Day 6 Sunday 30th September: tourists for a day

John writes: early start like Day 5 with the Grand Prix, Ryder Cup and beans with rice! Sadly no wake up view of Volcan Arenal but it didn’t stop us being tourists for our day off.

An 7.45am tour of the sloth park had a reassuring start when told sloths main predators such as jaguars, pumas and ocelots were absent apart from boa constrictors! The sloths made the crocs look hyper active but thanks to the guide’s spotting ability we saw 5 different sloths, all unbelievably well camouflaged and high up in the trees.

The 20 acre site also had Costa Rica’s most poisonous snake – the far-de-lence, a type of pit viper and 2 types of the poisonous dart frog, (green and black and blue jeans varieties) which are all deadly to human beings.

Having survived this dangerous start, we headed off to trek through the rainforest at Arenal Hanging Bridges – a 2 mile walk with some stunning forestation, spectacular

waterfalls and interesting wildlife

including a face to face meeting with a coati and this fearsome looking lizard.

Emerging out of the hot and humid rainforest, we were rewarded with the best view we were to get of the volcano.

We recuperated from our dangerous exertions with a visit to the Paradise Hot Springs at the foot of the again shrouded volcano basking in pools up to 52c/95f.

A late lunch of inedible empanadas (nothing like Vanessa’s at Finca Ambrosia!) was followed by a quiet afternoon listening to rumbles of thunder and catching up on emails.

Tomorrow its off early to Limon on the Caribbean coast where we hope to see more macaws, howler monkeys and not to see more rain or the threatened striking workers road blocks!!

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