Our last full day in La Fortuna. The view of Vn Arenal was clear when we first awoke but as usual, it pretty soon clouded over. It's been a very restful few days. When you plan a holiday, it's sometimes difficult to know what places are like. In Chile, something that seems close can be a half day's drive away on bad roads. Here in La Fortuna, all the sights are less than a fifteen minute drive away so we have spread what could be done in a couple of days, m...

So today was Joan's birthday. After a leisurely breakfast, watching the birds and the clouds on Volcan Arenal, we decided to spend the afternoon at Ecotermales Fortuna which is about a five minute drive away. A big machine had broken down outside Posada Colonial's gate and a man we underneath it trying to fix it. Whereas the Baldi spa was more like a water park, this was more akin to the spas we have visited before such as the Termas Geometricas near Volcan Vi...

The garden in the house where we are staying is so beautiful, it barely seems worth going out. But having read the guidebooks we settled on going to a private nature reserve in the hope of seeing the so far elusive sloths. It was a couple of miles east of La Fortuna. By the reception was a bird feeding station and a type of rodent called an agouti. We took our time, looking hopefully up in the trees to see sloths. We were told that sloths can't regulate thei...

So today we decided to go for a walk in PN Volcan Arenal. On the garden path we came across a strange centipede like animal with a weird shell. Unlike Chile, all the attractions are closeby. Getting to the National Park of Volcano Arenal was a short drive mainly along paved road. There was some dirt road but it was easy driving. It costs $15 US per person to visit the park and then there was a short drive to a mirador of the volcano. Most of this holiday it...

Technically, being north of the Equator, it is winter here. The days are short and by 5.30 pm it is quite dark. Daybreak comes about 6am and this morning we had our own alarm in the form of a vociferous howler monkey somewhere in the canopy outside. We put some pasta and fruit out on the bird table. Immediatley a flock of multicolured birds flew in. But then suddenly, for the briefest of moments, two toucans appeared - or more correctly fiery-billed aracari....