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Published: July 12th 2017
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It‘s been 5 month since I flew to Mexico. Crossing the boarder to Costa Rica felt like coming home.
Itinerary for CR: Seeing my friends again. However, Costa Rica and the Ticos had more plans – and impressed me again or maybe even more than the first time.
Hunter and Silvia had invited me to a Puja (Arati) ceremony, so the first destination was Guanacaste. On the way there it was pouring rain, definitely something I haven’t missed about Costa Rica. During the ceremony we sang many mantras and ate together. I did not understand very much – the mantras were in Sanskrit and the conversation was at a very advanced level of Spanish vocabulary. Fortunately, words are not everything and it was a fascinating new experience. Later I learned that we offered the light of the fire to the maestro, which is one of the oldest human rituals still practiced. I was happy to be back in Costa Rica. We spent two days at Silvia’s beach house at Bahía Pez Vela, enjoyed the amazing views and the crystal clear water on white-black colored beaches of Playa Ocotal.
The following week I spent in San José. I thought
I knew this city by now, but the Ticos still found secret corners to show me. With Erick I walked through the pine trees of the „Parque de los Hojas“ and with Hunter I climbed the right and wrong Pico Blanco to see San José once again from above. I finally made it to Antike and decided, it is not by favorite club and I did not miss any nights not partying there. It was good to see Aldo, David, Laura, Mariano and so many others I shared a lot of time with, while living in Costa Rica. Many experiences and cultural differences had to be discussed. Once again I went shopping at my favorite agricultural market and got very sentimental, walking through my old home „El Parque Roosevelt“.
With leaving San José, I left my comfort zone and we jumped straight into the adventure. Hunter and I met Mitch and Justin in Libería and we went to a campsite at „Riñcon de la Vieja National Park“. It was, again, pouring rain and the park ranger was seriously trying to tell us, that we could not sleep under the roof. Many sad puppy eyes could finally convince him. We
left early and with Hunters GPS skills we sneaked through the backcountry into the National Park. It was the same walk I walked a year ago during the CasaMundo Roadtrip but this time, it was greeeeeeen!!!! It looked like a totally different place. This year, we even sat comfortably in the hot pools, as it did not have 40°C outside. Unfortunately, we failed the organization for the rest of the day, walked for kilometers in the rain and arrived too late in Libería to keep going before dark.
The plan for the next day was climbing „Volcan Riñcon de la Vieja“ with Hunter and his friends. This walk is usually closed due to eruption risk… but who cares, most of the volcanos are active in Central America. To get there, I wanted to join the guys on their bikes but had to find a helmet first. I found one, from a guy at the ice cream store in a record time of 15 min (and proved one more time – it is easy to find a helmet). It was a beautiful and bumpy ride, along wind turbines and lush hillls. However, GPS coordinates where useless at the end of
that road and it looked like this mission would end before it started. We could not find Hunter and friends.
Already on the way back, we ran into them and finally started the adventure. A bushwhack -18km, along some kind of trail, through jungle and bush and along a river. Already the continuously changing scenery made this walk one of the best along this trip. This volcano has nine craters, old and new ones. At the top I had three craters just at my feet and looked at three volcano ridges to every side. One crater lake was at the edge of eruption, the acidic grey lake was bubbling and growling at us. This volcano was preparing to erupt – and it did, exactly 7 days later. Oppsyiiiiii…!
Then it was time to say goodbye, I had one more point on the bucket list - diving at Caño Island. US 150$ for two dives is a though number, but the best Aldo’s friend negotiated for us.
Buddy ok, lets go! It was amazing, wonderful, a once in a lifetime experience.. I have simply no words to describe what we saw. Thousands and thousands and thousands of grunts,
left and right and above and underneath – swimming right through them. Could this get any better??? YES – a giant manta decided to join us. Dancing with the Mantas! After 15 min she left, but came back at the end of the dive, to lead us back to the boat – what a day!
“Costa Rica Dive and Surf” rose immediately to my favorite dive school. They were perfectly organized from the first to the last minute, the staff was super cool, the equipment was good and the lunch delicious.
After a few last days at the beach of Dominical I hitchhiked to the boarder. Tracopa busses charge the whole price for the half distance and have terrible timetables. I met an old Gringo who produces chocolate in Sierpe, a Tico who showed me some new fruits and another Tico who brought me all the way to the boarder (even though he did not go there). I love hitchhiking; there are always great people to meet.
Goodbye Costa Rica!
Summary: I am still in love with Costa Rica, with its wonderful people and the diverse nature. It makes me sad, to hear about
Playa Dominical
Photo by Justin Lewis other backpackers racing through the country because it is not the “real Central America” and complaining about the prices. This country has its own peaceful history and unique geographical location. The indigenous cultures of the North (Mayas,…) did not come further South than Nicaragua, and very few of the Southern cultures of the South came that far North. It is different to the countries of Northern Central America.
Pura Vida, Mae!
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