Volcan Arenal

Hola all! Here is an update of our travels...

Nick and I have been doing tons of traveling and tons of school (8:00 till 3:30). Last weekend Nick and I went to visit Volcan Arenal--the third most active volcano in the world (has almost passed up Etna which is second). It was awesome bathing in hot springs at the base of the volcano that had water ranging from 100 to 184 degrees while gazing up the volcanos flanks, looking at smoke pour out of the volcano, and listening to huge balls of magma fly down its face.

We did a ton of hiking close to the volcano (according to our tour guide two and a half kilometers from the base of the volcano) both at night with a tour guide and alone in the daytime. Besides hearing the volcano, seeing fiery balls of magma fly down its face, and its red glow we saw tons of toucans, howler, spider, and white faced monkeys, exotic caterpillars, a three inch hornet, baby snake, tons of lizards, huge butterfly, Montezuma birds, and a sloth.

It was great hiking alone in the rain forrest. A family of monkeys (a father and mother with a baby holding on to her) followed us for quite a while through the jungle. We watched them follow us through the trees for about 20 minutes down the trail. They got within about 50 feet of us at times.

I have decided that Costa Rica is a great place to visit! Maybe when I get back to the states I will be able to post some of my pics. My time is up at the internet cafe so I better cut my post off here. More later...

PURA VIDA!

Pura Vida from Costa Rica

Welp... I made it to Costa Rica. Although there is probably more American influence here than any other South or Central American country, I think there is enough South American influence here as well to make this trip quite an adventure. I could definitely use some prayer that I may learn Spanish and be safe. The people I have met here so far seem really nice and it sure is cheap (about 3$ for a GREAT all you can eat meal with a soft drink, 2$ to get all the way across the city in a taxi, and this internet is costing me about .40 an hour). Cant (There doesnt seem to be a working apostrophe on this computer) wait to get out of the city and do some touring!

Pura Vida!

Quote from The Man Who was Thursday

I couldn't help myself. Here is a quote from The Man Who was Thursday:

"It does seem to have a moral under all its gaiety," assented Syme; "but may I ask you two questions? You need not fear to give me information, because, as you remember, you very wisely extorted from me a promise not to tell the police, a promise I shall certainly keep. So it is in mere curiosity that I make my queries. First of all, what is it really all about? What is it you object to? You want to abolish Government?

"To abolish God!" said Gregory, opening the eyes of a fanatic. "We do not only want to upset a few despotism and police regulations; that sort of anarchism does exist, but it is a mere branch of the Nonconformists. We dig deeper and we blow you higher. We wish to deny all those arbitrary distinction of vice and virtue, honour and treachery, upon which mere rebels base themselves. The silly sentimentalists of the French Revolution talked of the Rights of Man! We hate Rights and we hate Wrongs. We have abolished Right and Wrong."

"And Right and Left," said Syme with a simple eagerness. "I hope you will abolish them too. They are much more troublesome to me."

{R}