When we left Santa Teresa it was sunny and hot even though it was only 9:00 in the morning and driving across the Peninsula de Nicoya for about 5 hours we hit temperatures of up to 38°. When we arrived at the Eco Lodge high in a mountain range just outside of La Fortuna, Arenal National Park we were suddenly out of the heat and all around us was a fine mist from being in the clouds. While we slept we could hear the rain pound on the roof off & on all night. Rain never sounded so sweet!
The next day we were treated to an educational tour through the rain forest next to the lodge.
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| Our Guide, Ulesis is showing us an enormous ANT hill, okay so maybe Ant's have a purpose afterall.... |
Old growth forest, you can feel the energy from thousand year old trees!
Two more days of cooler weather followed but because of these cooler temperatures we really enjoyed our time at the Termales Los Laureles Hot Springs (where the locals go). There was another hot spring in the area called Baldi however it looked very ritzy, it cost a lot more and was likely full of tourists not locals like the one we chose. We definitely fit in better with the locals than rich tourists!! Of course the kids made friends there and had fun alternating between the hot and cold pools.
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a post-ecoglide drink of fresh coconut milk!
After more than 5 weeks together it was time to say good-bye to our Salvadorian Son and Brother Luis :-( Back to university, his parents and of course his girlfriend! We'll miss you Luis but know that you will be in our lives forever!!!
On March 12 we arrived in Peru and once again suddenly found ourselves in a place where the sounds of the ocean crashing on shore, howler monkeys, gecko’s chirping and birds singing were replaced with cars, trucks, buses, sirens, horns, car alarms, jet airplanes and dogs barking at all hours.
This is Lima City Squair
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| Our new friend Kate(Candy) we met through Couch Surfing! |
We learned from the family we are staying with that Peru’s winter during July and August get’s up to 100% humidity. They describe it as walking through a mist. Many people get sick during this time which is especially hard on those with asthma or small children. There are special soups they make and they drink Asmachilca Tea made with Eucalyptus. Lima only gets 1.88mm of rain per year!!
