From San Jose, we took the local bus to La Fortuna, the nearest town to the Arenal Volcano, as the previous town was wiped out by the 1969 erruption, so the named it La Fortuna, or 'Fortunate'. We read in the guide book that 'talented thieves' operate on the bus between San Jose and La Fortuna. So on the bus we were quite cautious about our belongings. But as people started getting on and the bus became more crowded, (costa rican bus drivers clearly dont know the word for full. Imagine a bus in london at rush hour, for 4 hours), it began to get quite close. Anyway, a group of 20 year old started playing a game that we saw round Europe where the have three cups or bottle tops and one ball and they switch the ball around and you bet which one its under. I told gabs not to get envolved, but the kept on pestering him to play. The guy was sitting next to Gabs a people we leaning all over the two seats wanting to play, and cleary working together. Suddenly, about 5 of them just got up and left at a tiny roadside stop. It seemed strange, but the bus carrried on. 2 minutes later, gabs checked his pocket and his wallet had been taken. When he turned round to talk to me, that had taken it from his pocket and ran. Luckily, all his cards and passport was in his money belt, but it is an odd feeling when you get robbed right under your nose. there was about 10000 colones in his wallet and his driving liscence. He didnt bother getting a police statement, because after the excess fee he would actually lose money.

After a windy journey we arrived in La fortuna and tried to check in at the recommended hostel in the guide book but it was full. So we stayed in a wood cabin hostel just down the road. We sussed out the area and asked around about tours, but the company that was run from our hostel had the best deal. The next day we rented bikes to cycle to the waterfall, one of La Fortunas main attractions. We were told that it was an easy cycle ride and there were shops to buy water along the way. As it turns out, it was an 8km cycle ride, all up hill with no shade and no water...by the end, I was pretty thirsty and my leg was aching from actually doing something. But the waterfall made up for it, a 35m waterfall, and it was freezing. The current was too strong to get near it so you just swim against it, a bit like those tiny pools with jets. It was too cold for gabs, but clearly not for the coach load of high fiving, loud and generally annoying america from some backward university in the southern states. Having heard their extremely substandard banter, (compared to mine!) we had enough and walked back to the bikes and cycled home, downhill was slightly easier!

Then the rain came. It didnt stop until dark and as Arenal is all about outdoors activities, there wasnt much to do. So being adventurous mature, we found a gaming shop full of local pre-adolescent kids, so we playes xbox with them, and they werent very subtle with their staring!

The next day we booked the main tour there is in La Fortuna, a hike aroud the base of the volcano and then a trip to the local hot springs. We left the wood hut hostel and went to the nice one with a pool and air conditioning. But at 2 o'clock it got very dark and the rain started along with a huge thunder storm. The guide arrived for the tour but said it was too dangerous and we wouldnt see anything. We went back tot the desk and the guy said that we could do it again tomorrow but we would get a refund for the tour of $30, even though $15 dollars they wouldn't even use as that covered the entrance to the hot springs!! The weather forcast wasnt promising either.

It was better the next day though, so we did the tour. The hike was interesting but you couldnt call it a hike. A stroll was more apt. Then we waited in the dark to see the lava flow. Because the gases were deadly you couldnt get near the volcano so we stood at a distance to see the flow. Every 10 minutes roughly you could see the red balls rolling down, but it started to get cloudy so we left to the hot springs. There were 30 different pools of varying temperatures, but it started to pour with rain so all the pools lost their temperatures. Plus they caned you for the food and drink, $7 for a beer, where everywhere else charges no more than $1.50. So we went back. it may sound like i didnt enjoy the trip, but seeing an active volcano was really great. It just I dont really like baths so, spending 3hrs in what was effectively a bath wasnt worth the money. That night nothing happend as the rain stopped everything.

We left the next day to Monterverde taking the Jeep-Boat-Jeep, across the Arenal lake instead of the bus that took 8hrs, and the views were cool, and we arrived in Monteverde with freshened spirits!

adios....