This is the end.
But not really.
I bet you are curious.
Did I experience local customs and develop fantastic Spanish speaking skills? Yep.
Did I explore the country, coast to coast, mountains to oceans? Yes.
Did I cultivate love in Costa Rica? Oh Yes!
My experience here has been amazing, and yet it has also been regular life. Ups and downs, happys and sads, loves and un-loves.
I take the 4 hour bus trip from San Jose to Liberia and spend the night there. I will visit with my original couchsurfing friend once again and off-load some of my American stuff. I travel with my favorite person.
This time feels exciting but normal. Another event in the day-in-the-life of me.
Absorbing all.
Hugs and Besos!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Time Flies When...
...you are in the perfect place at the perfect time.
I want to spend less time online and more time living.
Summary-style:
I stayed at the communal-style hostel for one week in Uvita. I took bus trips, motorcycle rides and hitchhiked with a Tico family (funny enough it was the mother who wanted to pick me up) to make a couple of day trips to the next town, Dominical. Played basketball with a couple Ticos, whom I beat in the game 21 without too much aggressive fouling that I learned from playing with Donald. Explored the local spots including the watering hole with small waterfall and rope swing. Watched pre-teen boys doing double front flips off the rope before I took my turn and pencil-dropped into the water...to find out it was less than 5 feet deep! My jarred legs and scraped knee were not very happy but all is well. Note to self, ask HOW deep. Met a wonderful friend, Robert, who is biking around the world (http://robsbikeride.com/). Left Uvita at 5:15am after unexpectedly changing my bus plan so this hug is for you Rob!!!
Made my way up to the mountain village of San Gerardo de Dota. Spent 3 nights hiking around the area, going bird watching and spending time with my favorite person. Spotted the famed Quetzal bird and even got some pictures with my awesome-zoom camera.
Currently I am hopping through the capitol city, San Jose, to get to Tortuguero in order to spend time in the marsh. Looking forward to canoeing, kayaking, hiking, Caribbean food once again, small town atmosphere.
Time is really flying. I find myself planning several days ahead instead of just one day at a time in order to do what I need while here. My brain, though initially resistant, is thinking about MN and life upon return. Traveling is a great way to reinvent onself and I am curious to see which points stick and which ones float away.
I look forward to connecting with loving friends and family when I return. Though I am not coming with tangible gifts or souvenirs I hope to transport you with some of my stories.
And with that, I bid you adieu.
I want to spend less time online and more time living.
Summary-style:
I stayed at the communal-style hostel for one week in Uvita. I took bus trips, motorcycle rides and hitchhiked with a Tico family (funny enough it was the mother who wanted to pick me up) to make a couple of day trips to the next town, Dominical. Played basketball with a couple Ticos, whom I beat in the game 21 without too much aggressive fouling that I learned from playing with Donald. Explored the local spots including the watering hole with small waterfall and rope swing. Watched pre-teen boys doing double front flips off the rope before I took my turn and pencil-dropped into the water...to find out it was less than 5 feet deep! My jarred legs and scraped knee were not very happy but all is well. Note to self, ask HOW deep. Met a wonderful friend, Robert, who is biking around the world (http://robsbikeride.com/). Left Uvita at 5:15am after unexpectedly changing my bus plan so this hug is for you Rob!!!
Made my way up to the mountain village of San Gerardo de Dota. Spent 3 nights hiking around the area, going bird watching and spending time with my favorite person. Spotted the famed Quetzal bird and even got some pictures with my awesome-zoom camera.
Currently I am hopping through the capitol city, San Jose, to get to Tortuguero in order to spend time in the marsh. Looking forward to canoeing, kayaking, hiking, Caribbean food once again, small town atmosphere.
Time is really flying. I find myself planning several days ahead instead of just one day at a time in order to do what I need while here. My brain, though initially resistant, is thinking about MN and life upon return. Traveling is a great way to reinvent onself and I am curious to see which points stick and which ones float away.
I look forward to connecting with loving friends and family when I return. Though I am not coming with tangible gifts or souvenirs I hope to transport you with some of my stories.
And with that, I bid you adieu.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Carate, Costa Rica
I spent the past 3 days and 2 nights camping with my favorite travel buddy, Rory. Camping is one of those things I wanted to do out here but do not have the necessary equipment or confidence to go alone. Being an economical traveler rather than a luxury vacationer I refused to pay for a guide or rent equipment and go with a group. Rory had all the basic, necessary equipment: small tent with rain flap, shovel, hatchet, small propane stove with a cooking pot and wilderness experience and confidence. Add that to my car-camping knowledge from growing up (basic fire starting and maintenance skills, cooking, gathering firewood) and the 2 most-used utensils I travel with (spork-knifoon from Sarah and switchblade knife from Dad) to establish a potentially successful experience.
It started with us taking a collective taxi from Puerto Jimenez to Carate. This was a 2.5 hour ride of bouncing up and down in the back of a tarp-covered truck filled with locals, boxes of food and beer, and budget travelers with their large packs and surfboards. The benches, with their thin padding filled up quickly. Stops were made along the way to pick up locals needing to hop on for part of the distance. They handed over their bags of rice or young child to the passenger closest to the back and then crawled over the barred-up door to find a small standing space. The jostling was intense but as a first experience rather delightful in my eyes.
We arrived at our destination by 4pm and took a path out from the trees that led straight toward the ocean. Rory scoped out the location and found a neat little camping space up on the ledge covered by trees. We set up his little yellow tent and did our own thing. I wandered back into the forest, intrigued by the coconut trees extending high up - too high to climb or knock one down with a length of bamboo - and within a couple hours found 6 coconuts on the ground that were not yet ravaged by monkeys. Add that to the 4 cuadrado (square) fruit I scavenged from deep in the thicket of meshed trees and vines and we had ourselves fresh tropical fruit to last the duration of our trip. I used my firewood gathering skills from childhood to haul armloads of dry driftwood back to the campsite. I definitely earned the sweat and dirt that still stains my clothing. And, even better than that, the sense of satisfaction, self-sufficiency, and strength that goes with finding and creating those things which sustain our basic human needs.
There was only a sliver of a moon and as dark settled in I felt very small and afraid of the dark in the wide open space. On one side of me the powerful ocean churned out waves continuously while on the others there were rainforest noises impossible for me to identify and, therefore, feel easy about. Occasionally I saw a shadow on the beach that turned out to be somethings random, such as a horse-drawn cart being driven by a Tico. Rory recognized my fear and from that simple understanding helped me feel more relaxed.
We watched the fire burn until midnight and found easy entertainment and tranquility in each others company. Staring up through the vent in the tent I saw the palms and leaf silhouttes waving high above us. We hid our bags under the rain flap and hoped the monkeys would not steal our stuff in an effort to locate food.
My first night was restless and so I was up early. Rorys stove was not working so we got a morning fire going and enjoyed oatmeal that I doctored up with mango, cuadrado (similar tasting to a banana) and bits of coconut. Coconut was my glory of the trip! After chopping the husk off and peeling it I cracked open the tops to drink the water, dice the meat and pulverize a small bit of it into a thick milk. I invented a mortar and pestle using the shell, small bowls and cups for holding coffee and soup broth.
The sun on the beach was intense so I was burnt by 8am before I even took the time to apply sunscreen. I took the opportunity to nap for a couple hours mid-day and then it was back to fire-building and exploring. Wandering down the beach before dusk we found a shaded inlet where a river ran through. We used river water for drinking after purifying with a pump and Rory fashioned a bathtub of sorts by damning up the space using rocks and natural materials.
After finishing up in this space we made our way back to the campsite, 20 minutes away. We talked and played like big kids, skipping, sprint racing and yelling obscenities into the open space.
No longer afraid of the wild I was free to be in my body. I did yoga on a log half-covered by ocean waves and moved from the water to the fire on my own terms. As I sat on this secluded beach nestled right up to the Costa Rican rainforest I let go of emotional and physical restrictions. There was some skinny dipping. And joy. And a sense of freedom.
On our last morning I awoke at 6am and took a stroll down the beach. I watched trees that held a dozen scarlet macaws squawking and playing around. I sat still to observe the 30 pelicans in their morning routine on the water. I wandered without a goal or expectation.
When I returned to the campsite at 830am I had coffee from a coconut, some tropical oatmeal in the shade. Anticipating a full day of blazing sun, we packed a small backpack with water, a snack of peanuts and raisins, a camera and a towel. We made our way to our shaded river and spent hours there. I relaxed on the rocks and watched the trees for natural entertainment: monkeys, birds, lizards, gorgeous greenery and flowers. Rory entertained himself doing man jobs.
The time came when we needed to return to the campsite and pack up. We did so quietly. At ease in our surroudings and with each other. It was a beautiful experience, one that can never be replicated and so will always be appreciated.
We bounced up and down all the way back to Puerto Jimenez on the Collectivo - not as fun having your insides rattled out as the first time, but an experience of its own.
Today we are off to Uvita. In this beach town there will be space for relaxing, story-writing reflection, bicycling, surfing and cooking in our hostel. I have only 2.5 weeks left here in Costa Rica. I am reminded how much time is left every morning that I wake up. And so I breathe. Absorb the moments and try to enjoy them fully.
I am filled with love and sending a special hug to my favorite mom on this Mothers Day. May your day be wonderful!
It started with us taking a collective taxi from Puerto Jimenez to Carate. This was a 2.5 hour ride of bouncing up and down in the back of a tarp-covered truck filled with locals, boxes of food and beer, and budget travelers with their large packs and surfboards. The benches, with their thin padding filled up quickly. Stops were made along the way to pick up locals needing to hop on for part of the distance. They handed over their bags of rice or young child to the passenger closest to the back and then crawled over the barred-up door to find a small standing space. The jostling was intense but as a first experience rather delightful in my eyes.
We arrived at our destination by 4pm and took a path out from the trees that led straight toward the ocean. Rory scoped out the location and found a neat little camping space up on the ledge covered by trees. We set up his little yellow tent and did our own thing. I wandered back into the forest, intrigued by the coconut trees extending high up - too high to climb or knock one down with a length of bamboo - and within a couple hours found 6 coconuts on the ground that were not yet ravaged by monkeys. Add that to the 4 cuadrado (square) fruit I scavenged from deep in the thicket of meshed trees and vines and we had ourselves fresh tropical fruit to last the duration of our trip. I used my firewood gathering skills from childhood to haul armloads of dry driftwood back to the campsite. I definitely earned the sweat and dirt that still stains my clothing. And, even better than that, the sense of satisfaction, self-sufficiency, and strength that goes with finding and creating those things which sustain our basic human needs.
There was only a sliver of a moon and as dark settled in I felt very small and afraid of the dark in the wide open space. On one side of me the powerful ocean churned out waves continuously while on the others there were rainforest noises impossible for me to identify and, therefore, feel easy about. Occasionally I saw a shadow on the beach that turned out to be somethings random, such as a horse-drawn cart being driven by a Tico. Rory recognized my fear and from that simple understanding helped me feel more relaxed.
We watched the fire burn until midnight and found easy entertainment and tranquility in each others company. Staring up through the vent in the tent I saw the palms and leaf silhouttes waving high above us. We hid our bags under the rain flap and hoped the monkeys would not steal our stuff in an effort to locate food.
My first night was restless and so I was up early. Rorys stove was not working so we got a morning fire going and enjoyed oatmeal that I doctored up with mango, cuadrado (similar tasting to a banana) and bits of coconut. Coconut was my glory of the trip! After chopping the husk off and peeling it I cracked open the tops to drink the water, dice the meat and pulverize a small bit of it into a thick milk. I invented a mortar and pestle using the shell, small bowls and cups for holding coffee and soup broth.
The sun on the beach was intense so I was burnt by 8am before I even took the time to apply sunscreen. I took the opportunity to nap for a couple hours mid-day and then it was back to fire-building and exploring. Wandering down the beach before dusk we found a shaded inlet where a river ran through. We used river water for drinking after purifying with a pump and Rory fashioned a bathtub of sorts by damning up the space using rocks and natural materials.
After finishing up in this space we made our way back to the campsite, 20 minutes away. We talked and played like big kids, skipping, sprint racing and yelling obscenities into the open space.
No longer afraid of the wild I was free to be in my body. I did yoga on a log half-covered by ocean waves and moved from the water to the fire on my own terms. As I sat on this secluded beach nestled right up to the Costa Rican rainforest I let go of emotional and physical restrictions. There was some skinny dipping. And joy. And a sense of freedom.
On our last morning I awoke at 6am and took a stroll down the beach. I watched trees that held a dozen scarlet macaws squawking and playing around. I sat still to observe the 30 pelicans in their morning routine on the water. I wandered without a goal or expectation.
When I returned to the campsite at 830am I had coffee from a coconut, some tropical oatmeal in the shade. Anticipating a full day of blazing sun, we packed a small backpack with water, a snack of peanuts and raisins, a camera and a towel. We made our way to our shaded river and spent hours there. I relaxed on the rocks and watched the trees for natural entertainment: monkeys, birds, lizards, gorgeous greenery and flowers. Rory entertained himself doing man jobs.
The time came when we needed to return to the campsite and pack up. We did so quietly. At ease in our surroudings and with each other. It was a beautiful experience, one that can never be replicated and so will always be appreciated.
We bounced up and down all the way back to Puerto Jimenez on the Collectivo - not as fun having your insides rattled out as the first time, but an experience of its own.
Today we are off to Uvita. In this beach town there will be space for relaxing, story-writing reflection, bicycling, surfing and cooking in our hostel. I have only 2.5 weeks left here in Costa Rica. I am reminded how much time is left every morning that I wake up. And so I breathe. Absorb the moments and try to enjoy them fully.
I am filled with love and sending a special hug to my favorite mom on this Mothers Day. May your day be wonderful!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Buenos Aires, Costa Rica
I have been here for a week. That is much longer than the usual 2 or 3 nights I typically stay in places. It is a nice little town, full of locals rather than tourists and retired Americans. I want to write about all the experiences here, share delight in the small things. The Tico who sold me coconut water and let me hold his 10-month old baby, the motel owner (my new abuellito...small grandpa) who loans me his bicycle on a daily basis free of charge - and tells me with a smile that he hopes I break it so I have to buy him a new one, the farm owner who yelled Hola! to get me to stop and visit for a few minutes in pineapple land, the chef who invited me and my friend to his house since we are staying awhile - the expectation that we stand out on the road and yell his name, Chago, so he knows our arrival.
But all those tidbits are stories I do not feel like writing about so will share with you in-person if you remember to ask. They are soaked into me. And I love telling stories...a new realization for me on this trip. I write short stories frequently here, a shift from my usual diary entries. And I think there is something to it. So I claim what I now see I am... a writer :)
My writing energy was significantly depleted 2 nights ago by a case of traveler´s diarrhea. It was time, I suppose, for me to experience the TD. So if you have a TD story my ears will perk up and I swear to listen this time, because now I know! Ahhh, what to share. Maybe just the highlights, which are more like the lowlights.
It started with an old fish stick dinner. Not what I thought I ordered but I ate it anyway, cleaned my plate as usual. Within 3 hours my stomach was so hard and painful there was no way I was going to sleep for any length of time. Every couple of hours I found myself in the bathroom trying to vomit or use the toilet, to no avail. Nasty, loooooong burps escaped every time I stood up - my body trying to relieve pressure and stagnation. It was not until 6am that ¨things¨started happening. Those ¨things¨ happened frequently for 4 hours until my friend wisely questioned if I should take some medicine. So I conjured up the OTC meds I had begrudgingly purchased from Target only 5 weeks ago, and swallowed two of the pills.
The pills stopped the fluid excursions but the belly pain and stagnation returned. I laid in bed most of the day while my wonderful friend made several trips to the market for provisions of ginger ale, gatorade, watermelon. And by night time I decided it was time for this new experience of mine to be over. Yep, I started on the antibiotics. Relief!
Last night I got some sleep. Today I feel human again. Did some light yoga and am able to eat food - please, don´t mention fish to me though!
I am glad to no longer be kneeling on the bathroom floor, the space small and lacking airflow. To no longer be belching ridiculously or remaining horizontal. To be able to stand in the shower instead of lying under the cool flow of water in an attempt to feel something different.
And having a friend with me.
But all those tidbits are stories I do not feel like writing about so will share with you in-person if you remember to ask. They are soaked into me. And I love telling stories...a new realization for me on this trip. I write short stories frequently here, a shift from my usual diary entries. And I think there is something to it. So I claim what I now see I am... a writer :)
My writing energy was significantly depleted 2 nights ago by a case of traveler´s diarrhea. It was time, I suppose, for me to experience the TD. So if you have a TD story my ears will perk up and I swear to listen this time, because now I know! Ahhh, what to share. Maybe just the highlights, which are more like the lowlights.
It started with an old fish stick dinner. Not what I thought I ordered but I ate it anyway, cleaned my plate as usual. Within 3 hours my stomach was so hard and painful there was no way I was going to sleep for any length of time. Every couple of hours I found myself in the bathroom trying to vomit or use the toilet, to no avail. Nasty, loooooong burps escaped every time I stood up - my body trying to relieve pressure and stagnation. It was not until 6am that ¨things¨started happening. Those ¨things¨ happened frequently for 4 hours until my friend wisely questioned if I should take some medicine. So I conjured up the OTC meds I had begrudgingly purchased from Target only 5 weeks ago, and swallowed two of the pills.
The pills stopped the fluid excursions but the belly pain and stagnation returned. I laid in bed most of the day while my wonderful friend made several trips to the market for provisions of ginger ale, gatorade, watermelon. And by night time I decided it was time for this new experience of mine to be over. Yep, I started on the antibiotics. Relief!
Last night I got some sleep. Today I feel human again. Did some light yoga and am able to eat food - please, don´t mention fish to me though!
I am glad to no longer be kneeling on the bathroom floor, the space small and lacking airflow. To no longer be belching ridiculously or remaining horizontal. To be able to stand in the shower instead of lying under the cool flow of water in an attempt to feel something different.
And having a friend with me.
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