We got to experience the rain of Costa Rica for the first time today. Initially, the day looked as though it was going to clear up after the early morning rain. We headed out for breakfast where I was able to see, for the first time, a cocoa pod and the inside, for the very first time. You would think that after all of these years in the chocolate biz, I would have seen one before. It was cool.
After a short call I had to make for work (during which time, the sun was shining brightly), we headed out to La Fortuna. We kind of expected a town similar to Tamarindo, but this was quite different. It still had a fair number of tourist souvenir shops (even though the largest we have ever seen was a few km outside of of town), but there were a lot of restaurants.
Once through town we headed toward the waterfall of La Fortuna. This was one of the sights I was really excited to see. Unfortunately, the rain had started again, but that didn't stop us. What was a bit surprising is how unassuming the entrance to National Parks are here. The drive to the waterfall, once you were through town, was up a narrow, steep community road with houses, a small cafe here and there, as well as a few souvenir shops. We almost thought we were headed in the wrong direction. But then we came upon it... Catarata la Fortuna. There was a great little cafe, a few shops and a map to explain where the observation decks can be found.
We immediately headed to the observation deck and were speechless at what we saw. This beautiful, powerful waterfall for which we couldn't even see the bottom pool was astounding. The waterfall is about 250 feet high and plunges over a cliff. You are permitted to walk down to the base of the waterfall and swim in the pool under the waterfall, but there's a catch. 500 stairs down and the same back up in order to climb out of the canyon of the rainforest. Stephen and I were up for it, but Michael took a hard pass. So Michael hung out at the cafe and had lunch while we headed down.
500 steps down was cake (with a little stress on the quads). And it was so so worth it. The thing that makes this waterfall so different from others I have seen in the US is the rainforest flora all around it. It is so lush and green, with vines, moss and really old trees that are indigenous to this part of the world. Breathtaking!
Then, it was time to make the hike back up. In the rain! But we managed it and it felt great when we got to the top. We agreed we had to go back in the sunshine, so hopefully we'll get a sunny day before heading to our next destination.
After some cold drinks, a stop with Michael in the shop to get our collectible souvenirs (magnets), we headed back to the hotel. Showers were a must before heading to dinner. We planned to eat in La Fortuna at a place that specialized in roasted chicken and ribs. Let me tell you, the chicken in this country is fantastic. What do they feed these birds?
After dinner, we hit the game room at the hotel for a bit before heading off to bed.
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