The boat to La Fortuna cuts its engine and pulls onto the beach of Laguna Arenal. Jess and I hand our bags to the driver, cross the make-shift launch, and take our seats. A group of travelers from New Zealand are also taking the boat and, as the driver prepares to depart, we discuss our travels.

The boat is slapping the waves at high speed as it cruses along the length of the lake. The shores on either side of us look almost archaic, as if time forgot to pass by this way. Giant Cecropia trees and strangler figs push their tops through the canopy and vultures soar the thermal lifts created by the peaks which surround Laguna Arenal. In front of us the volcano, from which the lake derives its name, creates a razor sharp silhouette against a celestial blue sky. Our ride ends near the dam, which supplies most of the electricity for the country, at the other side of the lake. Another van is waiting.

As we drive past the resorts and hotels leading into La Fortuna it is apparent that this higher priced area was created with the wealthy tourist in mind. The Spanish word Fortuna literally means "fortunate". When the volcano awoke from its dormant state in the 1960's, many people were injured or killed. However, after the explosion the area was left with many hot springs, and even a hot river, due to the thermal activity. The locals now consider themselves not only fortunate for surviving the volcano's blasts, but also for the wealth which has been brought to the area by tourists interested in experiencing these natural wonders.

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Our van pulls up in front of the hotel and Jose, the owner, is waiting with a large smile and his hands clasped together in the most hospitable of manners. He shows us to our room, gives us our key, and with his great smile says, "This is your house!"

As Jess naps in the room I decide to grab my camera and head out on a walk around town. It is a busy community that is full of life. Like many Costa Rican towns, it consists of a Catholic church with a west facing door which looks out onto the main square, or parque central. The park is the center of community in La Fortuna. It is full of beautiful flowers which a team of gardeners work tediously to maintain. On the lawn a man teaches several children to play football and an elderly woman holds a toddler up so he can stick his hands into the a fountain located directly in the middle of the square.

The sound of drums fill the air and as I walk the road in their direction I come upon the local school. Children of all ages are practicing they're beats, no doubt in preparation for the upcoming Independence Day festivities. All school children in Costa Rica are required to wear uniforms, a different color for the various levels, and I find it interesting to watch the romances which exist between the colors. As I walk the fence which surrounds the school, boys and girls in different colored shirts are exchanging embraces and kisses. Some boys with their shirt slung over their street cloths stand outside the fence and try to get the attention of a few girls inside, who giggle as they try to appear unaware.

At 7:45 a van pulls up outside our hotel and we are heading toward the Volcano. We have just arrived inside the park when a pair of toucans fly across the sky above us and into a tree. We begin to hike up though an old growth rainforest and after only a few minutes we are being attacked by a troop of White faced capuchin monkeys, each one breaking off branches and throwing them down in our direction.

We come out of the forest and onto a hilltop peak just in time to watch one of the most breathtaking sunsets I have ever seen. Above the palms and canes jetting into the valley below, the sky illuminates with deep oranges, rich magentas, and dark blues. As the last ounce of glow leaves the dynamic sky we turn our attention to the volcano. It is dark now and the rocks which are continually thrown from the mouth of the mountain glow red as they tumble down the steep cone. It is an impressive site and as I sit and watch the spectacle I am reminded of Mt. Rainier and other, less fiery, volcanoes I have hiked back home.

The next morning we have a quick meal of gallo pinto and head down to the central park where we catch the bus to Quesada de San Carlos. From the bus station here we are able to hop on another bus which takes us back to San Jose. The bus system in Costa Rica, though slow at times - especially in more rural areas, is the best, and cheapest, way to travel around the country. One can travel from Nicaragua to Panama for just over $10. We arrive back at the Coca Cola bus terminal and from there it is a quick, yet expensive, taxi ride to the Gran Terminal Del Caribe - San Jose's gateway to the Caribbean.