A Day of Rest and Exhuastion

Our full day at Totoco EcoLodge was a mixture of experiences. Marnie, recovering from her stomach 'event' took it easy and rested at the lodge. All day. . . in a hammock. . . with a book. And a dip in the swimming pool. And a nap. The highlight of the day was finding a snake in the cabin that looked like a coral snake. Eric, the receptionist, came to the rescue and helped the snake back to its home in the jungle. Eric says the snake was not a coral snake, but just looked like one. Yeah, right.

Steve and Sam, along with a new friend Karin climbed Volcan Maderas. We left with a guide at 7:30 a.m. and finally returned at about 4:30 p.m. We were told this would be difficult, but nothing we've done in the past (the Inca Trail, Kilimanjaro, and the Tour de Mont Blanc) was as difficult as this hike. The mud was intense, the roots were slippery, and there were areas where you had to use your hands to get through some parts. We've got few pictures of the hike, only because we spent most of the time trying to not fall. This is a hike you can't do without a guide and our guide was expert. He was patient, young, and informative. He was 24 years old and says he does the hike at least 100 times per year. Wow!

Along the way we encountered packs of howler monkeys and colorful butterflies. We hiked through coffee plantations and cloud forests. Everyone returned in one piece and ended the day with a well-deserved beer (or two).

Tomorrow we head back across the lake and to our final destination: the beach. Stay tuned!