The Final Leg of my Costa Rica Adventure - A Night at the Arenal Observatory Lodge, a Mighty Volcano and my First Run-in with a Very Poisonous Snake

I arrived at The Arenal Observatory Lodge late in the evening after a bumpy drive along a dark, country road through the national park area. Check-in was easy and, fortunately, my room was ready and waiting for me. Although it was late, I still inquired as to whether the swimming pool was still open. To my surprise, it was so I checked into my room, changed into my swimsuit and enjoyed a relaxing dip in the pool. And why not? I had a long day, it was a beautiful, calm night with temperatures hovering around 25 degrees Celsius even at that late hour and I had the pool all to myself.

If I hadn’t been so tired, I would have stayed awake longer and wandered around the lodge because it was so calm and quiet except for the sounds of howler monkeys and various tropical creatures that come out at night. However, my very spacious and comfortable room allowed some of those soothing sounds to seep in and those are the sounds I fell asleep to and woke up to. I awoke surprisingly early, around 5:30 to be exact, and retreated to my small back deck to admire the view of the sun rising with a perfect view of the volcano directly in front of me. The fog had lifted and I was able to see Arenal in it’s entirety! I didn’t realize the volcano was right there outside my window because it was too dark when I checked in and I was too disoriented to know exactly where it was. I guess you can say I truly had a room with a view!

It wasn’t until I actually left my room that morning that I was able to see the true beauty of the lodge and its lush, green, mountainous surroundings. The lodge itself was very clean, well-maintained and stylishly renovated while still maintaining a rugged, outdoorsy look and feel to match the vast wilderness that surrounded it. The grounds of the Arenal Observatory Lodge were big with many gardens, trails and green spaces. I didn’t have time to do all of the trails but I did do a guided nature hike later that morning. For a few hours, I wandered around the grounds taking more pictures, admiring the view and listening to the many interesting nature sounds around me. I was feeling a little uneasy about walking alone too far into the wooded areas for fear of snakes. The night before, my concerns about snakes were validated by a resort employee. I’m not a big fan of snakes so from that moment on, my sandals remained in my suitcase and sneakers, long pants and socks were my preferred attire despite the heat. I didn’t want to allow the possibility of meeting a snake completely stop me from venturing off into the rainforest so that is why I opted for the guided nature hike.

Breakfast, as were all of the meals I ate in Costa Rica, was absolutely delicious and filling with much to choose from at the buffet table. The view of the volcano from the restaurant just made it all that much more enjoyable. When I finished eating my breakfast, I met my fellow hikers and guide at 8:30am. For a couple of hours, I was able to enjoy the true serenity and pureness of the place. Tall trees, steep ravines, colorful plants, rolling fields, distant mountains, a suspension bridge, some wild turkeys and howler monkeys, a strange animal that I had seen a few times on my travels around the country but cannot recall the name of and a beautiful waterfall were some of the things I saw on that one short hike. As much as I didn’t want to come face to face with any snakes, I did get to see one – a very poisonous pit viper sleeping soundly on a branch. Thankfully, he didn’t wake up and I overcame my fear enough to get within a few feet of the lethal creature and take a few pictures before silently backing away and moving on. I expected a venomous and deadly snake to be much larger but it was quite small. We returned to the main lodge via a tractor, which was good because I was getting tired and overheated by that time.

There were a number of tours available at the lodge including bird watching tours, guided hikes, kayaking tours, horseback riding tours and white water rafting but, unfortunately, time didn’t allow me to avail of any of them. I had a plane to catch the next day in San Jose; that dreaded flight that would have me backtracking through Houston, Toronto and Halifax before reaching cold and snowy Cape Breton. But I did have some free time to wander the grounds of Arenal Observatory and visit the museum where I learned a lot about the area including the history and, of course, its most famous landmark, Arenal Volcano. Although the volcano wasn’t active while I was there, it was still amazing to be able to observe it and learn about it.

My drive back to San Jose arrived mid-afternoon and instead of backtracking on the same route I came to get there, my driver took a different route back to the city so I was able to see even more of the country. This route brought us over mountains and through heavily forested areas along very windy country roads, across the continental divide and onto a section of the Pan-American Highway before arriving back in the city. I didn’t get to see much of San Jose but that last night in the city, I decided to at least walk around the neighborhood of my hotel and see what was around. It was a typical city neighborhood with fast food joints, a mall and busy highways with overhead pedestrian crossings where I was able to get some pictures of the city. The worse part of my entire trip was the following day when I found myself back in airport lineups waiting for flights and dealing with the headaches that comes with flying and on top of that, not looking forward to disembarking my plane in Sydney, Nova Scotia where a fresh ten centimeters of white, fluffy and cold snow had just fallen the night before!

Into The Rainforest - La Fortuna, Tabacon Hot Springs and Arenal Volcano

During my recent travels in Costa Rica, I was fortunate enough to be able to see many areas of the country. I started my journey in San Jose and made my way to Montezuma on the Nicoya Peninsula on the Pacific coast. I spent a week there before heading back to San Jose and catching a ride to a more northern region of the country in the area of La Fortuna. The biggest thing I noticed when I traveled from one area to the next was the diversity. The weather patterns were different, the scenery was different and while the Nicoya Peninsula was quite remote, La Fortuna seemed to have more tourists around but both areas were very uncrowded. That was one of the best things about Costa Rica; peace and quiet…an uncrowded paradise.

My transportation to La Fortuna, which was with Expeditiones Tropicales, arrived early the next morning and made the several hour journey to La Fortuna, making several stops along the way. The scenery was a stark contrast to what I had been surrounded by the previous week. While the Pacific Coast consisted of rugged, rocky coastline and beautiful sandy beaches, this more northern and inland region was mountainous with long, windy country roads, coffee plantations and was green with thick rainforest. The weather was much different too. After spending a week baking in very hot temperatures, the cooler and damper climate of the north was a much needed relief but it was still warm enough (the average year-round temperature is 25 degrees Celsius) not to snow like it was doing back home in Canada around that time.

I was able to see a lot of this part of the country while en route to La Fortuna and I noticed some very interesting things. I knew ziplining was a big thing in Costa Rica but I had not heard anything about the popularity of bungee jumping until we came across a very high bridge over a steep ravine with signs advertising the adventure sport. Had I known this, I might have planned to stop or take a side trip. I also would have booked a night at the Treehouse Hotel I spotted along the way. I’m sure there will be many more opportunities in the future! We passed through several small towns and villages before stopping at a souvenir shop to buy some locally-made treasures and test out some locally-grown coffee. The road from there was much like a roller-coaster with rolling hills and hairpin turns until we reached the town of La Fortuna and the main thing I wanted to see above everything else during my time in Costa Rica; Arenal Volcano. Before making the 12 kilometre drive around the volcano, we stopped to have a delicious meal at a roadside restaurant.

Unfortunately, it was foggy that day and I was unable to see the very top of Arenal and although I was able to get some very nice pictures, I had my fingers crossed that the next day, the fog would lift and I could get some better ones. A memorial was set up at the look-off to remember the 87 people who were killed when Arenal suddenly and violently erupted July 29th, 1968. The volcano was thought to be dormant at that time and a number of people were also injured and the three small villages of Tabacón, Pueblo Nuevo and San Luís were buried.

I had little sleep the night before and all the walking I did that day was starting to wear me down so I was looking forward to the next stop; Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort and Hot Springs. These hot springs are located at the base of the volcano and are naturally heated by it. The resort itself is fairly big with a main lodge area, a gift shop and a restaurant. My immediate concern upon arrival was getting into my swimsuit, acquiring a towel and finding a quiet pool to relax in. Fortunately, there are lockers available so I was able to safely stow away all my belongings. Towels and drinking water were available too. I found a small, fairly shallow pool that was away from any crowds and submerged myself in the warm, relaxing, mineral-saturated water. There were signs warning guests not to stay in the water for long periods at a time, particularly if you have any underlying health problems. I don’t have any health issues that I am aware of and I didn’t have a watch so I was not too concerned with the length of time I spent soaking in those heavenly waters. However, when I did finally stand up to get out after what was probably an hour, I was overcome with light-headedness. This only lasted a few seconds and I felt like a million dollars for the rest of the afternoon.

There were a number of various-sized hot-spring pools all over the grounds so I spent a few hours walking around Tabacon taking pictures and admiring the pools, the beautiful gardens, bridges, waterfalls and archways. Being surrounded by so many large, tropical trees combined with the sounds of running water and various birds and insects made it seem like I was walking in a rainforest in the middle of nowhere. I came across the Grand Spa in my wanderings and wished I had the time to enjoy some of the services and treatments that were available. As a member of the Leading Spas of the World, there was no doubt in my mind that the services provided were world-class. "Refreshing Breeze", a service consisting of an Avocado wrap, back neck and shoulder massage and avocado and olive oil mini facial caught my attention on the spa menu. Then there was "Coffee Orange Parfait" which consisted of a coffee and orange exfoliation treatment, a Swedish massage and a honey yogurt mini facial which sounded like an indulgent dessert rather than a spa treatment and "Rainforest Caress", which consisted of a mud mask, mud wrap and Swedish massage and this sounded like the perfect way to end a long, tiring day. These luxurious treatments were available at a very reasonable price of $220.00. Many other individual treatments were also available including deep tissue massages, aromatherapy, waxing, volcanic mud wraps and facials ranging from $20.00 to $220.00.

By this time, I had been walking for quite a while and the heat was starting to get to me. I found the larger pool that offered a more refreshing and cooler water temperature and jumped in for one last dip before dinner. I met up with a few people who had come on the same bus as me and found out that they would be having dinner at the same time as me. Traveling alone usually means eating alone a lot of the time so whenever I am fortunate enough to meet some nice, friendly people to enjoy a meal with, it is always a treat. Eating alone is not so bad in your hotel room but in a large dining area filled with couples and families, it can be lonely and sometimes even intimidating and uncomfortable. But not this night; I had the opportunity to enjoy one of the best meals I had on my entire trip surrounded by some very nice people from all over the world which lead to some interesting conversations in several different languages. That’s one of my favorite things about traveling; meeting people from all over, hearing their languages, discovering what their lives are like back home and sharing my experiences here in Canada with them. These conversations are always so enlightening and interesting and some of my best learning experiences came from conversations like this in random places in faraway lands. The buffet dinner I enjoyed that night consisted of everything you could imagine and, even as a self-proclaimed picky eater and vegetarian, I had no problem filling my plate…twice, plus dessert.

I parted ways with my group immediately after dinner as they were headed back to San Jose. As for me? I was sticking around the area for a bit and spending the night at The Arenal Observatory Lodge where the next and last leg of my Costa Rican Adventure began.

A Broken Camera, A Final Trip into the Village, a Farewell Beach Excursion and...Goodbye Montezuma and Anamaya

Although time seemed to stand still for most of my time in Montezuma, ultimately, my last day there came too quickly. By mid-morning, I was packed and ready to catch my ride back to San Jose the next morning. Getting the packing out of the way early meant I could enjoy the rest of my last day in paradise. Before I set out to enjoy the day, I checked my camera to make sure it was charged. It didn’t turn on, so I plugged the rechargeable battery into the wall while I went downstairs to grab some breakfast.

When I returned a little while later, the battery was charged and the camera was still not working. Panic set in; a broken camera is one of the worse things that can happen on vacation! I tried desperately to get it to work and, by accident, discovered that the camera would turn on if I hit the button that plays back previous pictures and than hit the shutter. It would only turn off if I removed the battery and put it back in and hit the shutter. At least I got it to work even if it was a hassle to turn on and off. There was going to be a farewell bonfire at a beach an hour away for all of us who stayed at Anamaya and I was running late to go into the town of Montezuma one last time and make it back in time.

The ride to the beach was a bumpy and long one. This was the first time I had traveled on the road system outside Montezuma and driving on those deserted, bumpy, gravel roads had me thanking my lucky stars that I did not rent a car and drive from San Jose to Montezuma like I had originally planned. In some places, there was no shoulder, just a steep, long drop into the rainforest below. Combine this with very sharp turns and steep inclines and declines and you have a very dangerous combination. Fortunately, our driver was unnerved by these conditions and got us there without any mishaps except for almost hitting a couple of cows crossing the road.

We didn’t have that bonfire because the beach was practically gone when we arrived because of the abnormally high surf but we did all change into our swimsuits and run into the waves to cool off from the scorching afternoon heat! There was a road running along the beach and I took a long walk to the end of it and admired the beautiful scenery and took advantage of having that place almost all to myself. It was the perfect way to end a perfect week. After a delicious meal of Ceviche, Tacos and beer, we called it a night and piled back into the van. The drive back to Anamaya was even scarier because it was at night…with no street lights.


Back at the house, we were treated to a large dinner complete with wine and probably the most delicious desert I had ever tasted – besides my mom’s blueberry cheesecake of course. The wonderful staff who made my stay at Anamaya so memorable performed a variety show for us to enjoy and than we spent one last evening socializing by the pool. In the morning, a number of people I had come to know so well would be headed off in different directions, back to their lives in cities and countries far away from my own. We had become so close during that week and most likely would never cross paths again. It is a sad thought but, at the same time, a joyful one because I was so fortunate to meet so many great people and spend time with them even if it was for just a short time.