I had envisioned coming to the summit of Volcano Arenal after a a gruesome hike over sharp boulders and oozing lava flows, the sulfur fumes wafting over me like Satan´s very own hot breath. Instead, I watched from a mile away through the window of a van crowded with Germans as little dots of red speckled the dark mountain about a mile away. I was on a guided tour, but because of the rain it was cut a little short. Even for being a disappointment, it was still cool to see the lava flows at night. And I had a good laugh with myself about the tourist trade.

It's 6.52 am right now, and my flight leaves for Peru around 3pm. So I figured since I'm awake, it might as well be blog time.

Costa Rica is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited. I have spent a lot of time on buses this week traveling up and over the country's lush, tropical hills. I've seen roadside waterfalls emerging from the thick jungles and cascading down cliffs into the river valley below. Everywhere you look things are green and blossoming.

Despite being long, hot, and bumpy. I'm really glad I spent all that time in buses. Not only because I feel like I have seen a good deal of the country, but because they felt like a window into the real lives of Ticos. Often, I was the only tourists on these buses jam packed with families, and working men and women. I drove through rural towns not mentioned in my guidebook.

So many of the Ticos I've met have been incredibly warm and friendly. The family who ran the Sleepers' Sleep Cheaper Hostel made my time in Santa Elena worthwhile. Ronny and his pregnant wife Yoselin and their two small children Jasmine (5) and Daniel (2) always seemed happy when I joined them to watch TV at night or have a cup of coffee in the rainy afternoons. But as friendly as they seemed, I couldn't help but remember that episode of The Simpsons where the Simpson family, by some whacky turn of events, open their house up to backpackers. Of course, the smelly Germans track mud over the carpet and complain about the internet being too slow, ya.

Costa Rica is a wonderful place, but from what I've seen the tourism trade is quite dominant and I'm not sure every one wants all the tourists. Everywhere I went in the country I saw graffiti that said "NO TLC." The TLC is a free trade agreement with the United States, that has sparked a huge protest in Costa Rica. Many fear it will severely hurt the agricultural sector. In one piece of graffiti near my hostel I saw: "Gringos van a fuera!"(Gringos go away).

So all in all, I've really enjoyed my time in Costa Rica, but not without complications. But I think that's probably the point of travel abroad. So this afternoon, I'm off to Peru with a whole new set of adventures and complications.

Hope you all are well.
Pura Vida.
Danny