It rains in the rainforest

We had a busy and fun day in Costa Rica, but we got so wet! First of all, the tour bus picked up us at our hotel at 7:00 and we left for a tour of Doka Estates Coffee Plantation. It was a very interesting tour and the coffee fields are beautiful. The mountains are covered with rows of beautiful green coffee plants. The weather was nice for this part of our tour. We also had a traditional Costa Rican breakfast of eggs and beans with rice and watermelon at the restaurant at the Doka Coffee Plantation. From there we headed for Poas Volcano national parrk. That's when the rain began. It was just a shower there, so our rainsuits kept us mostly dry and we had plastic rain sleeves for our cameras. We hiked up to the crater and it was solid clouds over it and we could not see the blue water in the crater. Our guide suggested that we hike to the lake and see that part of the volcano. This is a very acidic lake with no life in it, also the water is about 140 degrees, I believe. Then we hiked back-uphill I might add-to the Poas crater and God blew off all the clouds for about five minutes to everyone's delight! We had cameras ready to photograph the blue water in the crater and the steam escaping from the volcano. Then as quick as the cloud cover left, it came back and we went back to our bus.

After Poas, we went to the LaPaz Waterfall and gardens. It was beautiful there. It was showering along and we were making it fine going in the dry butterfly houses and bird houses and frog houses, then it starting absolutely pouring. It never settled down and it was enough to make you feel miserable, but we kept treking on. Tommy, Brittany & I were three of just a few who took on the task of going down a steep hill and 300 stairs to see two waterfalls at the bottom in the pouring down rain. We were glad that we went to see them as it was beautiful, even though we were soaked. Then came the task of climing those steep hills and 300 stairs in a high altitude location. Oh my goodness! I didn't work out on that treadmill enough. Tommy and Britt were a little out of breath, but I had to stop several times to even be able to breathe!! We all survived though and were glad that we saw the waterfalls.

We have made it back to our hotel now and we are about to eat some snacks that our hotel has set out for the evening reception. We plan to rest after dinner because we will be picked up at 7:30 a.m. in the morning and taken to Arenal Observatory Lodge. Hopefully it will stop raining, but I heard on the radio that there is a tropical storm in the Pacific. Ugh! Well at least we are on vacation! Miss everyone and we love you!