Wet & Raining

     Today was an early and rough morning. I was up at 5:30 am with very little sleep & still with an upset stomach! After breakfast, we were on the bus for 7 and heading towards Izaru volcano. The drive up to the volcano at 11,260 ft was picturesque with a winding road with homes, livestock, & potato farms just to name a few. Upon our arrival at Izaru, the clouds were rolling in thus making it a rush to view the crater. We were able to see where the lake would be and the rough terrain surrounding the crater but not actually able to the greenish lake. Oh and let's not forget that being inside a cloud is extremely cold & wet! We rushed back into the souvenir shop for a glass of hot chocolate to warm us up. 

On our way up to Izaru. 

   On our way back down the mountain we were able to stop for a few pictures thus allowing us to snap a shot of the Leprosy colony that once lived on the hill. While we were unable to tour the grounds or the remaining buildings - being able to see a piece of history was a one of a kind feeling!

(The Leprosy Colony)

Finally we approached the bottom of the volcano we made our way into Cartago. While in Cartago we had the pleasure of walking through the railroad station. You may ask why that was an honor - it's because they are trying to get more people to take the train as the transit system into the neighboring provinces (states as we would call it) and they are still adding the finishing touches and will celebrate with the President tomorrow at the station's Grand Opening! Only a block away from the station is their market. Not a supermarket like we have but a true old fashioned market where they sell fish, beef, chicken, fruits, vegetables, clothes, dog food, and many other products. Other than the smell of the assortment of meats it was in interesting exploration! 

Train Station

Train Station

 Train station 

 Market 

 Steaks at the Market 

    We then headed into town where we were able to see the Ujarras church which is more than 300 years old today. The Spanish missionaries began construction of the church in 1860. Every time they tried to finish the build the weather would prolong the completion. Today it sits in the center of town with only 4 walls. Legend has it that the Priest and the Mayor of the town were brothers and in 1910 the Major killed his brother in a disagreement regarding the church's construction. The ruins that remain today are available to tour on the weekends - it encloses a garden that brings about such peace and serenity. 

 

         At this point, we are all getting a little hungry and we head off to Casona del Cafetal. The trip there was yet another winding road with a significant change in elevation. While this trip should have only taken roughly 30-45 min it took us much longer. The first path we tried had a landslide and the road was blocked with the dirt from the side of the mountain. So on to our second path and as our luck would have it we must cross a bridge ... And the bridge has a height limit and our bus did not fit within the limit - of course! Three strikes and your out and thankfully our third option got us right where we needed to be! The sides of the roads were filled with coffee bean farms and after being served a delicious lunch (I ordered rainbow trout) next to a beautiful lake with a mountain scenery in the background. After lunch we talked about the coffee bean plant ... So here's a little education for you - a coffee bean plant will produce a prime selection for 25 years. The bean is harvested by hand for 5 months. They pick the coffee cherry which protects 2 coffee beans and they earn up to $2 a basket and the main "employees" are Nicaraguans. 

 Coffee Bean Plant 

 View at lunch 

   After our lesson we headed back to Cartago and thankfully this trip was much shorter than the last. We then toured the Basilica which was built in 1912. The story of the Basilica is that in August 2, 1635 a little Indian girl went to the forest to pick firewood. While out she found a statue of a small figure resembling a doll she took it home and placed it in a box. The next day it had disappeared and while out looking for firewood again she found the statute in the same place on the rocks. After this she bought it to the Priest and he locked it away only to have it disappear from him as well not once but twice. After the last time he had to retrieve it he realized the statue had something supernatural going on and that it desired to remain in the forest on the rocks. He decided to build a church to protect the statue of the Holy Virgin. The Holy Virgin is still today the "mother and patroness" for all the Costa Ricans. Every August 2nd people make a pilgrimage to the church to be prayed for and blessed. Many people can be seen crawling to the alter on their knees while praying. 

 

 Basilica de Los Angeles 

 

 Inside Basilica 

 Statue of Mary on the Altar

 One of the many statues in the Basilica

    After being able to experience the beauty of the Basilica. We returned to the Tryp Sabana for a night of relaxation which is extremely easy with the night view from the window in our room!  

 View from room