www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Puppyshit 1 and I took the wives to Arenal this weekend. With Tabacon being full, we opted for the Arenal Lodge. We rented a chalet. On the first floor there are 2 double beds and a twin, a kitchenette, and a decent bathroom, plus a huge floor to ceiling window with a table and two rocking chairs (with the unbelievable view of the volcano)! The second floor has a king and queen bed, and the same amenities as the first. Rate was $100 (plus tax) Green Season Rate.

The rooms were spotless, and the view was amazing, although the volcano was covered with clouds 99.9 percent of the time. The hike up the hill was a little tough, but you could probably bribe a maid, or someone to take you up. The floors are a little thin, as Puppyshit 1 and his lovely had the pleasure of hearing me rock the boat (pretty hard I might add).

We took a cab to the Hot Springs during the day on Saturday. $41 each included admission to the springs and the buffet dinner. The springs are tons of fun, but the buffet was terrible (we should have just had dinner at the hotel, they have a nice bar and pool table, and everything has a stunning view of Arenal).

Breakfast was/is included, and they have quite a selection (for a freebie). All in all, I was quite impressed with the joint, the only drawbacks are:

1) The hiking up the hill (but puppyshit 1 and I can use the excercise)
2) No A/C (kinda warm when trying to get a little afternoon delight...but nice at night)
3) Long ride to Arenal ($10 cab), drive up hill to the Lodge is kinda hairy, but beautiful scenery.

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A Costa Rica Toast:
Here's to Looking like Movie Stars, Partying like Rock Stars and phucking like PORN STARS!

Yeah, alot of honeymooners like that place I'm sure you stayed in the matrimonial suite. I got suckered into staying there once, and unless you have a novia with you it's boring as phuck granted that trip was 2 years ago and it was my first to CR. Hey Papi did they ever put TV's or radios in the rooms? By the way the weight room sucks but I did get very good at pool and I do remember that the food was very good. Did you get a chance to check out the butterfly shed, I mean house? I forgot to mention that shitty drive from the road up the hill to the lodge was a bitch, it must of been at least 5 miles.

YO Papi:
Glad you had a chance to stay at the Arenal Lodge. Actually, it is my favorite place to stay in the volcano area with some great scenery. Hell, I thought I would see a T-Rex galloping by in the early morn chasing the monkeys for breakfast. The food is good and rooms were clean.

Don't pay attention to L-Heat......he was probably rooming with another hard tail and having to jerk off on the balcony.....Paco said he was a virgin 2 years ago anyway. YO Heat: the dive up the 28 degree hairpin road is barely over a mile and fun to drive.....especially when one is impaired. And, who needs TV and radios you spoiled city slicker. Skate boarding down to the road is a hoot. I love ya man.

Sad you had little view of the volcano. It is beautiful on a clear night. Seems like in the last couple of years the weather has not been too cooperative especially with increased raining. CR global warming I presume.

I did feel a bit sorry for the old riding horses and mules at the lodge at first but several ticos stated they are well fed......I wonder. Anyway, it's an experience that one does not forget.

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Damn if I'm going to repeat this shit again. I need a drink.
I've been drinking vodka every day for 45 years and I have certainly never found it to be habit forming.

Hey Papi :

Did you do any fishing ? I'm starting out in La Fortuna at the Parasio (sp?)
Then I planned on a day at the hot springs and a half day fishing guapote on the lake, then off to San Jose for filth. I figured I should do something like this so I can have some photos that don't make me look like a pig.

Trip starts Nov 17. Wished I hadn't booked so early....keep thinking about it.

Maybe I was just a little drunk because that was the longest mile and two days of my life, it took them at least 10 minutes to get to the road. I do need to try the skateboard trick though...wait, they do they have life flight out of there? Yes, T.V. would of been nice, but in Handy's case he will never be lonely as long as his hands are attached to his arms.

Yes they have tv (and cable/satellite). Also, they have these swedish beds that tilt up, so you can watch the Volcano from your bed, and it makes for nice oral sex as well. I think these beds are only in the second floor Chalet rooms, as handy didnt have one!

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A Costa Rica Toast:
Here's to Looking like Movie Stars, Partying like Rock Stars and phucking like PORN STARS!

When I was there 2 years ago during Labor Day, I remember we left the day before it had that minor eruption. I was thinking how cool that would of been to be with a novia on one of those beds as the volcano erupted and at the same time you had a massive orgasm.

YO L-Heat:

Huggie and I were there for that climatic eruption and I've got to tell ya it was an earth moving experience. A tear comes to my eye since that was our last time together on a trip in CR. Thank you for bringing up comforting memories of the past. You are a nice fellow. Oh, how I miss that lovely thing.

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Damn if I'm going to repeat this shit again. I need a drink.
I've been drinking vodka every day for 45 years and I have certainly never found it to be habit forming.

Huggy or the Volcano?

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A Costa Rica Toast:
Here's to Looking like Movie Stars, Partying like Rock Stars and phucking like PORN STARS!

YO Pap:

HUGGIE OF COURSE. She kept me occupied and away from the strange people that visit CR. She certainly could turn heads when we walked together down Ave de Central.

_________________
Damn if I'm going to repeat this shit again. I need a drink.
I've been drinking vodka every day for 45 years and I have certainly never found it to be habit forming.

Must be a case of YMMV. I have a different perspective on the Arenal Lodge. Now I haven't stayed there since 1999 (or 2000?). When I was there it was so cloudy I could barely even see the main building from the then brand-new chalets let alone the volcano several miles away. So things may have changed at the place since I was there and hopefully the view will be better for you then it was for me.

With that preface here is my review as best I know it.

First as to location. This place is one of the farthest from La Fortuna and is not that close to the volcano itself. The Arenal OBSERVATORY Lodge (not to be confused with this place) is slightly farther from La Fortuna, but that is because it is around the other side of the volcano and is actually the closest to the volcanic crater. There are also 2 places going even farther towards El Castillo by gravel road, past the Sky Tram/Sky Trek canopy tours, on the south of the lake (would be curious to see reviews on any of those). To be fair though proximity to the volcano or the Tabacon Springs are important, there is more to be considered than just distance. There is direction of recent activity and angle of view. Most of the recent eruptions and lava flow has been in the general direction of the lodge so that distance is probably just as well. Whether that makes the net view better or worse I couldn't say. There were also eruptions going towards the AOL, which would be potentially more serious given how close they are, but they are "protected" by a deep gully between that lodge and the volcano itself.

As for amenities. There were no trees or even landscaping around the chalets when I was there. I don't know if that was because they were recently constructed but it gave the immediately surrounding area a very stark feel. Inside the chalets it wasn't much better. It was very roomy, but empty feeling. Just the beds and nightstand, a couple of chairs and some kitchen appliances (fridge, microwave and coffee maker), white painted walls and no decoration, no TV/radio and unfortunately no view for me outside the "picture" windows. Again they may have spruced the place up inside and outside since I was there. The main building was a lot homier and friendly. Lots of wood accents, furniture and greenery. Definitely a cheerier place to hang out in the evenings (unless you've brought entertainment with you back in the room). They had a lending library, a beat up TV and an even more beat-up bar sized pool table, but at least it was something.

As for rates. When I was there the rates for the chalet were only in the $60-70 range. It should be clarified that the rate that Papi listed was not for the whole chalet but just his floor. The matrimonial suite is $127+tax. If you plan on hitting the Tabacon Springs heavily you might be better off staying there instead. Of course the hotel and springs rates have gone up dramatically since I was first there as well. It now costs $29 per person (good from 11-10PM). The superior room at Tabacon now costs $175+tax. If you subtract the cost of 2 passes from that rate it is the equivalent of $117 at any another hotel and even the standard rooms at Tabacon are MUCH MUCH nicer than they were at the Arenal Lodge. If you stay in the standard rooms it is only $145. Your view of the volcano if any from the standard rooms is limited to the balcony, but it will probably be clouded over at night anyway. If you go for another hot springs session in the morning before noon checkout you'll save even more (the springs open at 10am for hotel guests only). BTW, all the hotel rates listed above are for 2 people during the green season. If you go at other times of the year or by yourself, the calculation might change. Also for those with sticker shock, there are also cheaper rooms available at the Arenal Lodge and other hotels, particularly if you don't mind contenting yourself to viewing the volcano from outside your room. Also if you're taying for more than 1 night and plan to do activities during your extra days other than visit the hot springs (or plan to visit other springs instead of the pricey Tabacon), then my calculations go out the window (though you could split up your stay and change hotels after you've hot sprung out)

As for food. I've never eaten at the Tabacon Springs restaurant so can not speak for or against the buffet. I will say that the breakfast buffet at the hotel which was included in the rate was very good. For dinner their El Toucan restaurant was good enough if somewhat expensive, but who says you have to eat at the hotel. Tabacon has a free shuttle into La Fortuna which can drop you off anywhere along the way and taxis are cheap and convenient unless you're at the far end of the road from town (like at Arenal Lodge or AOL). Also if you stay at Tabacon since the springs are right there, you don't feel compelled to eat there if you want to have another hot springs session after dinner.

One last point about the volcano in general. Those pictures one sees of the lava flow at night are stock TIME LAPSE photos and not necessarily representative of what your hotel room view will be. If the volcano is not clouded over (which it probably is 80-90% of the time), you will probably see it from a further distance and different angle. When I finally got a decent night view of the volcano on my 3rd trip, I tried taking a picture of it with my digital camera and it did not come out at all.