Nine Planets Round the Sun, Only One Does the Sun Embrace. Upon this Watered One, so Much we Take for Granted

The themed weekends continue.  Last weekend was all about sight-seeing.  After a very short 3 day work week because of the Easter holiday, I was looking forward to finally spending some time relaxing at home and doing a little exploring with a few day tours around San Jose. 

First up, Friday, with a half day trip to the Poas Volcano.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that my co-worker, Aman had also reserved the same tour, and it was nice to see a familiar face when the tour bus pulled up.  It was a short 1 hour drive to the top with stunning views of coffee plantations, strawberry fields and oriental ferns gardens. Ferns? Yes, ferns. Let me drop some knowledge on you, ferns are actually a leading export of Costa Rica after fruits and coffee.

Our tour guide Oscar was enthusiastic and knowledgeable and give a brief history of the city of Alajuela, which is the second largest city in Costa Rica, and home to Juan Santamaria, the national hero.  We arrived at the National Park ready to be wowed, and we were not disappointed.  The active crater of the volcano called Laguna Caliente, or hot lagoon is one of the most acidic lakes in the world, and has an eerie green glow, not to mention the god awful smell of sulfar that rips through your nasal passage.

After the smell became too much to handle, we decided to move on to the next attraction, Lake Botos.  What we were not prepared for was the trek uphill through the forest to get there. Actually, that sounds way worse than it really was, but it was uphill and it was through the trees.  Aman was clearly in better shape than I was because he barely broke a sweat.  I, on the other hand,was panting and gasping for air for most of the climb.  I may even have stopped once (ok twice!) to take some deep breathe with my hands on my knees. Where are the water stations, dammit! This lagoon better be worth it.  I could tell we were getting close because the smell was back with a vengeance.  I was right, it wasn't long before the trees parted and the sunny sky came back into view.  I was thankful for a chance to sit and relax and enjoy the beautiful view. 

The rest was short lived as we were due back at the tour bus for our ride home.  On our way back we stopped at a local shop to enjoy some deliciously ripe strawberries with chocolate.  I was in heaven and could have stayed all day, but I needed to get some rest for the next day's tour.

I was excited for my tour on Saturday to Laz Paz Waterfall Garden as I'd heard amazing things.  Leo my tour director greeted me and introduced me to my tour mates, an all female group that included a mother/daughter from Mexico and a grandmother/granddaughter from California.  I hit it off instantly with Zoey, the young girl on the tour with her grandmother.  As we chatted about our favorite bands and all the places we'd visited in the US, I came to learn she was only 15! and on spring break from high school (I swear kids these days look much older than they actually are)! Her relationship with her grandmother reminded me of my own and I enjoyed the memory of all the vacations I took with my grandma Bea.  

On our way to La Paz we stopped at this lovely little coffee shop and enjoyed the taste of some local Costa Rican coffee while we sat on the wrap around porch overlooking the coffee fields.  A great start to the day!

It wasn't much longer before pulled up in front and I fell in love instantly.

La Paz is one of the most famous waterfalls in Cost Rica, and the nature park includes different animal exhibits such as birds, butterflies, hummingbirds, snakes, frogs and jungle cats.  We wasted no time jumping in as we entered the aviary with our cameras at the ready. 

We were talking to the parrots when I reached down and touched his tail and casually mentioned I'd never touched a bird before (which now that I think of it, might not actually be true).  That's when my overly flirtatious tour guide grabbed my hand and lead me all the way back to the entrance where the toucans were just hanging out. He said something [in Spanish] to the staff member overseeing the section and a minute later I was holding the most beautifully colorful bird I'd ever seen.  I had a spiritual connection with that bird, who I named Tony, and I didn't want to leave him, but I was eager to see what else this place had to offer.

 I kissed my new friend [the bird, not the tour guide] on the beak and put him back on his perch, vowing to visit again soon. We walked quickly through passing scarlet macaws, wild turkeys and hawks to the next exhibit, the butterfly conservatory.  To a normal person, the thought of being surrounded by thousands of fluttering butterflies would be inviting, but to me, it was anything but.  I started to panic when they began to land on me, so I put my head down and ran through at mach speed.  I did manage to stop to take a few pictures for your viewing pleasure, but was less eager to hang out like so many people seemed to be doing.

What happened next was something I've been waiting a long time for.  Something I've only read and dreamed about.  An encounter with my very first... real... live... sloth!

I couldn't tear myself away, I was completely enamored with these ugly looking creatures. I tried to coax them over to the edge of the cage so I could run my fingers through their thick fur, but I was unsuccessful, so I settled for staring at them while they scratched each other, taking more pictures than a person should of a caged animal. When I finally torn myself away, I found that I was in the middle of the hummingbird garden, which was another amazing site to see.  So many birds buzzing around the sweet nectar stands, it was something you don't get to see everyday.

 
I was less then thrilled to see the snakes, but I did manage to step in quickly to take a quick pic.  Enjoy!

Next up were the jungle cats. There were ocelots, margays, pumas and a very large 200lb jaguar which was too busy sunning himself to pose for any pictures, but maybe that was his pose.

Puma

Jaguar

Sleepy time

 The frog ranarium was hot and humid, the perfect environment for a frog, less than perfect for my hair.  I got a few pics in before exiting stage left!

  After a few photo ops with the ox cart, we set off to embark on a slippery hiking trail along a steep canyon to get the best view of the waterfalls.  You can hear the rushing water before you can see them, but once they come into view they are absolutely breathtaking, and feeling the water spray on your face feels so refreshing, and is not something you'd ever find in Boston, unless of course the kids from the projects down the street kick open the fire hydrant. 

The weekend came to a close much too quickly, but I was grateful for some time to relax at home and catch up on some missed tv shows.  Thank god for Hulu+!


Pura vida!