In 1979 Eleanor rented an apartment on Marine Street in St. Augustine. A painter traveling from Mexico she found a place that fit her desires. An ancient, tropical enclave by the sea. A few months later she met Curt, a newly arrived woodenboat sailor who had traveled down the East Coast from the Outer Banks of North Carolina stopping and working along the way. He too had found a good reason to stay.

From that time, through their years together and the many places they have lived, they have documented their experiences through creative expression. Their story continues here...

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Into the Mountains

Eleanor and I rode the bus north to La Fortuna with Royce, the director, and fellow artist Holger. Road conditions were less than perfect and with uncountable stops we arrived later than expected. Since they were heading back the same day we grabbed a late breakfast together and an early round of drinks. Arenal volcano that looms over the town was covered in clouds. A major attraction it has become less so since going dormant in 2010. But teamed with the numerous thermal springs it heats, the town has become quite a destination for international tourists.





Holger and Royce head back feeling fine

We checked into hostel in town and got organized. The room was a private with a bathroom. We usually opt for such... it is a step up from the shared bunk rooms that the young backpackers frequent but less expensive than hotels. 

Having been saturated with the commercialism of the town we splurged on an upscale thermal spring with a large buffet dinner included. It was amazing. Multiple pools at different temperatures, a natural cave sauna, and submerged stone lounges to lie and look up at the stars. Muy rico!




After breakfast the following morning, Saturday, we started making our way to the Monteverde cloud forest. We were advised to forego the 'throw-up' bus that went over the mountains for what they call jeep-boat-jeep... a combination transport that includes crossing Lake Arenal. The overland legs were a bit rough but the boat section was just fine. The lake is long and quite large, popular with windsurfers. The water passage took about 45 minutes with a total of around 3 hours.








We found another hostel in the nearby town of Santa Elena, explored the offerings and decided on the canopy walk through the cloud forest. A hike through the mountain jungle that included numerous hanging bridges spanning high above the cloud forest.

On our return we enjoyed hanging out with other travelers. Common kitchen, lots of hammocks and a large fire. Sunday morning we retraced back to La Fortuna for the night and an exciting, rainy ride back to San Ramõn.




 




 










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