Living la Pura Vida! (Costa Rica)
ReeNoun
Volcano in Arenal (Costa Rica)
I mean, technically, Pablo wasn’t a pool boy. He had been promoted from a waiter to the wet bartender. He was also about 6'3 and weighed around 210. Referring to him as "a boy" would be no way to describe this hombre. He spent most nights tending the swim-up pool bar and took food requests from the handful of tables placed between the sunken four hot spring pools. His olive skin and curly hair worked well with his straight teethed smile and strong chin. I actually stopped mid sentence when I saw him for the first time. He held my gaze the way most men do, unabashed, like sharks who keep swimming. Never, not hunting. How many single American women had tipped him well, I wondered. He was giving life to the stereotype of "the hot pool boy" and probably didn't even realize it. Then again, judging by his easy smile and the way he chatted us up in that adorable Spanish accent... he knew it.
Being perceived as a rich American for the duration of our stay felt... (how should i put it?) A-FREAKING-MAZING! Everyone is friendly, and eager to please you. As long as there's Gringos on our dineros.
Only 3 hours by plane from Miami, located in central America, this country is about the size of West Virginia. They have no army. They export chocolate, pineapples and have several active Volcanoes. Their rainy season is roughly half the year, which explains the incredible lush and rocky landscape.
Costa Rica is a beautiful lover, who’s exciting and sexy but also can be unnervingly unconcerned with things that are important to you.
The volcano, Arenal for instance. It last erupted in 1968 but spat lava as recently as 10 years ago! The lava luckily only ran down one side and decimated acres! Killing 87 people from the hot gasses exactly 50 years ago. The other side of the volcano was spared and there is a town there named, appropriately, La Fortuna (the fortunate). It's home to 11,000 Costa Ricans, plus another couple thousand in American tourists in the dry season.
We were driven two hours from Alejuela airport (San Jose) to our hotel in Arenal. The 4-star digs are fit for a princess, an American princess. Heehee! It’s lovely and carries the spa theme throughout the hotel with hidden aromatherapy diffusers that pipe essential oils into the air. The Buddhist decor cements that spa feel. The landscaping was expertly designed to make you feel like you’re in the wild, only with concrete tiled pools and Jacuzzi's and black beach chairs lining the perimeter. The white curtains, enclosed flame lamps, and expensive patio furniture make this place worth every star they've earned.
HANGIN' (BRIDGES) IN THE RAIN FOREST
Breakfast was my favorite meal of the day. I would load my plate with smoked salmon, rice and beans, fresh fruit and whatever American staple they put out to remind us of home. Plantains and fried cheese were among my favorite dishes.
Shortly after breakfast, we were picked up and driven to the rain forest for the hanging bridges tour. Alvaro, our guide, told us all about the deadly animals of the rain forest, which of course made me paranoid. We did see a howler monkey! Alvaro, completely serious, suggested we look at the size of its testicles. He said, that was often how one knows who is the alpha male.
We saw a bunch of neat things (and not just monkey balls). I spotted the deadly and famous frog in the "red shirt with blue jeans" perched right on a tree within arm's length. Both the guide and the couple from Texas on the tour with us, thanked me for the good eyesight.
Zip lining.
MONTE VERDE (HEAD IN THE CLOUDS)
We drove for hours up, up, and up still, to Monte Verde which is located inside of a cloud. I actually thought I’d be okay with zip lining until I saw how high we would be. I figured, 100 or so feet up but that was just the practice line, which I did successfully! However, we rode the sky tram, ascending more than 2000 feet in the air and I freaked out! Not that you couldn’t even see the ground from up that high but the zip lines were so long and we had to do all seven lines once we made the initial commitment. My friend too, showed hesitation but eventually did it! I just couldn’t fathom pushing myself through it six more times. So I ultimately decided not to torture myself for what would be mere seconds of "weeeeeeeee". I knew my friend would be disappointed in me but at the same time after the torrential downpour of rain began, I felt like I had made the right decision. She came back soaked and exhausted.
Later, we grabbed lunch with our guide, Santos. Afterwards, we snapped photos of dozens of hummingbirds and capped the day off with a tour inside the butterfly garden. I had a Mariah Carey moment, when our guide, plucked a newly transitioned butterfly from its cocoon and put her on my hand. *finger to my ear* and *high note*
Cacao Fruit (Chocolate)
CRAZY FOR CHOCOLATE
We made chocolate. We ate the pulp of Cacao fruit. Which is sweet like mango by the way! And spit out the seeds that would ferment with our bacteria (gross!) Only to be dried, then have the shells broken. Finally, crushed into a powder, mixed with sugar to create chocolate. "Eat as much as you want," they said but, it’s so rich in its purest form that after 2 teaspoons, I was done. While my friend enjoyed a trip to the Tabacon hot springs (where she said she may have seen a professional fúbol team) I booked myself a scrub and massage at our hotel. #ballin'OnAbudget
RAFTING
We got to have a later breakfast before heading to the Sarapiqui river for white water rafting! "Don’t fall out of the raft," they warned, and given my track record with water sports, I took this to heart. The commands were simple: paddle forward, paddle back, get down, and lean in. Got it.
No one (in our raft) fell out! We did get stuck on a rock, when our guide yelled for every one to move to the front of the raft and get down. I think, he was more embarrassed that he now had to get out and pull the raft against the current to get us back on track. But again, no one fell out. We saw a beautiful toucan (sorry no pics). I pretended to see a sloth just so our guide would let get back out on the water. This was hands down my favorite excursion! Shout out to our raft-mates, from Chicago, you all are rock stars!
Sarapiqui River (Costa Rica)
And so are YOU, if you're reading this. Pura Vida.
Traditional Costa Rican food