The Blues

Wend’s on the mend. Hurrah! So we leave the beach and motor back to the jungle.  Our destination this time is the Parque Nacional Volcán Tenorio, which as its name suggests, is home to another big volcano. Ten a penny in Costa Rica they are.

Heavy overnight rain and thick early morning fog mean we have to dig out our hiking boots for the first time which is a relief as we were beginning to wonder why we’d packed the buggers.

Weirdly, the main attraction in the park isn’t the volcano, which is just as well because the low clouds mean we don’t catch sight of it all day. No, the reason most folk visit is to see the ‘magic’ river that runs from the higher elevations.

The Rio Celeste, to give it its proper name, appears blue due to the emission of sulphur and calcium carbonate from the volcano. It’s an odd spectacle. The water looks like it belongs next to some palm fringed Caribbean beach, not in the middle of a gloomy jungle.

It almost looks too blue, as if it’s dyed or polluted, thanks to the sulphur it absolutely stinks too.

There isn’t a lot of wildlife on show, its probably all huddled in the undergrowth to shelter from the rain. But we do see some dazzling flora, pretty butterflies and a couple of unnervingly massive spiders. 

You really wouldn't want one of these critters in your underpants.