Today we walked from our hotel to Lake Furnas, a volcanic lake about 600 feet above sea level. We walked around the perimeter of the lake with a stop at the research center. We saw a presentation about the work being done to rehabilitate the lake and watershed area.
Next, we continued on to an area of fumaroles where the steam from volcanic activity is used to cook a meal called cozido. Meats and vegetables are placed in a pot which is buried in the ground for about 6 hours. Then, it is retrieved and brought to a local restaurant. Our hotel restaurant does this so after the pot was retrieved we walked back to the hotel for a cozido lunch.
In the afternoon, we had a guided tour of the Terra Nostra botanical gardens. It's hard to describe how impressive the gardens are. Some of the trees and plants are enormous!
The grounds include a thermal pool. Late in the day the gardens and pool are only available to hotel guests. A bunch of us went to the thermal pool before dinner. The water contains iron oxide so it is cloudy and doesn't look appealing. But, the warmth of the water is very relaxing and the minerals are supposed to be great for your skin. Quite an experience!
Tomorrow is our last and most challenging hike.
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