New Discoveries, Here and There

We’re in a nice routine now — school, work via laptop, Spanish classes, trips to the farmers’ market, visits with friends… Alia is building friendships with a fun group of bouncy kindergarteners.

And then there are chances to break the routine. Visitors help to get us out and about, discovering new things here in Monteverde and farther afield. These are chances to experience beautiful places, listen, and learn as we go.

When my aunt Sadie came to visit, we took some amazing hikes.

An extended family of howler monkeys greeted us from the trees.

We took an overnight trip to the San Gerardo Field Station, about 4km down a steep hill from the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve. The rocky footpath affords a view of Arenal Volcano.

Then we arrived at the field station itself, with more views of the volcano, hammocks, and trails leading to frog-inhabited streams and waterfalls.

We learned from Giovanni, the field station’s caretaker, that the valley between San Gerardo and the volcano changed in 1979, when the Arenal Dam was constructed. The lake grew to cover two towns, and many families were relocated. Some subsistence farmers had to re-establish themselves and change their ways of life. Arenal Dam now provides about 17% of the country's electricity.

Alia caught a bad cold and wasn’t up for the hike up the mountain, so Giovanni gave her a ride in possibly the only vehicle that could make it up that dirt path. It was a very bumpy ride, but he knows how to keep a kid on his lap — he takes his son to school in Santa Elena every morning.

Then Alia’s dear friend Olivia visited (bringing her mom and dad along to carry the luggage), and the two girls led us adventuring around Rio Celeste, in the Tenorio Volcano National Park. It took us about 5 hours to drive the 115 km, but that included a stop for one of the most delicious comida tipica meals we’ve ever tasted.

The river is incredible, a glowing bright blue that results from a chemical mixture of sulfur and carbonate from the nearby volcano. In places the river bubbles, in other places it stinks, and everywhere along the trail there was squishy mud.

The 6-year-old response to “hike” is not always enthusiastic, but when there’s mud to be stomped through and interesting bugs and flowers along the way, it can all turn out ok.

And sometimes you discover a beautiful place that’s right near home, hidden in the trees, where you can climb boulders and then dip in cool water.