Rincon de la Vieja

Today was a day to see more of what this Hacienda had top offer. Which meant a hike around adjacent National Park area with its volcanic activity, a further hike to a waterfall and finishing off by going to the hot springs.

The hotel has an activity centre where we met up with our guide, and a locust which was happily sat 

on a mountain bike.  A very impressive specimen, about the size of my hand.

The hike, well more a stroll really on very well maintained paths, was about a 90 minute circuit, with an interesting variation of forest and grassland.

 As I said, the area has a lot of volcanic activity, not in spewing lava but with hot, bubbling or steamy mud pools

 So here was our first mud pool, complete with smell of rotten eggs.

 We also had another encounter with spider monkeys. Difficult to know which way to look - behind us monkeys in the trees, in front a scenic waterfall.

My Danish friends lending sense of proportion to these enormous tree roots.

After the hike in the national park we headed onto another blue waterfall, but this time one in which bathing is permitted. Its down in quite a confined space - a sign at the beginning of the trail says no more than 30 persons permitted, but of course, how could you know how many people were already there when the falls are a 15 minute walk away.

Then to round off the afternoon, a further bus trip round the estate to the hot springs which were by a river. A lot less artificial than the ones in La Fortuna - no cocktail bars, but rather more scenic. I didn't however feel the need to smear myself in mud as many people did. Yuk.