Volcanos!!!

Here are some pictures from the hike Jono and Forest did yesterday. Since the volcano was active recently they got close but not TOO close. They got to walk over the recent lava flow, stand in a lava tube, and roast some marshmallows over a hot-air vent!!
We were able to find some tamales late in the day yesterday and enjoyed them with delight today! Having made them a few times, I know how much work they are. Happy to buy them for 50 cents a piece.
We took off out of town today for a place called Earth Lodge just up the mountain side nearby. We went up up up for 20 minutes in a little truck. Forest and I rode in the open back - a big thrill for Forest as of course it is too dangerous to do back home.... The Lodge is run by some american and english gringos. They have elaborate tree houses for overnight, a nice lodge with a kitchen, bar, couches, take and leave bookshelf, hammocks, bag toss game and an avocado orchard - which we took advantage of. Yum.
With a very sketchy and not to scale map we headed off for a hike. After some wrong turns we got on the right path and did some bird watching and checked out the way the folks there are living off the land. Most of the birds were strangers to us and we didn't get a great look at them but it was great seeing all the different trees, shrubs and amazing epiphytes all over the trees. Flowers for market, corn, beans, and coffee plantations were both up and down slope of us as we treked. Finally we realized just how off of reality the map was and returned the way we came. The loop trail looked to be a bigger hike than we were ready for. Good thing too as we had spanish school homework to catch up on back at the picnic table at the lodge. That didn't last too long though as there was a pickup soccer game with the local kids. I took pictures.
Back down the mountain to town in time to see the sunday evening activities at the Parque Central. The buildings were lit up and a pan pipe band was playing. A wonderful end to a fun day.