Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica

Happy Halloween and welcome to Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica! In Costa Rica if anyone asks you how you are, you’re supposed to reply “Pura Vida!” (loosely translated = Full of Life!)

Today was Dorothy & the Volcano. Unfortunately when you ask others to take your picture you just don’t know what you’re going to get. Here’s me, but you can’t really see the volcano.

Here’s the volcano, which was very neat – at least for someone who is a total novice to volcanoes. Poas Volcano has (according to our guide) the largest crater of any active volcano in the world. I’m going to have to Google this when I get back home, because he also says that Costa Rica has the best coffee in the world and the best pineapples in the world. That makes three countries I’ve been to that claim to have the best coffee and the best pineapples in the world – Jamaica, Colombia and Costa Rica. Hmmmm…

The volcano is not actively erupting, just steaming. Arenal Volcano, which is actively erupting was another tour option, but it was even longer than this tour (9 hrs.) and I’m not a big fan of large group trips. It was also more expensive. Heck, volcanoes have been around for a few thousand years, I’m betting there will still be some active volcanoes next time I feel like visiting one, and then I’ll go for broke. Costa Rica has 112 volcanoes, but only seven of them are active. The country has between 3,000 and 5,000 earthquakes per year (I’m checking that one too), but 99.something percent are too small to feel.

Being a native low-lander it didn’t occur to me to bring a jacket when I was going on tour in a tropical country. However the volcano is at about 9,000 feet above sea level and in a cloud forest. DUH! My New Yorker turned Floridian blood wasn’t thick enough for that, so I hope you like this lovely new jacket I’m wearing in the photo! It’s now a treasured souvenir. Eat your hearts out.

We also stopped in Sarchi, home of the largest ox cart in the world. Largest ox cart? Yup. Little did I imagine the wonders I’d be seeing when I set out to cross the Panama Canal! There were thousands of ox cart souvenirs at all the stops, but I resisted every single temptation. My family and friends will probably be happy that I did – maybe not. Anyway, nobody is getting an ox cart for Christmas. Sorry if you’re disappointed.

Let’s not forget the weird souvenir of the day – a purse made entirely out of candy bar wrappers! Remember those chains we used to make from gum wrappers? The Costa Ricans have expanded on the idea. This could have been mine for about $28 – tempting!!

There was a runner up for weird souvenir of the day, but if I don’t find anything weird tomorrow I’ll use today’s runner up.

Northward bound for Mexico! Oh crap, I forgot about the gym. Off to the g--y--m (bleah) … sea you later.

BTW, this was NOT our bus, but it's definitely sporty looking!