I decided to say an extra day in San Jose to visit one of the many volcanoes here, Volcan Poas. I raised the blinds early this morning to a beautiful day. Pura vida. The tour was on it's way climbing the mountain past coffee plantations, strawberry farms, and fern nurseries under a bright blue sky. Pura vida. The travel guides warned about quickly changing weather conditions. Soon, the skies clouded up and it rained for the rest of the day. We hiked up to the crater lake that was hidden in a pit of clouds. I was only able to catch a glimpse of the terrain and the edge of the lake. I could smell it, though. It a pure sulfuric acid lake that's formed in the crater that, of course, cannot support any life. But it creates an interesting green color that steams and occasionally blows the world's highest geysers at 590'. Central Crater is a mile wide and over 900' deep (2nd largest crater lake in the world). Despite the rain the hike was nice albeit a little trying on the lungs because of the 8660' altitude.
We made our way back down the mountain to the Doka coffee plantation where I learned about harvesting and roasting coffee. Coffee beans are what built this country, and the combination of the perfect climate of the tropical rainforest, the perfect altitude, and the perfect volcanic soil are the reason why.
We finished our tour at the small artisan town of Sarchi recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its historical, colorfully painted ox carts that were traditionally used to transport coffee beans. Now it's a center for all kinds of Costa Rican crafts.
I've enjoyed my extra day here in San Jose, but I'm excited to get to Puerto Jimenez to see my friends! Bright and early in la mañana.
Sent from my iPhone
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