Drove along the side of lake Arenal, a beautiful drive. Can't help thinking of the fate of Spirit lake at Mount St Helens though, it does seem a little optimistic to site the country's largest hydro scheme next to the country's most active volcano!
At the dam, we met a racoon.
Then a detour to La Fortuna, a practical little town with a wild west feel to it, for a coffee and a trip to a supermarket.
Back to the route to Arenal Observatory Lodge. This is heaven. A first class hotel overlooking a volcano with scores of tropical birds, plants, and hiking trails in its 865 acres of grounds.
As we drove up, we met a coati digging at the side of the road. From the observation deck we saw a dozen different species of bird. The on-site museum has specimens of the local rocks and even a working seismographic display!
The room is the most comfortable we have had to date, with a balcony overlooking virgen forest but conveniently close to the restaurant.
We hiked down to the river and back, then a short loop probably less than three kilometers. The summit of the volcano remained hidden in cloud although less than two miles from us, but most of the time we were in sunshine at a temperature of about 26 degrees.
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