Our last weekend before classes ended, and our time in Costa Rica was drawing to a rapid close. Finally having a weekend free where we could choose our own adventure, Annie and I decided to go with three USAC girls to see the volcano Arenal (even though I had just been that week) and to see La Marina, to see a wildlife rescue center.
Manda meanwhile chose a different adventure, and went off with a bunch of USAC kids (dubbed the party group, they spent nearly every night at the clubs) to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica.
Bright and early we met up with two of the USAC girls who had been staying in Puntarenas, and took a bus to San Jose, which we then had to transfer to La Fortuna.
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| Alyssa and Annie enjoying the bis ride |
When we got there, we stayed in a Hostel called Sleepers, which was recommended to use by USAC. It was a nice place right in the center of town, with a very helpful manager who made sure we had everything we needed.
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| Our room for the night |
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| We ate here the first time I went to Fortuna. It's a nice little place for food. |
When we got off the bus, we were immediatly met by a guy from the company HOT LAVA tour company, and they set us up with a guided tour (about $35 each) to the base of the volcano (no longer active, but there is debate on that) that also takes you to a waterfall, and ends with a chance to look for the famous red-eyed tree frog!
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| There were imported rainbow eucalyptus trees from Australia there. Very pretty trees! |
We showed up on a very foggy day, so we could not see the volcano in the distance.
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| Our fingers are the volcano..haha |
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| There were lots of hanging bridges here! |
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| Howler Monkeys! |
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| And of course, we found more insects! |
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| We found a strange bird |
We were not prepared for rain since we arrived on a gorgeous day, but true to Costa Rican rain forest weather it down poured. Only Alyssa was prepared, and here she shares her umbrella with Annie.
As part of the end of the tour, our guide collected Volcano mud, which he would place on our faces later that night. (Like a facial).
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| We found a strange insect! |
After the tour, we went to a wetland area, where there were a ton of "dink" frogs (frogs that sound like glasses clinking together) and the tour guides caught red-eyed tree frogs for us to see!
After seeing the frogs, the tour ended with a trip to the poor man's hotspring where they gave us each a cup of a Costa Rican beer mixed with grapefruit soda. Julia and Annie didn't like theres, so there was more for me. When we got back that night I crashed, while the others went out for Sushi. It was a great, though wet, tour.
The next day we were served a free breakfast at Sleepers, which included fresh pineapple, banana, watermelon, cereal, coffee, eggs and toast.
At ten we caught the bus to La Marina, to go to the Wildlife Rescue Center. It was drizzling, so we purchased some cheap ponchos at the store.
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| Of course, we find more insects. |
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| Annie pretends to eat it |
The zoo had some rescued parrots and parakeets in cages, and a wild tocan was calling from just overhead.
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| Look at that smile! |
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| Annie and a Tapir |
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| Ocelot! |
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| Margay |
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| Ocelot |
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| A Jaguar |
After a very rainy weekend, we took a bus back with a ray of sun poking through the clouds. Ending the weekend, we saw Batman (the last movie in the Dark night trilogy!!) I ended up seeing it twice in the same day, because Manda showed up from her adventure late on Sunday and had no one to go see it with her.
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