Arenal

Arenal is a volcano that was dormant for 500 years, but now erupts constantly. It is absolutely beautiful, however it was cloudy Sunday so it was hard to see the top. When the clouds cleared, we were able to get quick glances of the full volcano. The volcano overlooks a huge man made lake that is absolutely beautiful. Baldi Hot Springs is a place that has 15 different pools all heated by the volcano. Each pool is heated to a different temperature, including one that is 115 degrees, and too hot to do more than dip a hand in for a short time. We spent the afternoon relaxing in the pools and watching the volcano. There were several water slides and waterfalls to enjoy as well. After dinner (they had a chocolate fountain...my first chocolate in 2 weeks!) we drove to a remote area to view the volcano. During the day you can always see smoke coming out of the opening, but at night it is possible to see the lava as well. We were not lucky to see lava spew out of the top, but could see bright red rocks rolling down the side of the mountain. It was incredible to be so close to an active volcano.

Monday morning we took a safari float down a river near Arenal, and saw an impressive amount of wildlife. We were able to spot monos congos, or howler monkeys. Our guide spoke back to them, and the monkeys howled even louder. There were some babies present, and it was adorable. We were also able to see 3 crocodiles sunning on the side, and one of the large ones entered the water right near the raft. We stopped at an old farm, the owner is 98 and just got running water. It was incredible to experience the simple life they lived.

that afternoon we visited another EBAIS, this time in an urban area and learned more about the system here...Residents around the country are on strike, and the interns are joining them today. It is interesting to be experiencing these strikes while learning about the health system here...