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So, what I love about traveling is the sweet success of getting where you meant to go, loving it, and all the while communicating (still poorly) in another language.
As you know, on Friday I had grand plans for Saturday of getting myself to the top of a volcano, Vulcan Irazu. I got up early in the morning and took my usual bus into San Jose and walked to the corner where my trusty guidebook said the one bus of the day going to the volcano would pick me up. I waited, and waited, and waited and met a German guy who was waiting for the same thing. I speak no German; he spoke some English; I speak some Spanish; he spoke no Spanish; so, we communicated in English. And finally, just when we were beginning to think that the bus would not come, it did.
It was a 20 minute drive to Cartago, and all the while the roads gained elevation, like driving from Nebraska into Denver, but fast forward it. Cartago looked like a really nice little town and there were a lot of people out (that was true in Heredia and San Jose too) for so early on a Saturday morning. Cartago is at the base of the volcano proper, so almost immediately upon exiting the town, we began climbing steadily. We stopped frequently, dropping off and picking up locals from the small towns along the way. There was one guy in the front of the bus who kept jumping off at houses and businesses and delivering things. Once, he dropped off a bag of groceries to a woman who was waiting for us at her gate. And then he dropped off the days paper at a soda (little restaurant). The driver would honk the horn to let the people know he was there so they would come out.
A good distance up the volcano, the driver pulled over at an opportune point and let us all get out to get pictures of Turrialba, the volcano that had a small eruption when I first arrived in Costa Rica. It still had a small plume of cloud above it. It probably took us about 45 minutes to get to the top of Irazu. I hardly noticed the time though because the scenery was breathtaking. I took a lot of pictures, which unfortunately do not do it justice (photo attached). There were some beautiful farms and fields all up and down the volcano. And several particularly beautiful spots, where the land jutted up in steep, rounded hills and farmers had planted crops like candie cane stripes up the sides.
At a certain point, we got above the few clouds that were gathering in the valley below the volcano, and that just added to all of the colors and dimensions of the scenery. To the south, there was a large, mountain range in silhouette that filled the horizon from east to west. In front of that were smaller mountains that were low enough to catch some sunlight, and then in the valley, you could see Cartago in the distance with gleaming silver and red rooftops. In the foreground were the hillsides of the volcano, which were a patchwork of freshly plowed fields, crops, grassy fields that were so bright with sun that the grasses looked yellow instead of green, and the occasional field of bright yellow flowers (alfalfa?). Mix into all of that patches of forest or the occasional windswept tree in the middle of the farmers fields, or the occasional large farmhouse with a bright red roof, and you get a sense of the scenery.
We were some of the first to arrive at the top of the volcano and we all set out immediately on the short walk to the lookout that runs along the rim of the two main craters. Thinking that was the only place to view the crater, I stayed there for a long time. Then I went back to the little visitors center where the bus had dropped us off and thinking I had lots of time, I took my time eating lunch. Thinking I had time to spare before the bus came and nothing left to do, I started to wander up the road, and noticed a sign that said "punto mas alto" which means something like 'most high point.' It was then I realized that there was a whole aspect of the volcano that I had missed. With only 45 minutes left before the bus would come, I started at a brisk pace up the pot-holed road not knowing how long the road was and what kind of view awaited me there. It took me about 15 minutes to get to the top, breathless from the elevation which my I've-lived-at-sea-level-for-7-years-lungs are not used to) and there I found a better view of the crater and the surrounding area (including Turrialba in the background). That late in the afternoon, a lot of clouds had moved in and surrounded the volcano about halfway up. So, while it was sunny at the top of the volcano, there was a sea of clouds below. I shot a bunch of pictures and then rushed down to the visitors center with a few minutes to spare before the only returning bus of the day left.
It was a good day. But in addition to my 140 pictures, I've come back with a sun burn so dark, it's not red, it's purple. I put SPF 50 on my face as I do everyday, but forgot about my neck. Oh well, that just means that in 20 years I'll have the skin to match my experience.
As you know, on Friday I had grand plans for Saturday of getting myself to the top of a volcano, Vulcan Irazu. I got up early in the morning and took my usual bus into San Jose and walked to the corner where my trusty guidebook said the one bus of the day going to the volcano would pick me up. I waited, and waited, and waited and met a German guy who was waiting for the same thing. I speak no German; he spoke some English; I speak some Spanish; he spoke no Spanish; so, we communicated in English. And finally, just when we were beginning to think that the bus would not come, it did.
It was a 20 minute drive to Cartago, and all the while the roads gained elevation, like driving from Nebraska into Denver, but fast forward it. Cartago looked like a really nice little town and there were a lot of people out (that was true in Heredia and San Jose too) for so early on a Saturday morning. Cartago is at the base of the volcano proper, so almost immediately upon exiting the town, we began climbing steadily. We stopped frequently, dropping off and picking up locals from the small towns along the way. There was one guy in the front of the bus who kept jumping off at houses and businesses and delivering things. Once, he dropped off a bag of groceries to a woman who was waiting for us at her gate. And then he dropped off the days paper at a soda (little restaurant). The driver would honk the horn to let the people know he was there so they would come out.
A good distance up the volcano, the driver pulled over at an opportune point and let us all get out to get pictures of Turrialba, the volcano that had a small eruption when I first arrived in Costa Rica. It still had a small plume of cloud above it. It probably took us about 45 minutes to get to the top of Irazu. I hardly noticed the time though because the scenery was breathtaking. I took a lot of pictures, which unfortunately do not do it justice (photo attached). There were some beautiful farms and fields all up and down the volcano. And several particularly beautiful spots, where the land jutted up in steep, rounded hills and farmers had planted crops like candie cane stripes up the sides.
At a certain point, we got above the few clouds that were gathering in the valley below the volcano, and that just added to all of the colors and dimensions of the scenery. To the south, there was a large, mountain range in silhouette that filled the horizon from east to west. In front of that were smaller mountains that were low enough to catch some sunlight, and then in the valley, you could see Cartago in the distance with gleaming silver and red rooftops. In the foreground were the hillsides of the volcano, which were a patchwork of freshly plowed fields, crops, grassy fields that were so bright with sun that the grasses looked yellow instead of green, and the occasional field of bright yellow flowers (alfalfa?). Mix into all of that patches of forest or the occasional windswept tree in the middle of the farmers fields, or the occasional large farmhouse with a bright red roof, and you get a sense of the scenery.
We were some of the first to arrive at the top of the volcano and we all set out immediately on the short walk to the lookout that runs along the rim of the two main craters. Thinking that was the only place to view the crater, I stayed there for a long time. Then I went back to the little visitors center where the bus had dropped us off and thinking I had lots of time, I took my time eating lunch. Thinking I had time to spare before the bus came and nothing left to do, I started to wander up the road, and noticed a sign that said "punto mas alto" which means something like 'most high point.' It was then I realized that there was a whole aspect of the volcano that I had missed. With only 45 minutes left before the bus would come, I started at a brisk pace up the pot-holed road not knowing how long the road was and what kind of view awaited me there. It took me about 15 minutes to get to the top, breathless from the elevation which my I've-lived-at-sea-level-for-7-years-lungs are not used to) and there I found a better view of the crater and the surrounding area (including Turrialba in the background). That late in the afternoon, a lot of clouds had moved in and surrounded the volcano about halfway up. So, while it was sunny at the top of the volcano, there was a sea of clouds below. I shot a bunch of pictures and then rushed down to the visitors center with a few minutes to spare before the only returning bus of the day left.
It was a good day. But in addition to my 140 pictures, I've come back with a sun burn so dark, it's not red, it's purple. I put SPF 50 on my face as I do everyday, but forgot about my neck. Oh well, that just means that in 20 years I'll have the skin to match my experience.
On the pictures: The left one is from the drive up the volcano. The second is the main crater of the volcano.
There's more to say about my weekend, but I'll save it for another entry.
Hasta Luego!
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