Costa Rica - La Fortuna

Costa Rica- la fortuna

Last boat ride today!!! Yea! We were also in the van for awhile. We stopped at a place to get hot chocolate and coffee and it had great views.

We arrived in the evening and went to the Defino tour company to see the options. Lots to do here- zip lining, canyoneering, nature walks, boat nature trips, ATVs, etc. Sage, Daniel and I decided to go on a nature walk around the Arenal Volcano then go to the hot springs at Ecotermales. There were tons of hot springs to go to, but many were big and had water slides etc. we picked one that only lets in 100 at a time and there were few children. I have been to hot springs in Ecuador, but have never actually got IN them. Dan is addicted to hot springs almost as much as he is to massages so he convinced me to go. He and Sage planned to go white water rafting the day after that (down to San Jose and just meet us there) I have been class 4 rafting before in Alaska and I was exited that they were going to get to go. 

I got food at the grocery store and turned in early to my cabin. It's really cute - this place is accurately called Cabinitas- it would be perfect if it had hot water.

I'm reflecting on my trip since I'm going home in a few days. A month was a good travel time for me. I'm still enjoying it, but a little excited to go home and have hot showers and clean clothes. I have only been in São Paulo a few months and I have aquaintences but only one actual friend that I talk to a lot. Here I have a good group of friends that share common interests with me. I have been traveling with Marilyn, Ryan, James, Martina, Sage, and Daniel (Tim too, but I am not close to him - no one is - he's kind of grumpy) for a month now and I've had more conversations with them than people at my new job. It is honestly going to be very difficult to say goodbye to Daniel and Martina. And I am going to miss the others a lot too. I have also made friends with the people that joined us in Antigua, but I haven't had as much time with them. I have hope that I will see some of them again. I met Bill, Joyce, and Arron on my trip to Israel and actually spent New Years with them a few years later in Puerto Rico and Aaron stayed with me in Mumbai one night when he had a huge layover. So I have hope I will see some of these new friends again too. 

The next day we went on the hike with Michelle and Melanie and saw iguanas and eyelash vipers. The guide knew where to find them because they stay in one place for a long time. They curl up on the tree and look like a flower to attract prey. The babies are the most dangerous because when they bite, they unload all their venom. The adults conserve their venom- their first bite is usually a warning bite with no venom. The second bite has venom but they don't unload all of it.

stigmata plant

eyelash viper

walking tree!  they "move" to get more light

big wasp? nest

The hot springs were good and I enjoyed them. Daniel made me read about all the healing properties they have (because I was still a little wary). We met Luming and Carone there and we soaked for about 2 hours. They springs did something to me - I could barely move my legs when I got out. I thought maybe it had sucked the Lupus out of me!! My hands were shaking really badly and my legs wouldn't move right so Sage and Daniel got my dinner for me at the buffet. We've been together long enough for them to know what to get me. Sage told me to not get any potato hash because it tasted like Indian spices. When my hands are shaking I use two forks- the one in my left hand helps balance the one in my right which tends to shake more. They were sweet and didn't laugh at me as I was shoveling my food in my mouth with two forks. Dinner was good, you never know at these places where it is included. 

They got me out of my chair and walked me to the lobby so I could catch the 8:30 bus with Carone and Luming while Sage and Daniel cooked some more in the springs. Brayden and Tom were on the bus coming back from their springs at Los Lagos (where we dropped Melanie and Michelle off after the hike) it is nice running into people you know - feels like a small town and we can catch up with each other during the day.