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With a smile stretched across my face, I ran over and embraced my mom in a great big bear hug. I sure am blessed to have two great parents who support me in everything that I decide to do; however crazy it may be. Having my mom fly down to meet me on such a short notice really means a lot. I had asked her if she was sure that she wanted to spend that kind of money, being that she could only stay one week. She simply replied, "Life is short and the memories are worth ever cent." That is so very true. Time spent with family and friends should be cherished. Memories that are made to last are the ones that help us realize what really matters. Memories are one of the real ingredients to life; nothing artificial added.
Arriving in Costa Rica a few days prior to mom allowed me to visit La Fortuna, the closest town to the famous Volcán Arenal. I had planned on starting her visit here, but due to the early onset of the rainy season the visibility was questionable and the hot springs weren't so hot. Instead, we began our mother-and-son adventures
Zip Line Over the Jungle Canopy
The cable stretched over 1800 feet across and nearly 300 feet above the valley below.at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve (a five hour bus ride from San José). Staying at the nearby town of Santa Elena (
Pensión Santa Elena hostel), we signed up for a canopy tour and transport back from the reserve. Soaring high above the treetops of the jungle canopy, we looked out over the spectacular views of the cloud forest. The longest zip line section (12 lines in total) on the tour stretched over 1800ft across and hovered nearly 300ft above the valley floor below. It was absolutely breathtaking. Every direction you looked there was an amazing site to see. Secured to the cable by a harness-carabiner-pulley combination, we controlled our speed and braking by pulling down our gloved hand on the line. Mom caught on quick and was soon flying through the forest hot on my tail. Midway through the tour we came to a giant Tarzan rope swing, where a choice was given whether or not to take the plunge. Mom and I hopped first in line; cause we don't mess around. The initial drop of the swing had a 2 second free fall, which brought out a yelp in mom. I sure was proud of her. She was by far the
oldest on the tour, even though see didn't look it. Following the canopy tour, we enjoyed our lunch in the tranquil setting of the hummingbird garden. It felt as if we were in an enchanted forest with little fairies dancing all around us. In order to attract the 30 different species of hummingbird living in the area, feeders were dispersed throughout the garden. They zipped back and forth with their little wings moving a hundred miles a minute, causing the occasional duck with a close fly-by. Next, we got a bird's eye view of the cloud forest from suspension bridges (seven in all) reaching across the treetops. We hiked our way over the valleys of lush vegetation, observing numerous species of bird and jungle foliage. We made our way up to the Santa Elena Reserve where we continued our trek, but this time at ground level. The dense, wet forest around us was full of giant fern, dangling vines, and many other types of plant life growing on top of one another. We never saw any monkeys or sloths though, but we ran into someone who did, my ole buddy Tello! After returning from the forest, we crossed paths with
her and stopped to catch up. Just the day before, she had seen a sloth while on a night tour. For all of you that know Tello, you can only imagine how excited she was. It was so nice to she her and introduce my mother. She also informed me that my boy Leroy was on the scene somewhere ( if you can't recall these two see
The Simple Things to jog your memory). Later that night, we met Tello for dinner and Leroy even made a brief appearance. It sure was nice to see them again, if only for a short time.
Mom had now had a little taste of the jungle side of Costa Rica, it was now time to get this woman a proper tan. I booked us on the next shuttle to Sámara and we were off! Sámara had been recommended to me by several travelers for its non-tourist atmosphere and beautiful beach. They weren't kidding! Sleeping within feet from the sands of the Pacific, we could hear the waves crashing as we laid to sleep at night. Giant palms lined the banks and wild horses ran free on the shores. Off in the distance, shrimp boats
could be seen in the waters and to the southwest sat an island that we soon explored. Led by a Tico (Costa Rican) guide, mom and I paddled out against the break and over to the neighboring island. We spent the next few hours snorkeling the off-shore reef. Exploring on my own in some of the deeper water, I came across some blowfish and two sea snakes (one black w/ white marks and the other yellowish white). Thinking that the black one was an eel, I dove down closer for a look. The snake suddenly began swimming towards me, giving me quite the spook when I realized what it was. I turned quickly and fled to a safe distance (Jeepers Creepers!). Note that later the following day I discovered that both snakes were poisonous, and the yellowish white one was extremely venomous (that is nice to know!). On the shores of the island, our guide cut up fruit for us to snack on. Sensing the food, we soon had hungry iguanas lurking all around. It was amazing how many were inhabiting the island. Using the pineapple as bait, the guide and I attempted to catch us one of the giant
lizards. Fast little suckers they were! Twice I had one in my grasp, but lost grip as it whipped about. After our fun-filled time with the reptiles, we made our way back to the mainland. Not only was the day full of excitement, but it was good exercise to boot. The four days in Sámara were just what we needed, low key and relaxing, with beautiful scenery all around us. Some mornings we enjoyed a long stroll on the beach and on others we worked out at the local beachfront gym. The rain held off everyday until the afternoon, but it never put a damper on our spirits. My Finnish friend Tello even made an appearance for the last two days. The three of us enjoyed meals and walks together on the beach. To finish up mom's visit, we decided to head a short distance north to the area around Nosara. We had heard good things about it, so we gave it a shot!
The initial thought that popped into my head as the local chicken bus dropped us 2 miles past our turn-off, was what a huge mistake I have made. Finally after hitchhiking a ride in
the back of a pick-up truck, mom and I arrived to a secluded little dirt road with only a few hotels off in the woods. Expecting to be sorely disappointed, we soon discovered that this place was more than it seemed at first glance. The little community branched off into two more roads with hotels, a spa, and several shops. We selected
The Guilded Iguana hotel because they accepted credit cards, and there wasn't an ATM to be found. Our hotel was a luxury get-away with a waterfall fed pool, tropical jungle setting, air-conditioned rooms, and a top-notch restaurant. This was the first warm shower I have had in 41 days (no joke); and I was loving it. Mom and I had decided to fly back to San José instead of driving in order to spend an extra day at the beach. Speaking of beach, the one 300 yards from our hotel was spectacular (Playa Guiones). Amazing waves (13-16 ft. swells), jungle backdrop, and not one single building on its banks (200 meters of animal refuge) . Surfers ruled the waters, beautiful shells covered the sands, and colorful crabs and iguanas scattered the woods. Mom had her first encounter with howler monkeys
(sooo excited). They were swinging among the trees which lined the path to the beach. That night we watched as surfers caught their final waves before the sun drifted below the horizon. A misty haze was cast over the beach, which created a surreal atmosphere. We ended the evening with great food, live music at our hotel, and a little mingling with the locals. We spent mom's last day soaking up the last little bit of Costa Rica that we could and prepared for our departure.
Although rather expensive (to a backpacker), Costa Rica is a wonderful country with much to see and do. Rolling hills of jungle cover the land and amazing beaches line its shores. The locals have an expression that sums it up the best -
pura vida or pure life. Everywhere you go you hear these words and it can't help to bring a smile to your face. Now, I would like to take a second and thank my wonderful mother for coming to spend time with me. She sure is a blessing and I thank God for her everyday. I couldn't have asked for better. As for me, I'm off on a night bus
the same day my mom leaves. I will be headed straight to Panama City and the mighty Panama Canal. So until then, take care and pura vida!!!
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Kathy
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Adventurous people!
Your Aunt Linda has been raving about your blog and all the great pictures you're posting, and now I see what she's so excited about. What a wonderful trip you're having!