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Hello {firstname} - Here is your

Pacuare Lodge Newsletter - Issue 6
by Bill Cook

In This Issue:

Dear {firstname},

I have always been fascinated by volcanoes; their imposing, majestic
presence, as well as their Jekyll and Hyde personality.  These are
humungous “creatures” who placidly stand guard over the surrounding
landscape, seemingly oblivious to man and his doings, yet in a split
second can turn into thundering, fire spiting monsters…read more...

Continuing with our volcano theme I have including a short guide of the
Arenal area (where the Arenal Volcano is located), a few highlights, as well
as some informative tips to help make your trip to the area more
enjoyable…read more    

Usted necesita leer el siguiente artículo, es muy bueno. I bet you understood
every word. No? Well don’t worry, head down to our latest installment of
Learn Spanish Fast and get in on some ‘verb’ action….read more…

Roughly the size of West Virginia, Costa Rica possesses an astounding
number of volcanic formations – 112 to be exact! In fact, what were once
thought to be potholes are actually extinct craters! Well, not really, but don’t
fear; only seven of these volcanoes are considered to be active.

Volcanic activity in Costa Rica is the result of friction between the Cocos
and Caribbean tectonic plates. This friction partially melts rocks, which
are then pushed to the surface by the pressure of the earth’s crust. This molten
magma then rises to the earth’s surface to escape through cracks and fissures.
Between 1723 and the present day, Costa Rica has experienced powerful
eruptions by the Rincón de la Vieja, Arenal, Poás, Irazú and Turrialba
volcanoes. The most serious eruption was that of Irazú volcano in 1963.
It erupted spewing clouds of smoke and ash that hovered over San José and
Cartago for two years. Over 100 square kilometers of the surrounding
countryside were devastated. On August 24th, 2000, Arenal Volcano was
the scene of Costa Rica’s most recent volcanic eruption.

The highest of Costa Rica’s volcanoes is Irazú, the most active is Arenal,
and Poás has the second widest crater in the world. Most are within a few
hours drive from San José, Costa Rica’s capital city. If you are planning on
visiting Costa Rica, make sure to visit at least one of these fiery wonders.
Below are some of the most well known of Costa Rica’s many volcanoes:

Arenal Volcano
Located at the foot of the Tilarán Mountain Range and next to scenic Lake
Arenal, the conical Arenal Volcano is the youngest stratovolcano (where
many layers of volcanic material accumulate over the course of intensive
activity) in Costa Rica and one of its most active. Considered extinct until
its thunderous eruption in July of 1968, the 5,500 ft. volcano has remained
active ever since and is one of Costa Rica’s main tourist attractions. If the
weather is clear, incandescent lava ejected from the crater and rolling down
the slopes can be seen at night. Location: Arenal Volcano National Park is
located on the northern edge of the Tilarán range, at the east end of Lake
Arenal. 55 miles (88 km) north west of San José (90 miles, 145 km by road).
Nearest town La Fortuna.

Barva Volcano
Located within Braulio Carillo National Park, the Barva Volcano is the
only one of the Central Valley’s four volcanoes that has not erupted since
colonial times. The volcano is located 13 miles north of San José and rises to
a height of 9,500 feet above sea level. It is easily identifiable by its three
volcanic promontories known as Cerro Las Tres Marías (Three Marys Hill).
Location: 13 miles (21 km) Northeast of San José.

Irazú Volcano
Costa Rica's highest volcano and one of its most active, rises to 11,260 ft.
immediately east of the capital city of San Jose. Its name is derived from the
indigenous word Istarú, which means “hill of earthquakes and thunder”.
Near the crater, a large moonscape of steep hills and enormous accumulations
of volcanic ash are interspersed with stunted mountain vegetation. The main
crater measures more than half a mile across and is almost a thousand feet deep.
The first well-documented historical eruption occurred in 1723, and frequent
explosive eruptions have occurred since. Location: Irazú volcano is 15 miles
(24 km) east of San José, 34 miles (54 km) by road.

Poás Volcano
Founded in 1971, the 16,000-acre Poás Volcano National Park forms part of
the Central Volcanic Cordillera Conservation Area. The volcano rises almost
9,000 ft. above sea level and is located 20 miles north of the city of Alajuela.
It is one of the oldest and most visited parks in Costa Rica. The most visible
and recently formed features at Poás are its irregular, sub conical main crater,
which measures 4,265 ft. across and almost a thousand feet deep. There have
been three major periods of recorded activity, from 1888 to 1895, 1903 to
1912, and 1952 to 1954. The largest recorded eruption took place on
January 26, 1910, when an enormous column of smoke and ash rose to a
height of 25,000 feet. Location: 19 miles (30 km) northwest of San José
(25 miles, 41 km, 70-90 minutes, depending on the route).

Why did travelers first come here? A giant, conical active volcano, that’s
why. And they still come for the pyrotechnics, but they stay for the small-town
charm and multitude of outdoor activities. Mineral hot springs, canopy tours,
relaxing resorts and sparkling waterfalls all call people from around the globe.

THE TOWN: La Fortuna is a busy little town, and it has all the service
you’d expect from a mid-size tourist center: banks, a wide variety of dining,
lodging and nightlife options, a clinic, supermarkets, and a host of
interesting tours.

FOR THE BIRDS: Costa Rica’s northern zone has over 600 endemic
species of birds. A varied climate, plenty of forested land and the nearby
(and incredible) Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge make for a birder’s paradise.

QUITE A FALL: La Fortuna’s waterfall (catarata) is worth checking out.
At about 5 km (three miles) outside of town, it’s accessible by foot, horseback,
bicycle, or vehicle. Once you’re at the top, you’ll pay the entrance fee
($6 for foreigners, $3 for Costa Rican residents), and head down steep, often
slippery trail (there are handrails). But once you reach the bottom, the reward
is worth it: a 220-foot silver ribbon slices through the green cliffs, dropping
into an emerald-colored pool with refreshingly cool water. Swimming is
allowed, but don’t go directly beneath the falls.

THE MAIN EVENT: It’s the third most active volcano in the world,
and catching a glimpse of its fiery cone is at the top of many travelers’ lists.
On clear nights you can see lava streaming down the volcano’s flanks, and
by day you’ll see puffs of smoke over scorched mountainsides. And you’ll
probably hear thunderous booms as the volcano releases hot gas and rock
into the air.

THREE BEST PLACES TO SEE THE VOLCANO

1. Main Street: Arenal forms a dramatic backdrop to the bustling village of
La Fortuna, making for a great picture. Sit in town, grab some coffee and
enjoy the view.

2. Under a volcanically heated waterfall: Tabacón Resort lets you soak
in great views as you rest your weary bones in the resort’s eleven thermal
hot springs. Tropical gardens and a therapeutic spa round out the experience.

3. Up close and personal: Hotel Tabacón Resort boasts a frontrow seat to
the volcano, and at night you can see the lava tumble down the mountain
towards you – but from a safe distance.

GETTING THERE: Interbus and Gray Line offer 2.5 to 3 hour shuttle
bus ride ($21-$25) from San Jose. Budget travelers can take a public bus
from Autotransportes depot in San Jose, Calle 19, Avenidas 1/3. It costs
about $3, taking between four to six hours, depending if you’re on a
“directo/express” bus or a “colectivo.” If you’re driving, you can either
head through San Ramón or Ciudad Quesada, and the trip should take
between three and four hours. Consult your car rental agent.

Use of this article was granted by Costa Rica Traveler Magazine

Imagine being sick in Costa Rica, without speaking any Spanish, and
having to tell someone "take me to the hospital". In the last courses you
learned the word for hospital, but what about "take"? Without verbs we
don't have action, and without action, you might find yourself in a lot of
trouble when you're asking someone to do something. Therefore, the
following list of verbs is necessary in order for you to get along well in a
Spanish speaking country. Since this is an elementary course, we'll limit
ourselves to the present tense.

Verbs 
to be: estar 
to eat: comer 
to walk: caminar 
to sleep: dormir 
to talk: hablar 
to understand: entender 
to take: tomar 
to look for: buscar 
to need: necesitar 
to call: llamar 
to pay: pagar 
to go: ir

Once you memorize this short list of survival verbs, you should combine
them with these personal pronouns:

I: yo
you: usted (sigular)
you: ustedes (plural)
he:él 
she:ella 
they:ellos(as) 
we:nosotros

In Spanish, verbs are conjugated differently for each pronoun. For example
with the verb "to sleep"- dormir, you would say: I sleep: yo duermo She
sleeps: ella duerme However, since the idea in this course is that you acquire
the basics, there is nothing wrong with you communicating on an elementary
level; if you say "yo dormir" people will understand that you are saying
"I sleep", even though it's incorrect.

An important combination that you can make includes the verb "to need"
and any other verb. For example, if you have to say "I need to look for...",
you can say "Yo necesitar buscar..." (the correct way of saying it is "yo
necesito buscar", but like I said previously, people will understand you, anyway).

How would you say the following phrases?

1. Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom. 
2. Excuse me, where is the green hotel? 
3. I need to sleep, please. 
4. I need to call a cab. 
5. Do you have a yellow knife? 
6. How much is the black coffee? 
7. Give me sixty tickets, please. 
8. How do I get to the airport? 
9. Where is the rent-a-car? 
10. I need to eat salad. 
11. She walks. 
12. They call and take a bus.

If you've practiced the small bits of information that were presented to you
on these short lessons, then you will be understood at a basic level. Costa
Ricans are very friendly and patient people, and they won't get upset if your
Spanish isn't very good; most Ticos will go out of their way to communicate
through "sign language" and to show a lost tourist his/her way around the city
or the countryside. Actually, you might find it hard to practice your Spanish
as more and more Ticos learn English and are always overeager to
practice themselves.

In next month’s final lesson we’ll review what you have learned and
provide you with some good online resources for those who desire more
advanced knowledge of the Spanish language. By the way, for those who are
still wondering, ‘Usted necesita leer el siguiente artículo, es muy bueno’,
means: You need to read the following article, it is very good.¡Hasta pronto!

Until next time, I wish you the very best in your life’s
journeys...

Bill Cook
Pacuare Lodge
http://www.pacuarelodge.com

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