In the afternoon we set off in sunshine, a gentle breeze and pleasant temperatures in the Rincon de la Vieja National Park. Back at the approach to the park we have to pay a toll after 1 and a half km. Whether the revenues flow into the improvement of the road? A look at the gold wristwatch of the man by the barrier does it not expected. But well, that does not make us poor and so we arrived after 20 minutes upstairs at the National Park, Post Sector Las Pailas.
So far, so bad, because we have not expected the wind that awaits us up here. Actually the cars stagger back and forth. Superfluously the wind flogs raindrops against us. But how did our guidebook tell us? “Because there can start heavy rainstorms at any time a good rain shelter is necessary”. Great.
After three-quarters-of-an-hour and a trip to the sunny valley we reach the entrance a second time. A strong wind still blows in our faces, raindrops flying trough the air horizontally. Anyway it is warm enough to wear shorts. As we leave the outpost and enter the forest the rain can not harm us anymore. The rustling in the treetops does not disturb us, because we think that the trees are used to this strong wind.
As our first tour we choose the 3-kilometre walk “Sendero Las Pailas” and soon cross the “Rio Colorado”. Along the way to the waterfall of the Quebrada Pailas we pass some giant trees. They are figs that used other trees, to grow up fast. After the inner tree has died, empty tubes in these figs remain. As I walk trough one of them, Annette doesn’t feel very comfortable, although nothing happens.
We have luck with the water fall. Normally there is dry season in winter and the Quebrada Pailas only has little water, if anything. In fact, a lot of water sweeps into deepness and we pull out our sandals to march on the other side of the stream. Mostly the stream is very small and therefore a bridge wouldn’t be profitable. But if you want to go to the fumaroles and the mud holes without indirection, you have to cross the river.
