Traveling through the country of Costa Rica can be somewhat of a challenge. Public buses are the main way to go, but they aren't the fastest way to get there. Between La Fortuna and Santa Elena there were several alternatives, including going by horseback. We opted for one of the various "Jeep - boat - Jeep" packages to get there. The tour operators try to make this sound like high adventure by promising Jeeps trekking across the country. In reality they packed 10 people with their bags into a van (no Jeep). This was essentially a taxi ride to a boat which ferried us across a lake where another van picked us up to go the rest of the way. Regardless of the lack of Jeep, this was definitely the way to go - it was quicker and an overall better trip than the public bus. The road into Santa Elena was steep, unpaved, severely pot holed and narrow. I was surprised that the van was able to make it. In this part of the country a 4x4 is required equipment.

Boat trip across Lake Arenal		Clouds rolling off the lake
Peaceful morning ride		Highland country
Pitstop while enroute		Checking out the town of Santa Elena