In the rain forest you are just as likely to find something interesting on the ground as in the trees, evidenced here by this cute little frog.

On their visit, Jeanine captures a great image of a three-toed sloth. Animals in the reserve stay because of the food supply as opposed to any physical barriers.

After breakfast, we headed to the town of La Fortuna so renamed after the last major eruption of Arenal destroyed all but this community. In the afternoon, the boys will take up canyon rappelling while the girls ride horseback to the La Fortuna waterfalls. Maya, Kyle and Jeanine spend the morning at an ecological reserve while Nico and I make the 90 minute roundtrip to our cabins for the gear we will need for our canyoneering. On the way we stop for this little fellow.

 
Our guide was a very knowledgeable naturalist with a good sense of humor. He had personally captured many of the creatures we were viewing. The boxes on the table contain tarantulas and he was more than happy to remove the lids so I could get in close for photos. Behind Jeanine is a shadow box full of beatles, some of which are almost as big as the dogs in this country. This may be a slight exageration, but you sure as hell would not want to find one of these things in your shoe.

Nicolai bravely strokes the skin of this large Boa Constrictor. Fortunately, the snake was not hungry or concluded that Nico was too big to swallow.

 
The variety and beauty of the creatures indigenous to the rain forests is amazing. Our guide allows me to get within 2 inches of this poisonous tree frog for the photo. I probably should have inquired if they can jump or not.

 We discovered a serpentarium within walking distance and learned more about venomous snakes, frogs, and spiders than is wise when you will be spending the better part of the next week in the jungles where they live.

Costa Rica has millions of dogs, mostly tiny, running freely everywhere. Maya attempts, nearly successfully, to meet every one of them. Here, she befriends Chantal and Zigfreid (so named by Maya and Nicoali).

The presence of butterflies is said to indicate a healthy ecosystem. I found this Monarch and a bunch of his friends just outside the cabinas.

The north side of the one-room cabina features a picture window offering a perfect view of the volcano’s lava fields. Arenal’s cauldren remains shrouded in clouds most of the time, and we are a little disappointed that we cannot see the peak.

We drive for several more hours before reaching our destination in El Castillo, where we have reserved two cabinas that are perfectly situated to observe Volcan Arenal, the largest of three active volcanos in Costa Rica.

By the time we reach the volcano, the afternoon clouds have set in. We elect to continue on rather than stumbling about in the mist. It is not long before we come across mist of a different kind. Please note the total lack of safety railing seperating my children (those little specs in the photo) from a combination bath, shower and whirlpool. You quickly learn here that your safety is in your own hands. Click on the image for a bigger view.

This morning, we head out for the Volcan (volcano) Poas and in little time encounter bulls of a more authentic variety. The cart features traditional Costa Rican decorations and the owner is happy to allow a photograph for a small donation. Although English is widely spoken here, we rely on Kyle heavily for translation when the need arises. Jeanine, armed with her Spanish dictionary and ear for language is soon an able communicator as well. I am surprised by how much Spanish I understand and how strangely I am viewed when I respond in broken French.