I'm walking in the rain

Today is the day, we start for Costa Rica. The night was short, like every night during our vacation. The bags under my eyes now take up almost my entire face. Does not look nice.

Yes, vacation can also be stressful if you have very ambitious goals. The flight from New Orleans is quite short and we land safely at Juan Santamaria Airport in San Jose. Entry formalities are completed quickly and our driver is already waiting for us. We move into our quarters at the Studio Boutique Hotel and fall into bed completely exhausted after dinner.

Even today we have to get up early. We want to visit the Irazu volcano. With a height of 3,423 meters, Irazu is the highest volcano in Costa Rica. The last eruption took place in 1994. The crater lake is famous for its intense green color.

You can walk around the crater lake and that's exactly what we plan to do. We start in bright sunshine in San Jose. The further we leave the city behind us, the more clouds gather. We notice with concern that the rain is becoming increasingly intense. Well, that doesn't have to mean anything. We want to go high and the sun will certainly shine up there.

Just as we reach the top of the volcano, Peter opens the floodgates of heaven. It's pouring rain. We still want to know and quickly put on our rain caps. One of our colleagues took the opportunity to try on all the rain jackets she had brought with her to see which one would be the most suitable. We stand in the rain, rolling our eyes and dripping wet.

Yeah, she finally did it. We defy you Peter, we go to the crater and if you let the volcano sink into the sea, we would find a way to see it.,

Peter accepts the challenge and for a brief moment I have the impression that he really wants to let the volcano sink. We fight our way through the rain, brave, determined and soaking wet. We see absolutely nothing. We're stuck in a big fat rain cloud. It's no use, we have to turn back.

You may be the winner this time, Peter, but we'll be back. Count on it.

Well soaked, we continue to Cartago. Founded in 1563 by Spanish conquistador Juan Vasquez de Coronado, Cartago was Costa Rica's first capital. Many earthquakes and eruptions destroyed the city several times and so the seat of government was moved to San Jose in 1823.

The largest church in the country is located in Cartago. Tens of thousands of Ticos (that's what the people of Costa Rica are called) make a pilgrimage to the church of Nuestra Senora de los Angeles every year. A black Madonna, which was found in this place and is said to have healing powers, is venerated here. The country's largest flag flies in front of the church. Cartago, a city of superlatives.

You can also see the ruins of an unfinished church in the city, which was destroyed several times by earthquakes and at some point was no longer rebuilt because the residents were simply fed up.

On the way to the Orosi Valley, the scenic beauty of Costa Rica is revealed for the first time. Huge forested mountains and valleys crossed by rivers slide past us.

We reach the oldest church in the country. The Iglesia de San Blas is 500 years old. The beautiful landscape forms a perfect backdrop. In the adjacent museum you can see original exhibits that can be traced back to the founding of the church. The church has a beautiful garden, which clearly outweighs the rather simple furnishings of the church. Near the church, the local women are making tamales. This typical Costa Rican dish consists of a kind of corn porridge topped with meat and wrapped in banana leaves. The whole thing is boiled in water for about 2 hours and tastes delicious. The tamales made here are sold and the proceeds go to a good cause. The school needs a new roof. We are happy to help cover the costs with our generous tip.

After so much sightseeing, a yawning emptiness becomes noticeable in our stomachs. The guide seems to have noticed the persistent growling in our stomachs and we enjoy a delicious lunch in a small restaurant with a fantastic view.

A beautiful, if somewhat wet, day comes to an end.

Tomorrow we will fly to paradise. The Tulemar Manuel Antonio awaits us.