Orchid
Day 9

On my way down into the lush wooded valley, I passed a mastate tree and then caught a glimpse of a thin white strip in the distance - the 70m high La Fortuna waterfall. These days I can't gaze at waterfalls without thinking of Bill Viola's video art. If I watch the water long enough, I think that something will happen other than just rushing water.

I dangled my feet in the water at the foot of the pounding waterfall and a yellow butterfly fluttered past, but that was all.

Day 10

On Saturday September 1st, I mounted a white horse and rode around the foot of the volcano and past the lake to get the cloud forest.

I wandered around the orchid garden in the rain and saw orchids that smelt like honey, blood and chocolate, orchids named Dracula, blooms of tiny orchids, orchids that resembled hummingbirds, dancing ladies and bees, orchids that grew on leaves, and orchids that were green and spikey. Orchids are stranger than I had imagined.

Later that night, I visited the frog garden and by torch light, I saw red frogs, yellow frogs, orange frogs, frogs with crowns, frogs with bulbous eyes like in cartoons, frogs that puff out their throats, frogs that make the loudest sounds, gaudy frogs, bullfrogs and cute little baby frogs.
Volcán Arenal
My gaze had yet to drift from the volcano, so on Tuesday, I followed the heliconias trail and my path was crossed by lizards and butterflies. From the viewpoint, I could see Lake Arenal and it reminded me of the lakes and dense forests in Austria. I turned back to the volcano and it was then that it began to rumble. I watched black boulders bouncing down the sides and puffs of steam appear from the top. I eventually tore myself away and walked down the Coladas trail. Finding myself amongst large lumps of old lava, I again began to gaze at the summit of the volcano, in between clouds, one minute visible and the next minute not.

That night, back at the hotel, I stood amongst my travelling companions on the balcony, eating more pizza, when someone gasped at the volcano, and it was then that we saw it erupting, bright red lava glowing in the night sky.

Photos on Flickr: Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica.

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