I am off to the pueblo of La Fortuna de San Carlos, locally known as La Fortuna, a small town that lies at the base of Arenal, one of the world's ten most active volcanoes. The Arenal region is situated between the Tilaran mountain range and the San Carlos Plains and offers everything from exceptional wildlife viewing to adrenaline-fueled adventure sports.
With a bit of luck, the clouds that frequently obscure Arenal's near-perfect cone will clear long enough to allow a glimpse of the red lava and billowing clouds of steam and ash that draw thousands of visitors each year.
My three-hour drive from Atenas to La Fortuna was an exercise in staying alert, skillful maneuvering, and patience. You never know what lies around the next hairpin turn in Costa Rica. In my case it was a weathered farmer, slowly chugging along with both his scruffy dog and bundles of sugar cane strapped to his ATV. While rental cars whizzed past me with suicidal abandon, I took it slowly, lulled by the undulating road and scenic countryside dotted with placid Holstein cows.
Along the way, I passed a hunched elderly man with a kind smile selling honey packaged in old glass bottles and a cluster of small children making mud pies on the side of the road. I drove through the farming towns of Las Tunas, La Tigra, Chachagua and crossed the Penas Blancas River on a bridge that inspired little confidence in its structural engineers. Afraid of plunging to an untimely death, I heeded the sign that dictated no more than one car at a time.
This afternoon, banks of clouds covered most of Arenal, so thick that if you didn't know there was a fiery volcano just a few minutes away, you might mistake La Fortuna for any other sleepy town. I explored the town center and, typical for Costa Rica, La Fortuna is centered around a pretty central park and Catholic church. The area has grown substantially since the mid 90's, when Arenal gained popularity as an explosive destination on the tourist trail. Internet cafes, tour operators, restaurants and hotels now line the streets.
There is a certain freedom that comes with traveling solo and I reveled in it by devouring a banana split in lieu of dinner. The evening was chilly but not enough to deter a quick dip in the pool before calling it a day.
