So last weekend I went to the volcano Arenal. The trip up to the mountain is about 3 hours on a 2 lane highway thru some country that could only be called "rugged". Some of the drive is precipitous where the road will drop away on either side with beautiful jungle hills. The hotel (Montana De Fuego)we had was quite lovely. Each room was in a separate "cabana". My room overlooked the volcano with a Jacuzzi tub that you could lay in and watch the clouds go by on the volcano. I had a very large room with it's own breakfast nook and a couple of rocking chairs.
The hotel ground are beautifully landscaped with tropical plants and flowers. The hotel has a nice pool with swim up bar and jacuzzi. It also has it's own spa so I immediately went and made an appointment for some treatments for the morning. After a couple of hours of relaxation at the hotel we headed to the Tabacon Hot Springs. It's a short drive down to the hot springs. The hot springs are awesome. Unfortunately, we got there just as the sun was setting so I don't have many pictures (besides hot water and digital cameras don't mix). All of my pictures from Tabacon and Arenal are down in the album right below the Sniffle Sniffle... Cough post.
After arriving and changing into a swimsuit it was time to take the plunge in to the springs. Hmm how to describe the springs. They are a natural series of pools and waterfall that are surrounded by overgrown tropical foliage. Starting at the top of the springs the pools are the hottest and as you work your way down they tend to get cooler. The pools all have waterfall that you can sit under and have the hot water pound on your shoulders. There are also several cold water swimming pools, including one with a swim up bar.
Nothing feels better when you are sick (I still had that cold) than sitting in hot water while the waterfall cascades over your shoulders. If you want to hang out in a sauna you can go behind the water fall where the air is filled with steam. The best way to go is start at the top where the heat is the greatest and then work your way down the pools as you get overheated. There are probably 50 different small pools, enough that even with all the people at the hot spring you can still find a secluded spot for yourself. The night we were there they has a gentle tropical rain falling so that while laying in the hot pools you could feel the gentle cool drops hitting your skin. It made for a interesting sensation... hot and cold together.
While at the hot springs I just HAD to take a ride down their water slide. I have come to the conclusion that glasses and water DO NOT mix. When I was at the Isla Tortuga my glasses were interfering with my snorkeling then they made me take them off to ride on the Banana Boat. When i took off on the water slide (which was pretty cool) as soon as I hit the water WHAM my glasses popped off and landed in the pool. You remember the Scooby Doo cartoons where, inevitably Velma would lose her glasses when the monsters were chasing them? Yeah I now know what Velma felt like. There I was in a huge pool of water, in the dark, with no glasses and I can't see my hand in front of my face let along my glasses 3 feet under wather.
I was really freaking out since they were the only glasses I have with me in Costa Rica. Visions of spending 6 weeks blind as a bat passed thru my mind fortunately I was blind enough I couldn't see the visions clearly. I went running looking for someone that worked at the Hot Springs but being blind could find anyone until I got all the way up to the restaurant. I begged for them to send some one down with a flashlight. Fortunately, just as I got back to the pool someone found my glasses and picked them up!! They were, mostly, undamaged just a bit of scratching on the frame. PHEW!!!
After 3 hours of soaking in the springs we headed up to the buffet dinner in the restaurant. The food was fabulous and the tables overlooked the hot springs below. The floor show left something to be desired. We got a breif rendition of Crazy People Gone Wild as a very, very drunk french girl had a complete meltdown in the restuarant. She apparently had lost her husband, Amex card, shirt as well as her self respect and sanity. She was standing up in the middle of the restaurant yelling for someone to call 911 because she couldn't find her husband (who probably didn't want to claim her). She expounded on the typical drunk topics of paranoia, anger and insanity. Each of her tirades ended with a "Happy Thanksgiving"... unfortunately she never got the message that we would be very thankful and happy if she would shut up and sit down. After the dinner and floor show we headed back to the hotel tired and relaxed. Well that is enough for today.... Stay tuned for Part 2.
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