This is one of several B&Bs on the north shore of Lake Arenal. Cathy and John Nicholas have been in Costa Rica for about 10 years and are quite familiar with the area. They love to share their knowledge with guests and are quite the advocates for retiring to Costa Rica, pointing out the benefits with their own experiences.

They have 3 rooms for rent - one at the front of the house with a south window toward the lake; one at the back of the house with an east window toward Vulcan Arenal, and a loft. The loft has a main room with a half bath and an alcove at the back of the house with twin beds. We chose the loft room because Jonathan liked the separate sleeping area at the back with access to the deck over the back porch and for the Sealy Posterpedic mattress which by now our backs craved. Our son of course also wanted to have reason to climb up and down the spiral staircase.

It wasn't completely private as it is a loft and looks down on the rest of the house, but it was very nice. One of the guidebooks described this room as okay if you don't need a lot of privacy, but we had all we needed.   Our son loved sleeping by the open windows listening to all the wonderful sounds coming from the fledgling rainforest. During the night there was a ever so slight rain, just enough to fill the air with that wonderful fresh, earthy scent.

March 31 - Monday. We also discovered that our hosts rise early and put out fruit for the birds at 6 each morning. We awoke to the most marvelous sound which we later discovered  to be the magnificent Montezuma Oropendula. Click here to listen and here. (Recorded and copyrighted by Don Von Gausig, used with permission).

For breakfast Cathy made us the most bountiful plate of fresh fruits, great coffee and Macadamia pancakes. She sprinkles the tops with the chopped nuts right before flipping them over so the Macadamias get toasted as the pancakes finish. They are heavenly!  I had to bring some home and make them myself. Local coffee that even my coffee-connoisseur husband enjoyed. Day two was a scrumptious gouda cheese omelet and fresh muffins and fruits and breads. 

After breakfast our Nintendo-addicted son disappeared for an unusually long time and I found him on the upper deck with Cathy's 'Birds of Costa Rica' book and a pair of binoculars hanging from his neck. Other guests got Jonathan interested in watching birds and Cathy loaned him her binoculars. The fruit they put out each morning on an elevated board plus all the flowers and blooming vines attract many different species out from the rain forest they have restored behind their house. Jonathan sat for hours watching from the upper deck as well as from the backyard, looking in her book to identify the ones he saw. He was making a list of all the birds he saw and indeed we saw more from here and in all the rest of our journey put together. He said he didn't even miss his Nintendo because of all the beauty he was discovering here. I told him we have birds at home and we could get a book and see what we can see.

We had planned to stay here only one night and then move closer to the volcano for a night. But one of the extras offered here is a horseback ride around the area to the north with Lucas, their 'hired hand', so we decided to stay over another night in order to take the 3-hour trip this afternoon. Lucas' family is native to the area and was deeded land in Nuevo Arenal when (old) Arenal was flooded.

Though this is a bed & breakfast, we have been invited to be their guests for dinner that evening. The breakfasts were completely outdone by the dinner they served. 

We were seated at a large beautiful table made by local craftsman from native hardwood and served the most delicious meal of filet mignon (brahma) cooked outside over fruitwood. Cathy said she goes to Liberia to purchase meat as the best is shipped there for export. Jonathan saw some white round additions to the tossed salad and asked what they were. Cathy explained that a certain kind of palm tree is plantation-grown and harvested young just for this delicacy. Out of the jar, they look like a large white cheese stick; when sliced resemble water chestnuts, but taste altogether different. They are cut to length and also sold in bags of water. Jonathan liked them so much he ate several like carrots. (I think she had to open another jar.) Cathy and John are marvelous hosts. You can tell they enjoy what they do. 
 

Our Horseback Ride to Cota Lago