Chalet Nicholas at Nuevo Arenal

Here are some photos of our recent stays at a fabulous B&B in Nuevo Arenal - Chalet Nicholas. Run by ex-New Yorkers Cathy and John Nicholas, and their three Great Danes (Minnie, Muki and Marty). This is an excellent pick and highly recommended.

Chalet Nicholas from front yard

Oropendula nest - a beautiful pocket of twigs woven together with entry hole near top. These sway in the wind from tree branches, and are used by birds only once.

Marty (brown) and Minnie (black) "sitting" on Janet's lap. As puppies, they liked sitting on laps, so just continued as they got larger. At 150 lbs. however, they should be issued back-up signals like heavy equipment.

John Nicholas showing span of buttress roots on tropical hardwood trees in tropical forest reserve behind his house.

Strangler fig wrapped around a now-dead branch. On a subsequent visit, we saw just this corkscrew vine, with the inner branch completely gone.

Elle completely under a gap in a buttress root during forest walk. Bamboo walking sticks are for stability and to poke ahead in likely snake areas.

Lake Arenal from public beach and slipway at Nuevo Arenal. Canoeing anyone? Down the lake are persistent high winds giving some of world's best wind-surfing areas.