Costa Rica (cont).

Our third tour was to the Arenal Volcano &  Baldi Hot Springs; remember when I said I needed to learn to read more about the tour? This was definitely a lesson. Yes, we got to see the Arenal volcano and here it is

It is active and supposedly at night you can see the embers and yes the hot springs heated by the volcano were nice but this ended up being a 13 hour tour with 7 hours of it driving. Not just driving but miles and miles of climbing on a curvy road. Now, you have to trust me on this but on the trip back I seriously thought I might die. The roads are narrow and winding and on top of it there was fog so thick we could barely see the taillights of the car in front of us and a full size bus passes us and the car in front of us! The people of Costa Rica drive absolutely crazy (they say they are aggressive). More than twice cars passed on double yellow lines. I can't begin to tell you how relieved I was to get to our hotel. This was not a good day in paradise.

For our last day in Costa Rica we decided to experience downtown where they have 5 blocks for pedestrians only, it is called Avenida Central.






But not without another haring ride....

This gives you an idea of the width of a one way street and  motorcycles drive in between the cars. The right of way if not controlled by a light was whoever could push in. They do not move to the right for a ambulance; they have a special lane for bus's in town and we passed several of them trying to make their way through the traffic with their lights on. The police ride motorcycles and make their way through. This was the worst part of Costa Rica and the one tour guide told us they are trying to improve it.

We finally made it close enough we could walk after a horrid traffic jam in which  we had a bus merging in front of us and motorcycle trying to get ahead of the bus and stuck almost in my lap in the back seat...whew!
Once we got to the central I felt very welcome

We walked and walked and finally stopped for lunch in a little open air restaurant....this was the view as I returned from the restroom in the back..

Yes, all those ferns are alive

and we enjoyed the little downpour from the inside.

Our plane left at 7:30 A.M the next morning and driving to the airport at 4:30 A.M. it was peaceful...................A good ending.