In
Costa Rica, we were told that less than 10% of the tourists see Arenal clearly
as its cone top is most often shrouded by clouds. I could not believe how lucky I was on both
trips to see it clearly nearly all the time we were in the area. The first time
hurried off the van for pictures not knowing how long the clouds would stay at
bay—then come to think about it there was hardly a cloud in the sky. Our motel
room was directly across from the volcano. I could lie in bed and watch the red
glow of the falling lava all night. My photographer son elected to stay up on
the patio for his photo ops.
It remained clear all night, and the volcano
just kept belching its smoke and lava steadily all night long
A
dam built in 1978 created a 25-mile long lake. The road around it really
requires a four-wheel drive vehicle. There are several resorts around the lake
as it is a popular recreation area.
On
another trip we stayed in a new 5-star hotel in La Fortuna, a farming community
of 5000. We were literally at the foot of the volcano and again after a rainy
day before, we had clear weather and wonderful visibility. I was delighted as I
was anxious to show my granddaughters Arenal. They were amazed.
On
that visit with the teenagers we also visited Poas Volcano. At an altitude of 8659
feet it was established as a National Park in 1971. It has been dormant since 1991. The crater,
over a mile across, is the second largest in the world and covers 13,138
acres. Geysers in the crater
occasionally go off, and we were lucky to see one small one. Poas has erupted
20 times since 1834. In 1974 she spewed volcanic ash 30,000 feet into the air.
In 1989 volcanic activity closed the park most of the year. Surrounded by cloud
forest, it is humid, damp and most often misty. We got whiffs of sulfa
fumes. We walked the half-mile paved
path to the volcano to find it totally socked in with a heavy mist. It was a
delightful walk with rich growth everywhere.
Rhubarb-type leaves were common and were the largest leaves I’ve ever
seen. They were absolutely huge.
A
Cloud Forest is created when warm air from the ocean is forced upward by
mountain slopes. As the moist air rises it cools forming clouds. The Poas
crater is seen 30% of the time, and the best chance of seeing it is in the
morning. We were there early, but still had the heavy mist in the beginning.
Cloud Forests are eerie and majestic
in early morning light.
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