La Fortuna

Arenal Volcano-spewing steam.

 Our first stop outside San Jose was a little town called La Fortuna. this is at the base of the Arenal Volcano. the town is named as such because it is on the side of the volcano that never experiences lava, ash or debris when it erupts. the volcano is active but hasn't erupted for nearly 8 months. this is the longest it has gone 'dormant' in quite some time according to the locals...i personally was hoping to see lava :) (another thing on my bucket list!) really cute town and the landscaping was great! we were there for 3 days.

the park in the center of town

Arenal in the background. this is the most photographed church in Costa Rica.

isn't it stunning inside?!

this was our first time taking an international trip together! so glad we got to share that experience.

all over Costa Rica is beautiful landscaping

dawn's friend sarah joined us for these three days by the volcano. sarah, sister, dawn, me.

YUMMY FOOD! i took lots of pictures of food..really flavorful but not spicy!

we met Peggy the Pig in the park one day...notice her earring-ha!

 i quite liked this town...good restaurants, really nice people and a sense of community was really evident there. the next couple posts will be of things we did while in the area those three days (i.e. canyoneering, hiking a volcano and swimming in the lagoon, the treehouses we stayed in...)