Costa Rica Day 6 - La Fortuna with view of Arenal Volcano

Monday February 11

Very early: suitcases outside, breakfast, we are leaving Chachagua.

From the restaurant we are taking a little walk to the reception where the bus is waiting. Somebody finds the passion flower on the ground so we can take a better pictures. So pretty ... like so many other things we see. Wildlife and fauna are awesome.

I know this picture is out of focus but it shows what we did. A little up and down.

We come to a bridge with view of a waterfall.

There is a bush/tree with strings hanging down which are flowers.

At the reception Nestor talks about these ox-cards and Costa Rican life.

We have quite a drive but of course it is even interesting to see things out of the window. Here cattle are corralled which prompts Nestor to tell us again about Costa Rican life.

Finally we came to Don Juan's Organic Finca. On the right is the owner, on the left his helper who guides us around. Don Juan is a former school principal who had the dream of an organic self-sustained farm.

This city girl can't possibly remember but almost all bushes and trees did something special. We got to chew, smell, taste. I think we tasted the leaves of this one and it helps you with your digestion.

The guide gave everybody a print by laying a fern leaf on our closing and slapping it. But it is just the pollen dust.

These little seeds have red coloring in them.

I got rouge and lipstick put on. If I remember right it also is a sunscreen.

Something is poisonous about this but it helps if you have a cold. I guess it means that you really have to know what you are doing.

Ah, the view of the volcano.

Sam is asked to help with the harvest.

Got a great video of this!

This is cocoa. See the blossoms directly on the trunk/branches.

The guide selected Sallie to help opening a cocoa fruit.

The guides helper (a neighborhood child) showed up. His school is over. They go either morning or afternoon. Boy, did he have the eye-brow thing down pat already.

Then we helped make sugar cane juice. Here are two videos:

Helping to make sugar cane juice.

Toasting the Costa Rica way

Nestor said the fruit behind him was delicious. We all found it rather sour.

And then we have lunch on the farm from things all grown here. It was delicious and fun!!!

More driving and every so often we see the volcano.

The town of Fortuna. We had some time to walk around. James and I went into the church. Yesterday was Sunday and we couldn't go to church.

After that we went shopping and found some thread for my tatting.

Not on the itinerary: we stop and visit an orphanage. It makes us all sad but the children are so cute.

Some, including James, sew this broken window which we all thought was a great danger.

We were told that it is about $150 and no funds available right now. So we passed around the hat!

Off to our next hotel. We stay in every hotel two nights.

Sitting on the front porch of the Kokoro Hotel, La Fortuna.











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The official OAT itinerary of today:

Day 6

This morning after breakfast, we enjoy a nature walk along our hotel's trails. Then, we'll have the chance to meet one of Costa Rica's more forward-thinking farmers as we visit the organic farm of Don Juan Bautista, a retired school principal. There, we'll get an introduction to sustainable agriculture techniques, learn about the production of sugar cane, and enjoy an included lunch that features ingredients fresh from his fields.

After lunch, we depart for the town of La Fortuna, the "front yard of the Arenal Volcano," a town of thermal spas and verdant hills. Our home for the next two nights, La Fortuna offers spectacular views of the beautifully cone-shaped Arenal Volcano when weather permits. Upon our arrival early this afternoon, we’ll have time to relax or explore the grounds of our hotel. Dinner is on our own this evening.

Or, join us on an optional afternoon tour to the Arenal Amphibian and Reptile Center, an exhibition that is home to many of Costa Rica's rarer animals. There, you'll find exotic snakes, crocodiles, and over 30 species of frog. The cost of this optional tour includes dinner.