A low-key night at the Pension Santa Elena
COSTA RICA | Friday, 6 June 2008 | Views [443]
So we finished up at Arenal with great success: the morning at the waterfall in La Fortuna (definitely check out those pictures) and the evening at the volcano. It was cloudy but this time we went with a local guide named Mr. Lava Lava, highly recommended by Lonely Planet, and he took us to a great location where we saw a ton of lava. It didn't photograph well but it was awesome.
Then today my group, Megan, Chris, and Adam, and I headed to Monteverde/Santa Elena in a four-hour trek involving a sketchy van with 4 wheel drive, then a boat, and another van up a winding gravel road until we were nearly carsick. And then were were here! We're staying at this hostel called the Pension Santa Elena, which Ruthie recommended (as did Lonely Planet) and I can only describe it as a cross between a hostel and a hippie commune. These people seem straight out of Berkeley, by way of Costa Rica. It is awesome, which is good because it stormed all day. So we walked around a bit, found a bank and a bar and a supermarket, then came back and made chicken stir fry and hung out all night. Tiera, a future HBS classmate, joined us this evening and will be hanging out for the weekend with us.
Tomorrow morning we're going on an early hike through the cloud forest, then we might hit up the cheese factory in the afternoon, and then a night hike through the Children's Forest. Things here are very chill and the cool mist is a nice respite from the stifling humidity of Arenal. Good thing I brought long pants and a hoodie.
The sunburn has turned into major blisters on my knees, which makes bending and straightening them very very painful. But every night I am sure it will heal a bit by morning, so by now that must be true. Please keep your fingers crossed for me tonight!
Again, check out my pictures at www.flickr.com/photos/cmwalla.
Peace out!
Tags: costa rica, monteverde, travel friends
