Arwen's meanderings

Hi everyone and welcome to my dinghy cruising blog about my John Welsford designed 'navigator' named Arwen. Built over three years, Arwen was launched in August 2007. She is a standing lug yawl 14' 6" in length. This blog records our dinghy cruising voyages together around the coastal waters of SW England.
Arwen has an associated YouTube channel so visit www.YouTube.com/c/plymouthwelshboy to find our most recent cruises and click subscribe.
On this blog you will find posts about dinghy cruising locations, accounts of our voyages, maintenance tips and 'How to's' ranging from rigging standing lug sails and building galley boxes to using 'anchor buddies' and creating 'pilotage notes'. I hope you find something that inspires you to get out on the water in your boat. Drop us a comment and happy sailing.
Steve and Arwen

Wednesday 14 August 2013

The Arenal Observatory Hotel in Costa Rica


The Arenal Observatory Lodge really is at the base of the volcano. This classic composite cone has three craters......somewhat unique. The hotel is stunningly located and the volcano quite impressive. The Smithsonian rooms have huge picture windows directly overlooking the brooding volcano.

The Arenal Observatory Hotel

View looking across Lake Arenal

View from the balcony

There is a small museum, a swimming pool, a terrace balcony with stunning views and friendly staff. The extensive gardens had humming birds galore. These are tiny exquisite creatures with  long beaks and even longer tongues that shoot out rapier like in a nano second to drink nectar. Their wings move so fast; a blur of perpetual motion. And their colours? The most eye dazzling iridescent greens, browns and blues. A few are black specked with tiny specks of crimson.....glinting in the afternoon sun. The little birds flit from flower to flower at high speed. Simply stunning to watch.


 
The walking around the volcano base is superb. Everything from steep climbs up to extinct crater lakes, to walking through cattle ranching fields and across the paths of old lava flows. And the continual backdrop is the Arenal Volcano.

the summit still vents gases and steam


some superb walking trails with stunning views

eucalyptus trees everywhere...planted as windbreaks

this is cattle country as well

Now dormant it has given off some impressive eruptions in the past including hot lava rocks rolling down the sides and pyroclastic clouds! Sadly, none of this happened whilst we were there! With rainforest waterfalls, a hot springs spa twenty minutes away down the gravel roads, there was plenty to do and see over the day we were there.



a night time visitor to our bedroom door
I lie not when I say his wingspan was easily 4 inches

these little guys were relentless in their endeavours

some of the butterflies were the size of a hand and of spectacular colours

looking across the lake from the old lava trail
 

Oh by the way, the sunsets here are to die for!


both unedited....honest.....this was what I snapped.....simply stunning....to sit and watch the sun set in such a special location
 

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