El Arenal - one of the most active volcanoes

From San Jose, we took a bus to La Fortuna, which is over 4 hours away at the foot of the Arenal Volcano. When we arrived, it was so foggy that we could only glimpse the volcano. After a much-needed shower following the hot and dusty journey, we decided not to let it get us down. We stumbled upon a nice little restaurant where we tried local cuisine for the first time. Joice ordered Yuca sticks with Guacamole. Yuca is similar to a potato, but bigger, softer, and slightly sweet. I ordered dough patties filled with vegetables. Delicious!!

The next morning, we explored our hostel. It even had a pool with a greenish hue. :D

Aside from Americans and a Tyrolean, there was also a group from Panama sleeping in our 12-bed dorm. They invited us to visit the La Fortuna Waterfall with them. Since they spoke Spanish, it was probably the first time we weren't ripped off during a taxi ride. We paid less than 1 Euro per person for the 15-minute ride.

The La Fortuna Catarata (=Waterfall) was incredibly beautiful. Although the entrance fee of 15 dollars was not cheap, the facility was well-maintained. But the best part was being able to swim under the waterfall. Believe me - the water was a real refreshment in the hot jungle.

Thanks to our friends from Panama, we learned about hot rivers warmed by the volcano. And the best part.. they were free! We spent the day relaxing in the 30-degree warm river in the jungle.

End of an eventful day.