Beauty & the Beast: A Hike Through Poas Volcano National Park

February 24, 2012

Do you remember, as a kid, sleeping in your clothes all night because you were so excited to start that family road trip to Florida early the next morning?  It didn’t matter that you had to get up at 4am.  You were ready to spring out of bed at 3:56am!  I had a similar feeling when I woke up on Friday morning.  I didn’t need to be up for another hour, but I was laying there with my eyes wide open, impatiently contemplating my first glimpse of the beast…the mighty Poas Volcano!  After all, it’s not every day that one gets to peer directly into the mouth of the world’s largest active volcano.

Poas Volcano’s Sulfuric Lake

Costa Rica 2012: February 22-23 Our Adventure Begins

After a hectic night of delays, negotiating with airline reps, switching planes, and a red-eye flight, we finally landed in San Jose (actually Alajuela), Costa Rica, at about 6am.  As soon as the seatbelt sign was turned off and the bonanza of tourists excitedly stood up in unison, I immediately had an overwhelming urge to empty the contents of my churning stomach.  After a sleepless night, alternating hot & cold flashes, and a bit a claustrophobia, my stomach was ready to erupt.  It’s ironic that in a little over 24 hours we would be visiting an active volcano where you can peer directly into a gurgling acid lake.  Our adventure had begun!

Waiting in Denver for our red-eye flight to SJO.