Day Eight – Waterfalls, Boats, and Bumpy Roads

It’s kind of hard to believe, but Costa Rica keeps outdoing itself. I mean, every single day is a brand new adventure with new surprises and a rearranging of my favorite parts of the trip. Today was no exception.

We woke up early today for our trip to the waterfall just outside La Fortuna. Before we headed out, we had breakfast at the resort which included plantains in maple syrup. Talk about something to die for. Kelly had already introduced me to plantains after her trip to Venezuela in 2007, but experiencing them firsthand has solidified their spot in my heart. They are so sweet and full of deliciousness, my mouth is watering just thinking about them. Yes, it’s a Pavlov response, and no, I don’t mind it one bit.

On a side note…if you haven’t noticed already, I like to write about the food we are having. Food is one of those common denominators of any culture and sharing it truly brings people together. I love to eat for sustenance, but I also love to eat to share the stories behind the food. Food gives us the chance to open our mouths – both for nutrition, but perhaps more importantly, to communicate.

After our delicious breakfast, we were off to the waterfall. We met up with our guide Walter from yesterday and started our trek into the wilderness of La Fortuna. Like everywhere else in the Arenal area, everything was very green and full of life. We had a small, but steep hike down the side of a ravine to get to the waterfall. Since it is the wet season, much of the trail was damp and slippery. At numerous times, I thought I was going the slip and be the bowling ball that knocked everyone over, but thankfully, we made it ok.

And I’m glad we did. The waterfall was absolutely astounding. From about 150 feet in the air, water rushed down into a pool of rocks. We were able to swim in the pool, and unlike the hot springs of last night, this water was a bit frigid. However, after a few minutes, I was adjusted and enjoying every minute of it. I am reminded every day of the beauty our planet possesses whilst here in Costa Rica and I am thankful that I can see and partake in it.

Swimming in the waterfall completed, we started back up the ravine. Remember how I said it was steep and slippery?  Well, add to it being uphill. It was definitely a workout, but it’s nice to be active down here.

After our waterfall excursion, we headed back to the resort – did I mention we were staying at a four star resort? =) – and packed up for trip to our next destination, Monteverde. The Monteverde bus wasn’t leaving for a few hours, so Kelly and I decided to have lunch. On Friday, Kelly bought an avocado the size of a small country at the Farmer’s Market in San Joaquin de Flores so we put that to good use. Bread, avocado and salt – doesn’t get much better than that.

Our bus finally arrived and we started our journey to Monteverde. It was quite the journey, let me tell you. 

We started in a van, transferred to a boat to cross Lake Arenal, and ended up in a mini-van for the last hour and a half. The last hour and a half was the best roller coaster I have ever been on. Although Costa Rica is still a top tourist destination, most of the roads are unpaved and quite rocky. This was true for the entire last third of our journey. Kelly and I were bouncing all over the place, but we made it to our next Tico family’s home safely.

When we arrived at the house, Kelly and I were greeted with open arms…literally. Our Papa Tico, Tomas, met us with a hug and an infectious laugh. Not far behind was his wife, Ana Patrica. It’s hard to believe that I was worrying about our next Tico family because in all reality, we hit another jackpot. The couple is incredibly warm and welcoming and have already started to push me to use and speak Spanish. Yet again, I watched my Mama Tica make a simple, yet delicious meal – vegetables in a soy based sauce and rice and potatoes con queso. Each meal we have with our families reminds me how easy it can be to cook and how much I love to do it – so when we get home, my stove is getting a workout.

Pura vida is the saying most Ticos use to describe life here in Costa Rica. I really can not argue with them. Life is pure and good, and I am so happy to be a part of it.

Pura Vida,

Casey