Costa Rica day 1 and 2

Well I am officially in San Jose, Costa Rica!

After being delayed in in our departure city for 4 hours we missed our connecting flight in Houston. We were able to get a flight out Monday morning ​but once we landed in Houston​ I sweet talked the guy behind the flight desk and he managed to get us on the flight that was just beginning to board as I reached the desk. How there were 19 seats available is beyond me. Regardless, we are here and that's all that matters. Flexibility is the key when traveling. 

What a beautiful morning here in San Jose! Even though many of us only got no more than 4 hours sleep we were excited to begin our tour.

We spent the first part of the morning at a coffee plantation. What a perfect start to the day, tasting various blends of special coffee. We learned how coffee is harvested and the science behind where it is grown. Costa Ricans do not use technology to harvest coffee beans. Nope, they use "sticknology". Hahah. "Sticknology" is when the pickers use a rope to secure the basket to their waist. The stick tightens the rope to fit the picker. ​The tour guides kept us laughing and very entertained throughout the several presentations.

Poas Summit

​We then headed to the Poas volcano and "hiked" (walked an uphill paved road​ but hiking sounds cooler) up to the summit. Viewing the crater was incredible. The views were absolutely gorgeous. 

Devil's Elbow

After lunch we began our journey to the Arenal region. The 4 hour trip took us along a very curvy path and thank goodness for the opportunity to stop periodically to stretch our legs. Along the way we ate strawberries and cheese, saw a beautiful waterfall, and observed  several large iguanas. 

Arenal Volcano

Once we arrived in ​Fortuna we were able to check in to our hotel and relax a bit at the pool. Our hotel has the most amazing view of the volcano Arenal. We just happened to get lucky to witness the clouds moving off the summit giving us the perfect view of the top.

Before dinner our tour director took us for a surprise evening of dance lessons. We learned how to Bachata, Salsa, and Merengue.  Afterwards, we were exhausted, sweaty and felt like we had just completed an aerobics class but we had fun.