On the Flanks of Arenal

God-aweful roads. One worthless SUV. Jungle trails. Five nights of fireworks compliments of the Volcano Arenal. Cloudforests in the early dawn mist. The screaming night winds of Santa Ella. Offroad driving, lost in the middle of Guancaste. Hotsprings and Patron; dangerous. The shear vertical descent into Cherro Chato crater lake. The ever present pounding of the la Fortuna waterfall. The Cortimundo. The frighting San Jose nightlife. Climbing over lava flows on flanks of Arenal. Hangingbridges, spidermonkeys. Ficus trees on steriods. The predawn lava watch with camera in hand. Jumping into and the out of a 153º hotspring; ouch. The cool breeze of the Pacific and its warm waters. Boiling jungle mudpots and steam vents hiss and warn of impending eruption. Ascending the active Volcano Rincon de la Vieja and peering into its vast crater of seething acid. Sunbrunt, sick, dehydrated, late night drive to the hospital - one BAD night. One damn good trip.