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Published: August 3rd 2009
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(Tuesday)
There was a special request for a final blog...
Tuesday brought another 5 A.M. wake up for Amy and I. (One would think that with all the early mornings, I would start to get use to them. However with each one I only got grumpier and grumpier! As much as I try, I don't think I'll ever be a morning person). Our next adventure led us south to the Central Pacific for the pristine villiage of Manuel Antonio. In order to not waste an entire day traveling we decided to take the shuttle plane service, Sansa, to our next destination: Flying Sansa was quite the experience. It was essential (even for short individuals like Amy and I) to crawl to the seats. The pilots were clearly visible and the plane is navigated by one propeller on the nose. With each bump of turbulance the plane would jerk back and forth. The trip offered many wonderful views despite the uncomfortable accomodations; I was lucky to snap a few photos of the view.
Amy and I arrived to our hotel, Plinio, mid-morning. The best way that I can describe the hotel is that it is a tree house bungalow
in the middle of the rainforest. Everything was made from wood, decks were all supplied with comfortable hammocks, vines and leaves moved throughout. Rooms were cheap and decent. We did, however decide to hang our nets for peace of mind. The hotel supplied us with a true Costa Rican experience, which we were both thankful for.
The weather in Manuel Antonio is drastically different than Guanacaste. The humidity left us with extremely frizzy hair and very damp clothing. Clean clothes fresh from our bags held in the moisture. Our bathingsuits, towels, and shoes never fully dried. Walks outside led to very red faces, beads of sweat drentching our entire body, and clothes noticeably sticking to ever inch.
Tuesday, I spent the entire afternoon lounging under an umbrella. That day, I was feeling extremely ill. I didn't know if it was all the early mornings, the full intinerary, the food, dehydration or a combination of all. My body was definitely telling me to chill out. I relaxed and napped with hope to get rid of my headache; really only moving to get a sip of water or to flip a page in my book. The ocean water was as
warm as a bath, making it very difficult to feel refreshed. I wasn't too fond of the darker tint of the sand. It made it very difficult to spot fish and I was definitely too afraid of the unknown to get in past my knees. However, it was still nice to be on the beach.
Around four, Amy and I decided to head back to the hotel to take a dip in the pool, but before catching the bus we made a pit-stop at a local market to check out the souvenirs. I had my eye on colorful sarongs for friends. I went vendor to vendor to see who would give me the best price for six. Finally, I came to this older and unfortunately toothless Tica, Carmen Maria. She insisted that I purchase at her booth. Not willing to pay full price (knowing that she was trying to pull my leg) I bargained with her. She would name her price, I would name mine and it continued to go back and forth for a few minutes. At one point, I even played the "let me walk away" game. Of course, it worked and she followed me offering a
better price. I proceded to negotiate a lower price, because I really was enjoying myself (this was all in spanish). Apparently she didn't like my asking prices because every time I went lower she would slap my wrist while smiling and saying "mala" (aka bad). Usually, I'm not big on people invading my personal space, but for some reason I found this situation hysterical and I continued to play along. After quite a few more slaps and lots of laughter, a fair price was decided. Scrounging through my wallet, I noticed I didn't have enough colones and a quick trip to the ATM was very necessary. Assuring Carmen that I would return, she sent us on 5 minute walk to the bank...
Forty-five minutes later, Amy and I were still walking up the lone, wretched, "I'm going to kill myself" street. Enduring hill after hill we were still in search of the bank. Clearly soaked with sweat and panting, we realized that Ticos have no concept of time or distance. After retrieving money, we were way too thirsty and completely frustrated to return to the market; catching the bus to our hotel was our only priority. Lucky for us,
Amy spotted no one other than Carmen Maria sitting tall in the back. Embarassed that we didn't return to the market, we pretended not to see her as we slyly exited the bus to the door farthest from her. As the bus continues on, Carmen's eagle eyes spot Amy and I. With the upper half of her body completely out of the window she screams to us. We got caught and we couldn't help but laugh.
Bambu Jam, the restaurant next to our hotel had a live band that night. In hopes of hearing authentic Costa Rican music we decided to check it out (along with the rest of the villiage). While there, I noticed a guy and his girlfriend dancing. I couldn't help but stare because the guy looked extremely familiar. After recognizing who he was, I approached him to see if in fact I was correct, and indeed I was. It was Guillermo, the only other Cuban at Hamilton College besides my cousin Pat. I only met him twice before; I was proud that I even remembered. Guillermo and Sandra were also staying at our hotel. What a small world! We danced for a few more hours
Market
Meeting Carmen Maria before returning to the hotel to crash.
(Wednesday)
Wednesday morning Amy and I decided to go to Manuel Antonio National Park to check out the rainforest. We spent four hours walking the paths with our Tour Guide, Johan. We spotted toucans, sloths, monkeys, deer, crabs, caiman, snakes, birds, butterflys, bats, spiders, racoons, coati, and many lizards. We were very thankful for Johan's knowledge; Amy and I learned so much. It was a phenominal experience, and my favorite adventure this entire trip. That afternoon Amy and I met up with Guillermo and Sandra at the beach. Amy tried surfing while the rest of us cheered her on. Although taking many diggers (some looking very painful), she proved to be a quick learner and natural. I was very proud of her. For dinner, we were off to Quepos (neighboring villiage) for our last authentic meal. Thursday morning we woke up extremely early to catch a ride with Guillermo and Sandra to the San Jose International Airport, where we then caught our plane home.
I am extremely grateful for this wonderful experience. I've come back inspired, educated, and grounded. The trip is a definite reminder to continue to appreciate where I
come from and the people that I come across. I've been home for a few days and very happy to be sleeping in my bed, properly disposing of toilet paper, and visiting with my friends. August brings quality time with family in New York, back to school planning, soccer coaching, and relaxing with friends!
I hope you enjoyed the trip! Until next year...
Pura Vida,
Christina
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Pam Stroud
non-member comment
Thanks for sharing
Your travel commentaries were excellent and the photos too! Thank you for sharing, Pam.