Sloth Spottings

Sloths are actually pretty easy to spot. Don't ever let someone tell you they are not, because they are. They don't move. They hang out and sleep and stay still at the top of big trees. Just look for the black blob curled unusually around a limb. You did it. You found a sloth.
This weekend we had some more fun adventures. We drove to the world's most active volcano, Arenal, which is blowing steam regularly. When visible at night (not often due to thick cloud cover), you can see glowing hot lava around the cone of the volcano. We were not privileged to view the cone at night, but we did get some pretty spectacular views during the day, also a rarity due to cloud cover. It is amazing, because you hear something rumble that sounds like thunder, but it is the volcano gurgling. Another wild noise we encountered during our hike through another rainforest was the sound of Howler Monkeys. We never came into view of the Howler Monkeys, and I am glad, because the noise they made had the desired effect of making me want never see them.
We were privileged to also go to a place where the pools are all heated by the volcano's thermal energy. It is a beautifully manicured, well-maintained mixture of natural pools and waterfalls and tropical plants with some of the world's most inviting pools, all various degrees of warm. The closer you get to the volcano, the hotter the water gets. It's a pretty incredible place. The next morning, we hiked to another waterfall that was gorgeous, and John and Brian got to swim in the water. Steph and I stayed warm and dry during this adventure.
We returned to San Jose this morning, where we hit the books some more. Spanish is coming along. It is definately something we have to be intentional about. Upon our arrival, Ana informed us that we were her angels and she was glad we were back. It is very comforting to have someone who really wants you to be with them, and can't wait to cook for you. What a blessing.
***** I am posting pictures from this weekend in a folder called "Volcano and Hanging Bridges and Waterfall" or something like that, I can't really remember.