Costa Rica Day 17 - San Jose

Today we went to Irazu Volcano.  A relatively smooth trip there through the inevitable traffic, past little villages (first and second extras) and as we got higher and higher it became more agricultural.  We could see potato crops and probably cabbages.  There were a couple of dairy farms as well and in some places cows were lying alongside the road.  We stopped at a lookout near where the old malarial hospital was.  When we were near the top we starting going through the clouds.  As you can see from the  3rd and 4th extras it was hard at times to see the craters when we eventually got to the viewing areas.   The fifth extra is for Freespiral.  There was Gunnera everywhere here, even on top of the crater which made me think of your West Cork Gunnera.   The last was in a brief moment where you could see one of the side craters.

We stopped at a restaurante on the way down still high up on the mountain.  They offered as a speciality Tripe soup.  We passed on that.  There was great excitement however as a Quetzal had been sighted outside and after we had eaten it was still there.  It is an amazing bitd and we were really lucky to see it.   That is the main.  A bus of German tourists had also stopped and were standing in the middle of the road.   Our driver got some road cones and put them out and the old chap who supervised the parking at the restaurante directed traffic around us.  There were many sights on the way down.  I wished I could have captured the man on horseback looking at his phone.

We stopped at Cartago on the way back in to San Jose to look at the Basilica which was very beautiful, outside and in and then crawled back in to San Jose in the traffic.  Not before a detour on the way back to our hotel to look at a shop with Artisan products.   Some purchases were made and then it was farewell to Estarlin who has been our driver while we have been here.  A man of good humour, 5 wives and 12 children.

We have just now said goodbye to our guide Abdiel who has looked after us through our journey around Costa Rica.  He has ensured that everything has gone smoothly and particularly helped in the arrangements getting G home.

Tomorrow we fly back to Santiago, Chile for a night before we start our homeward journey.

Thank you to everyone who has come along with me and left comments and gifts.  I have read them all but it is difficult finding spare time on these trips for blip.