Sloth Watching - La Tigra - Hot Springs

Today, we start our journey at 5:50 AM, as we embark on a tour to observe sloths in the wild. We drive a short distance with our bus and reach our destination. Here, we switch to a smaller bus and meet our designated guide and our driver. We are in the immediate vicinity of La Fortuna. Then, we explore various forest areas. In the bus, we receive initial information about the animals. Together, we search for the animals in the respective trees. We also receive binoculars. We frequently disembark and move through the forest. The guide also has a special telescope that is mounted on a tripod, allowing it to stand firmly on the ground. We are very fortunate, as we soon spot the first sloths. Most of them are quite calm and leisurely, as if they have deciphered the secret of life. We see females, males, and even a baby sloth. We also discover beautiful toucans again, alongside whales and sloths, my new favorite animals. The tour includes a communal breakfast, which is lovely. For this, we drive to a small lodge. There is fresh coffee and juice, rice with beans, toast, eggs, or pancakes. It tastes delicious, and it is incredibly nice to be with such kind people.

Around half past nine, we continue with our own bus. Today, we will take a lovely, primitive hike in the vicinity of La Tiagra, which will lead us to Jeffrey's mother Franziska's house. On the way to the starting point, we have a little surprise, as we pass by the house and pick up Jeff's younger brother and a small, very cute dachshund that belongs to the family. Both accompany us on the hike. We ascend high, and when we arrive, we have a great view, despite the cloudy weather. Along the way in the rainforest, we are surprised by a heavy downpour. However, since it is pleasantly warm, the rain does not bother most of us. Some group members are well-equipped and have rain gear with them. Since I am wearing linen pants and a shirt today, everything dries quickly and well. We pass meadows with cows standing in them. We hike past small, very secluded houses and get traditional insights. Sometimes, pleasant music can be heard from afar. Towards the end of the hike, we cross a river. For this, we change our shoes. Everyone now wears either water shoes or trekking sandals. It is wonderfully refreshing to walk through the water, and it feels great, especially since we are all sweating and the hike is quite strenuous. The hike spans a distance of approximately 9 km, and we take nearly 3 hours to complete it. When we arrive at Jeffrey's mother’s house, we receive a warm welcome. She has already prepared fresh juices and fruits for us. We eat the delicious pineapple that we received recently from the pineapple plantation. Franziska has two more dogs and several chickens. Together, we make empanadas. Franziska has already been busy preparing the dough from corn flour. It is served with marinated chicken (Pulled Chicken Style) with peppers and slightly spicy seasoning, cheese, or bean paste. We learn from Franziska how to shape the dough balls using banana leaves. Afterwards, the empanadas are fried over an open fire in hot oil. They taste very good. What can't be missed, of course? Right, fresh coffee. Fresh beans are ground and brewed by hand. It smells wonderfully pleasant. After eating, we sit together, and Jeffrey plays two songs on his guitar while Viktor and Franziska join in singing. It is a very special atmosphere that deeply touches me. I am grateful for these impressions away from tourism. In the end, we take a group picture. Everyone feels very comfortable.

Our return trip to Eco Lodge begins. Upon arrival, most of us freshen up first. There isn’t much time left, and we set off again. Today, the group splits, as some decide to go for a very well-known and promising night hike in the cloud forest, while others visit the nearby hot springs situated in the immediate vicinity of the Arenal Volcano. A very small part of the group decides not to participate in any activity. This is also always an option. They go to a restaurant and have dinner there together. The entrance fee for the hot springs is not entirely cheap, but the trip is worth it. We arrive at 6:00 PM, and it is already completely dark. There are several pools with different temperatures and also hot tubs. Cooling pools are also available. The facility is very well-maintained, and some of us are really breaking a sweat. In between, we cool off with delicious cocktails, such as Pura Vida and Caipirinha. Everything is included. Around shortly before 9:00 PM, we leave the springs and are picked up by Viktor. In the bus, the participants of the night hike are already seated. They had a successful tour and saw several poisonous snakes and the red-eyed tree frog. In the evening, we all fall into bed very exhausted. We have experienced a lot today.