Travel Journal 6

The first thing we did on our trip to Arenal was stop at the Topiary Gardens and observing the carved bushes of a artesian´s life work. I was very intrigued by the topiary passways and lush shrubbery. Next, we went into the town of La Fortuna to have lunch at a ´´soda´´ or a pizzeria. The town of La Fortuna was tucked into the outskirt of Volcano Arenal, which is one of the top ten most active volcanos in the world. La fortuna manages to keep its rather authentic Costa Rican feel although it was rushed by eager tourists after the volcano´s eruption in 1968. After La Fortuna, we went to our hotel ´´Arenal paradaiso´´ to settle into our prospective cabanas. Chris and I very much enjoyed our time at this luxorious hotel as we ventured to the ´´Cataratas de la Fortuna´´ the following day. These waterfalls were very mesmerizing as they were tucked into the depths of the volcano. The waterfall itself was about 100 meters high and fell with such strength that it was almost impossible to swim to because of the force of the water around it. Standing in the water surrounding the waterfall with my arms widespread allowed me to feel something that I have never encountered before. I was able to feel truly alive as I embraced the beauty around me. Typically caught up in the day to day errands and trivialities, I was able to distinguish what it was to be heartfelt and happy. Never will I forget my time amongst the Cataratas waterfall.

The location of Arenal was quite lush with tourists and ´´gringos,´´ demonstrating that the place itself is quite the spot for ecotoursim. This could be seen through the multiple line of luxorious hotels and resorts that were along the road past La Fortuna. As a result of La Fortuna, Volcano Arenal, Las Cataratas de la Fortuna, and the abundance of resorts, it was clear that Arenal was a local tourist hotspot, accomodating thoroughly the tourist sector of Costa Rica´s economy. Furthermore, I was very surprised by the beauty of the waterfall and lush vegetation that surrounded the Arenal waterfalls. I was no less impressed by the hot springs accomodating Baldi. In these hot springs, my friends and I treated ourselves to a few drinks as I attempted to converse with the local female populace. Overall, I think the Arenal excursion itself was very important to the program since it showed us a more tourist oriented part of Costa Rica. This tourist infested part of Costa Rica demonstrated one of the main sectors in Costa Rica´s economy. Experiencing the resort life amongst the clean and preserved santuaries of the National park, the waterfalls, and the volcano showed just how seriously Costa Rica takes it land preservation and maintanence. The cleanliness of Costa Rican land attributes to Arenal´s popularity as a tourist hotspot (no pun intended). Overall, the weekend for me was an eventful yet unforgettable one as we followed the yellow brick road through the depths of Arenal.