So after our zip line adventure we went back to the hostel and put our suits on and headed to this waterfall park where we could go swimming. But to get there we had to hike down a pretty steep mountain side. Hear we are at the beginning, still smiling and not all hot and sweaty.
The view at the top where we start the hike down to the waterfall.
It was so fun, and for those who know me, this was very hard. Since I'm not a big swimmer and only swim in pools, not in "nature", April is there encouraging, and cheering me on. As you can see the water is pretty rough. This is a big deal for me, so I am proud of this moment.
Exploring the river along the shore was really peaceful and quiet, a get-away from the roar of the waterfall. The water was not too cold, just a little chilly when you first got in, probably as warm as a cool pool in WA. After our adventure in the falls we were not looking forward to the GIANT climb we would be making back up.
Back at the hostel, we went straight to the pool and relaxed. . . .It was getting late but Carrie and I were up for one more adventure. . . . to the live volcano. .
Here we are on our way. . .
The mountain is active all day and night. What you see in this picture is the rolling of boulders, which you can hear rumble and roll throughout the day. You can see the dust in the middle of the mountain and how it is covered in ash till it hits the tree line.
This is what it looks like at night. This isn't lava, but hot rocks and embers rolling down the side. It was SO cool. This is another adventure we discovered while talking to other travelers and finding out what was worth seeing. We would have paid $40-$60 to get a ride to this place, but once again our rental car saved us a lot of money. We came and went as we pleased, AND didn't have to pay a cent to see the "show"! We met a biologist and his driver/photographer who took us to pizza later. Don't worry, it was completely safe, since the biologist was 60 something. He just loved telling us all kinds of interesting things. We enjoyed talking to the locals and seeing how they view the people of the USA.
When we weren't in the pool, napping or reading we were playing cards. Wearing head lights was a common occurrence for us but, Carrie rarely took her forehead fixture off. The lighting wasn't good in CR. The next day was our traveling day. We had two choices, to take a bit of a longer drive around the lake, or a shorter one and go the way we came and continue from there. We chose the longer way, thinking it would be interesting to get a chance to see some more of the country. Our biologist friend suggested a wonderful German bakery on the route around. . . . . . Alice
