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Rinconcita Lodge
Here were our cute little RUSTIC cabins.This weekend I headed out to explore Rincon de la Vieja, a national park northeast of Liberia. The school arranged the trip for me and I found myself companioned with Bonnie and Marty, an older couple from Buffalo, NY. Bonnie had just completed Spanish 1, Marty Spanish 2. I, being the ever-so-fluent graduate of Spanish 4 would be the designated dialoguer. Off we went on Friday afternoon in a taxi the size of a go-cart. When Marty reached to adjust the AC (we are near the equator!), the driver, knowing no English, simply laughed at him. Our 2-hour treck to Liberia would be a sweltering one!
We were delivered to a snazzy Burger King in Liberia (even by US standards!) where a driver from the lodge picked us up. It would be another hot drive up the mountain to our new habitat, Rinconcita Lodge. That leg was apparently about 11 miles and took us an hour, which will give you some notion of the condition of the roads. Fortunately but unfortunately, the ride was cooler due to the afternoon downpour. I opted to have my window down and just get wet. . .it was the lesser of the two evils
Horseback Hell!
I may be smiling but I'm in agony! as we slipped and slid our way up the mountain.
Our language school/ travel service had described our lodging as "really cool". . .but "rustic". I'd have to agree on both accounts. I was assigned my own room (thankfully since my cough would wake the dead and since they often shack you up with stangers in these situations!!). It had two beds and a shower that provided me a few interesting opportunities. Ever try washing your hair in a trickle that takes 10 minutes just to get your hair wet? Ever try shaving your legs with just a BLADE because the dang el cheapo razor you got for free at the Danskin triathon broke on you?
I digress. . .Back to Rinconcita Lodge. It was a true working farm (roosters, horses, and a cow that loved the sound of her own moo), set on the side of a mountain with beautiful tropical landscaping. Down the hill they had a shack of a restaurant that provided us with breakfasts, dinners, bottled water, and several Schmirnoff Ices. The staff was very hospitable and it was a fun place to watch the locals since this place was probably the only sign
Zipline!
That's me, flying through the forest! of civilazation for miles around. I enjoyed watching 6 year old Stefanie and her brother playing a game of Dominoes and learned I could do a pretty fair job of holding a conversation in Spanish with someone her age! Also learned that some games are definitely cross-cultural since I did the exact same thing 3 weeks ago at the Texas coast with my nephew Graydon.
Since it gets dark so early around here, there was absolutely nothing to do after our 7pm dinner. I did sit on a dark porch and do a little cross-stitching but at about 8:30 I headed for bed. For those of you who have taken trips with me, you know what a great sacrifice it was to go to bed that early! :-) I drifted off, with my windows open, to the sound of a rushing river somewhere close by.
Saturday's breakfast still makes me chuckle. Cafe con leche is very common in Costa Rica so I looked forward to experiencing it here. I ordered it with breakfast and then Jesus, the waiter, soon came back out with a very remorseful look on his face. He told me he was so sorry. .
Suspension Bridge
It's all about trust! .he did not have any milk that morning because he had not yet milked the cow! Yep, rustic would be an accurate adjective to describe Rinconcita!
Saturday was adventure day. Boy, was it an adventure! After breakfast, the staff wrapped me in a variety of unknown harnesses, stuck a helmet on my head, and hoisted me up on a horse named Mapa. Mapa and I bonded instantly and I felt very comfortable in her saddle. We made our way through the river and up the mountain. I was extremely grateful to my one-horsepower vehicle and happy that I myself wasn't having to do the climb! I also noted to myself that Mapa actually provided a smoother ride than the 4-wheel drive vehicle we'd been in Friday.
Our first adventure was the canopy tour. I was getting a little anxious knowing I was putting my life in the guides' hands because I was about to be strapped onto a cable and sail off the mountaintop! Look mom, I can fly! What a blast that zipline was! After the first cable, I (literally) learned the ropes and figured out how to slow myself down and (more often the case) go
Hot Springs
Here I am, avoiding my horse, while I bathe in the stinky, but soothing sulfur springs! faster. All in all, we zipped across seven cables through a variety of life zones (tropical dry forests, transitional moist forest, and an open savanna). I had great views of the semi-active volcano (Rincon). We also had to cross a suspension rope bridge that was quite a trip. Every time we landed on a new platform, the guides immediately took my safety line and hooked it to something else so I was never in jeopardy of falling freely down. That experience will definitely make the memory book!
After the canopy tour, we got back on our horses but I had some bad news. Mapa had a stone in her hoof and I was now being assigned to Casanita. He and I weren't so well matched because he was wider. Suffice it to say I was miserable after only a few steps and I'm STILL walking funny. We rode a trail that again took us through a variety of landscapes, some in open sun and some so dark you could barely see. We drudged through about 6 rivers and up some very steep embankments. I had to adopt the mentality to trust the beast. . .he was stronger and breeded
Waterfall at Rincon de la Vieja Parque Nacional
Just like in the travel brochures! They just forget to mention the hike back UP! to do what he was doing! We landed (whew, a break from that wide saddle!) for lunch at the hot springs that Rincon de la Vieja is noted for. We picnicked on a lunch provided by the lodge and then took a dip in the sulfur springs. Boy did they stink! But at that point I was willing to stay in a stinky natural hot tub if it meant I could put off getting back on that horse!
After lunch, we got back on the horses and headed for the other famous landmark, the waterfall. After about 45 more minutes our guide stopped us and tethered the horses. We would walk from here. After a few very steep steps down a hill, Bonnie opted out and went back to the horses. Our guide assured us it was only about a 1/2 Kilometer hike but it was very far down the hillside. Marty, our guide Danny, and I made our way down the embankment. Treacherous would be a good word to describe the hike. Slippery, rocky, steep, and yes, beautiful. At one point, our guide realized a river we needed to cross didn't have adequate stepping stones so he labored
Volcano in the Distance
There's Rincon de la Vieja in the distance. What a view! to move tree limbs and stones to make a makeshift bridge for us. We crossed without incident. Finally, we arrived at the waterfall and I must admit it was spectacular. But alas, what goes down, must come up. The hike back up the hill was a brutal climb! But, like crossing the finish line at the Danskin, I felt the rush of success when I got to the end without passing out!
Back on the beast, I decided to take my mind off of the pain by practicing my conversational Spanish with Danny. It's so good for the ego when buff young Ticos ask you to marry them!
After another torturous hour on horseback, I started to recognize some familiar territory. There was nothing sweeter that day than the sound of my neighbor the cow mooing us home. Seven hours on a horse is enough for me for a lifetime! You can imagine how happy I was to have that early bedtime thing going for me again that day!
Sunday morning was, as Ticos say, "tranquila". Jesus HAD milked the cow for me so I had a darling pitcher of milk brought out with my coffee. However,
Tica Lady
This is the lady that invited us to see her mounted pig's hooves. It's a great shot of the typical Tico rural home. She was so proud and seemingly rich with non-material things. . . such a happy neighbor. I felt blessed and impoverished at the same time. on closer inspection I could see that the milk was indeed fresh. . and crawling with ants! As I sifted the ants out, I got to thinking about all the bacteria that was likely crawling and sprawling with every second inside that pitcher! But alas, when in Rome. I drank the cafe CON the leche (SIN ants) and I'm living to type about it so all is well. After breakfast, all we had on the agenda was a simple quick hike to watch for birds. Fortunately, some other suckers were off riding the horses that day and we were relying soley on our own two feet. The 2-hour hike was not rigorous and we only had to cross four rivers and make one makeshift bridge. We didn't see an impressive array of birds but the butterflies were magical. Another highlight was when a Tico lady invited us in to her home to see her mounted hooves. . .some variety of pig. She was so proud! I enjoyed gabbing with our guide Wander...no marriage proposals this time but I think I came close!
The return trip, with muddy, sweaty gear in tow, was uneventful. The owner's wife rode down the
Crossing the River
Wander made us a nice little "bridge" so our feet wouldn't get wet! mountain with us to Liberia and I enjoyed chatting with her about education because she is the town's school teacher. She has 14 students, first grade to eighth. One room schoolhouses still exist! We lunched at the fancy Burger King in Liberia and then were picked up by our other driver for the 100degree/no AC two hour trip to Samara. I returned to my little cabina thinking "There's no place like home!"
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