2nd April 2015 – Arenal to Granada

Today we have a 320 kilometer drive to our overnight stop in Granada and we have a border crossing in 220 kilometers into Nicaragua.The drive out of La Fortuna takes us along the Arenal Lake and we have fabulous clear views of the volcano again today. It is a beautiful drive through lush green rainforest as we wind our way up and over the continental divide. As we drive along a coatis is running alongside the road so we stop & back up and it comes right up to the car, no doubt looking for food, but it missed out this time. As we drive away from the lake we get a great view back to the volcano which is now at the other end of the lake.We make a wrong turn and have to backtrack a few kilometers which is a bonus as we now get to see the volcano in front of us.We fill up in New Arenal on the way. Driving up to the top of the mountains we come across another wind farm with huge turbines across the top of a ridge and a ute packed up with bananas.As we drop down to the Pacific Ocean side of the mountains we can’t help notice the dramatic change in the vegetation.ÿ It is now brown grass and not many trees, a stark contrast to the lush green rainforest. It’s also got quite a bit hotter.We have a 2.75 hour border crossing into Nicaragua with a few tense moments, however it all ends well. We have to have the car sprayed at the border crossing after leaving Costa Rica.The drive to Granada was only 100 kilometers and we arrived at about 5:30. What a beautiful colonial city this is, it is so vibrant, people are in the churches, as tomorrow is Good Friday or they’re wandering around the plaza and in the mall.ÿ There are horses and carriages lining the street outside the hotel, so now with our MG’s doubled parked as well there is a real traffic jam, but no one seems to mind.Singing coming from the cathedral is lovely and the aromas from the food stalls are making us hungry.We have dinner in a restaurant on the mall,the place is jumping, musicians and street sellers everywhere it is a very colourful city. ÿ