Description: 
I’ve always been fascinated with volcanoes. I love the idea that the earth is alive beneath us, just looking for a place to push up and release. When we decided to go to Costa Rica, I knew this was my chance to visit Volcano Arenal, a world-famous volcano. I bought a guidebook and found the ‘perfect’ place for us to stay: Arenal Observatory Lodge. This is where seismologists had stayed when studying Arenal, and it seemed a perfect spot for my husband and me. (We had read in a local newspaper to avoid Tabacon Springs Resort at the base of the hotel, as seismologists had been against building a resort at that particular site. Good enough for me!) We arrived at Arenal and settled into our comfortable, but basic cabin. We immediately made a beeline for the pool, and relaxed under the stars. A peaceful evening. It wasn’t really until we were lying in bed, listening to the rumble of the rocks rolling down the volcano that I began to wonder why the seismologists were
no longer using the Observatory to monitor the volcano. Gulp. Needless to say, it took a little longer to fall asleep that night! We woke up to a beautiful sunny day, and were able to see the peak and crater of the volcano from several decks around the lodge. We discovered that a valley separated the active part of the volcano from where our hotel was, and that was one of the reasons it was judged to be a safe observation spot. The hotel was filled with families as well as older travelers. It was more expensive than hotels at the bottom of the volcano, but it was clean, peaceful, and the views were amazing! We booked a tour with a local guide and hiked on an old lava flow, which is rough terrain. (Bring hiking boots, you will need them!) Again, we could hear boulders being tossed from the volcano and rolling down the sides, but because of a persistent cloud cover around the peak of the volcano we couldn’t see any action directly. It was an awesome experience to hear the volcano, alive and more powerful than we could really imagine. We returned to the lodge for an expensive but tasty lunch. We relaxed by the pool in the afternoon before joining up with another tour to glimpse the lava flows by night. Unfortunately clouds thwarted us again, however our guide was highly entertaining and we learned a lot about the volcano and the best way to run if it was to blow! We left early the next morning, heading for the beaches of north Costa Rica. I never did figure out where the seismologists had gone, but we had a great time visiting a volcano from a seemingly safe vantage point. If you go, we recommend the Observatory Lodge for an up close and personal stay on a volcano! www.arenalobservatorylodge.com
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