WE WEREN’T REALLY SURPRISED TO BE pulled over in a roadside check. This wasn’t our first time driving in Latin America, after all—we had been stopped three times on Christmas Day in Nicaragua back in ’07. But the officer didn’t want to check our papers—he pulled us over to ask if we would make a donation to fix the police department septic system. This is what happens when you defund the police!
Dani being a little camera-shy
We were on a road trip to Parque Nacional Volcán Arenal for a couple of days of birding. This would be our third time in the area and we didn’t expect to see anything new—the volcano stopped erupting years ago would probably be hidden by clouds—but it would be good change of venue and a chance for some new photos. Two nights at Hotel El Secreto in nearby La Fortuna cost half that of a single night at the Arenal Observatory Lodge and still had a view of the Arenal volcano. We also had the company of Dani, the hotel’s resident sloth.
Counting the kilometers back to home
The drive from Playa Flamingo was just over two-hundred kilometers but took nearly four hours. Only about 50 km was on the highway, the rest wound through mountainous jungle roads with speeding Tico drivers straddling the yellow line on every other curve. The 60 kph speed limit (about 35 mph) was just about right for me, especially in the rain.
