bridge.
On to the hot springs!
I have no idea. "Hot", I think.
Eric, our guide, explaining to us that mud pots and bubbling pools are from magma heating up water under the ground. *really*?
Anna, delicately trying to burn her hands over one of the steam vents.
So you get to steam it up in the spa, opening up your pores, and then slather on this pumice-filled volcanic mud. Really? It feels amazing.
We're dumb. Kinda cute, though.
Anna, fresh from the hot pools...
The spa from on high.
Anna, finally changed back into dry clothes.
The road on the way the Palo Verde.
There were times when felt like we were lost. And then we weren't.
Towards the river/wetlands of Palo Verde.
Iguana. And I stepped in some poo. Anna laughed at me.
Looking out over the wetlands at Palo Verde NP, Costa Rica.
...and Anna decided to 4-wheel it back!
Horses. Birds.
Anna, loving the puddles.
More puddles. We returned the rental car kinda dirty.
Anna making friends with the coati.
A long, hot day coming to an end.
The beefiest IH Scout. So cool.
Anna finds a friend at the coffee shop on the way to Arenal.
Enjoying a cup of locally-grown Costa Rica coffee.
The gopher OD's on the the caffeine.
The road to Arenal.
All these signs? Illegal.
So you're driving along, and all along the sides of the road are these drops and waterfalls and jungle...
So, you're in an active volcano zone when visiting Arenal.
Anna, Arenal.
There all these signs telling you to park backed in. Why? So you can get the hell out of there faster if the volcano goes. Some people don't get it.
Danger.
Anna cut her ankle by stepping on herself. Yes, you read that right.
Please back in so you can leave easily. WHEN THE VOLCANO BLOWS UP.
The walk up towards the viewing area for Arenal.
Through reeds, through grasses, through rain forest.
Again: you're in an active volcanic zone.
Leaving the forest and climbing up the pyroclastic flow of 1992.
As far as the trail will (safely) let you go.
Standing there, listening to Arenal vent (very loudly!) and watching these car-sized boulders tumble down the south-eastern slope.
Lake Arenal in the distance.
A quick stop for lunch. A really really good lunch.
Anna with lots of hiking and food and sleep sets in.
The sunset as we arrive back at Gulfo Papagayo.
The sunset view from our room.
