Palmares, Volcan Poas, La Paz Waterfall Gardens, Rafting

Last weekend was crazy!! So much fun in so little time.  On Friday at 1:00pm we left for Palmares which is a huge festival an hour away from San Jose.  We returned home at 1:00am lol. It's kind of like the state fair of Costa Rica with tons of food, drinks, and desserts.  It's also the festival with the second most consumption of alcohol in the world after Octoberfest.  We watched a parade with marching bands, scandalous dancers, people with extravagant costumes, people on stilts, and drunkards.  So many drunk people, and the cops don't mess around here.  You get put in the chock hold to be arrested.  The music, food, and company made for an unforgetable night.
On Saturday, we loaded the bus at 7:00am for a full day.  First we stopped at a coffee plantation.  We learned all about the growing and harvesting process.  I had an amazing cup of coffee to wake me up.  I was dragging.  I drink a lot of coffee here.  It's becoming a habit.  Then we arrived at the Poas Volcano!  We hiked to this beautiful over look.  At first, it was completely foggy, and we couldnt see anything.  Luckly, within 15 minutes the fog cleared, and the volcano was beautiful.  Next, we drove to La Paz Waterfall Gardens.  We had a buffet lunch with the most amazing food I've had since I've been here.  Not exagerating.  The resort was beautiful and extravagent.  $500 per night to stay there.  After the best lunch ever, we saw and learned about jungle animals: sloths, frogs, butterflies, birds,  jungle cats(like Alan from the Hangover says), and monkeys!  It was like a zoo, but more natural.  I held hands with a monkey.  It wanted me to come into it's environment with it, but unfortunately, I could not.  Then we hiked to see this series of amazing waterfalls.  There were 3 major falls that increased in size as you hiked down the mountain.  Amazing, but my camera died so no pictures of the waterfalls.  Then we rode the bus home and passed out.
On Sunday we loaded the bus at 6:20am for white water rafting!  We had an awesome breakfast before rafting of gallo pinto, churizo(sasuage), toast, eggs, and fruit.  Then the adventure began.  It was so much fun.  We rafted for 4 hours literally through the jungle.  There were waterfalls pouring into the river around us, and butterflies flying around, and old bridges crossing the river like you would see in Jurassic Park.  It was so neat.  When we got home, Rachel and I went to a resturant close to our house and got some great pizza.

Poas Volcano

Friends at Palmares

It might have been the most fun weekend yet! But I always think that.  Love and miss you all.  Besos.