In Hot Water

I've always loved waterfalls. Whether it's being awed by the power and beauty of the massive Victoria Falls and Iguazu Falls or soothed by the sound of the small manmade waterfalls near our house, I love the sound of water falling over rocks and into a river or stream or pool. 

One of my favorite memories from our scuba diving career was visiting a place in Costa Rica where hot water came out of the side of Arenal Volcano. Our group of divers walked into the rustic setting and discovered pools of various sizes and water temperatures and waterfalls into some of the pools, and people enjoying the experience. It was heavenly and I particularly loved sitting under the waterfalls and feeling the warm water cascade over my shoulders. At the time, Arenal was rumbling and producing lava flows down the hiking paths, which were closed.  I remember sitting in the water and thinking, "This is what the Romans were doing at Pompeii."

If you live in Oklahoma, February and March are great months to travel to the Southern Hemisphere. So last February, we decided to spend about a week in Costa Rica. 

Toward the end of our stay, we went to Tabacon, a place where hot water comes out of the side of Arenal Volcano. Almost as soon as we walked in the gate, we recognized Tabacon as the place where we had been decades before with our dive group. 

Tabacon is now a resort, with lovely landscaping, a series of hot pools with various temperatures of water and a nice hotel with a great buffet restaurant--and many tourists, like we were, managed by careful and efficient organization--dressing rooms, towel checkout and return, lines that moved quickly, and an excellent dinner included in the price of admission. 

Tabacon isn't rustic anymore. It's a sophisticated tourist attraction and it was full of people of all ages from all over the world. But I still loved it, as you can see from the photo, taken by my husband David, when I was under the largest waterfall at Tabacon. 

Times change. People change. Places change. And experiences change. This time, I sat behind the waterfall and looked out at the world through a curtain of water. Then I scooted forward to sit under the waterfall and, once again, felt the power of the warm water on my shoulders.