Danger, danger!
Just kidding, it’s not really dangerous. Our guide Etson told us if there was chance of volcanic activity they would close the park until the danger passed… but it didn’t stop the park service from posting another one of those scary signs!
The mission today was to hike through Arenal forest to go see Arenal Volcano. Here I am at the beginning of the hike.
Our group today was me, Melissa, Johnny, another couple, our guide Etson and our driver Alfredo. Etson knew everything about every plant and animal in the forest. He just kept pointing out the wildlife hiding among the crazy looking trees.
An ant holding on to a giant leaf. (Can you see the ant right under Etson’s thumb?)
Tucan Sam hiding in the trees:
A snake:
Orchids:
Hiking:
And there it is, hidden behind the clouds/fog — Arenal volcano!
Lake Arenal:
And we hiked back to the bus as it started to get dark.
On the way back, Etson saw a termite colony. He explained termites are very high in protein and they taste like wood if you eat one. He dared Johnny to eat one and Johnny said, after you! So our guide Etson popped one in his mouth. Not to be outdone, Johnny ate a termite, too. Later Etson told us he managed to get a handful of tourists to eat termites in the past year — all of them American, haha.
After the volcano hike, we asked Etson to drop us off in town. We went to a “soda” to get rice and chicken and salad (yum!) to take back to the resort (for $3.50! Score!). We ate at the hot springs and then I had a massage scheduled. It was amazing. It was set in a secluded area of the hot springs under a thatched roof. Afterwards, I put on my bathing suit and relaxed under one of the hot springs waterfalls until the hot springs closed at 10pm. Heaven.
