A Thousand Different Versions of Yourself: Costa Rica

8/11/17

The next day, I went to the town of Quepos and explored, although there wasn’t much to see. 

another beautiful stray mutt

I quickly started my trip back the few miles to Manuel Antonio, but a group of kids from Israel asked me for directions to the national park and offered me a ride to my hostel. I went out to the beach near my hostel and enjoyed reading while the afternoon thunderstorm was approaching. 

A man came by with two of the most adorable dogs, one of them came up and snuggled against me while the german shepherd dropped an empty coconut at my feet to play fetch. It turns out that he speaks French (the owner, not the dog) and we could communicate.

How can I say no?

A total downpour thunderstorm began in a matter of seconds, and I ran back to the hostel unsure of what I’d do for the night. Pratik sent me a message that Johnny would be driving him down the coast to see a few small towns and asked me to come.

Caught in the Storm

I was covered in sand from playing fetch with the dogs, and soaking wet, but I showered in about 5 minutes and was out the door riding with Johnny and Pratik. Johnny wore a thick chain around his neck, many rings on his fingers, and a fedora. We listened to Spanish rap on the road, while Pratik used what Spanish he could to communicate among the three of us. Johnny kept getting calls to his phone where he would pickup and just say "hola. Dominical. Chow. " 

First, we stopped in Dominical and I absolutely loved it. It’s a Hippie surfer town with yoga studios, eclectic bars, a roaring river with crocodiles, and very few people. There’s a substantial group of ex-pat Americans and Europeans (mainly french), and I realized that this is where I wanted to spend my last day and a half in Costa Rica. I decided I’d pack up my things and catch the bus there in the morning, even though it’s an hour further away from the airport. Pratik had a similar idea, but would come at a later time.

Second, We stopped in Uvita, which is a village that’s the center for whale watching because the whales head there to breed and give birth. Johnny tried to drive us into the park after hours, and when the men there told him to leave he yelled “tranquillo papi!”

We drove even further to make a third stop in Ojochal, another ex-pat village but this time full of Canadians and Europeans, with some of the top restaurants. There really was nothing to the village, it was very remote, but we took a turn up a steep hill (Pratik’s hat fell off) and found ourselves at the only Indonesian restaurant in all of central America, YlangYlang.

The restaurant overlooks the ocean, so we could see the continual lightning across it. Its is situated in a Dutch couple’s outdoor living room, and the wife was born in Indonesia. They met in Holland, and decided to move ‘somewhere in the wet tropics’ but had no specific idea where. They arrived in Costa Rica without ever having seen it, rented a car, and stopped driving in Ojochal.

the ocean view with lightning

Our hosts said that each family in Indonesia has different tasting meals because their gardens are slightly different, but our dinner was from “Maria” and the recipes were over 80 years old. Costa Rica is on the same latitude as Sumatra, so they are able to grow every one of their spices on site. It’s good that we came in the rainy season, because apparently they only serve 12 people in total per night and they are completely booked from Christmas through may.

Our Rendang beef dish had over 30 diffferent spices, and the other components of the meal each had 13. The dessert, almond mandarin cake, was made without any eggs somehow.

8/12/17

Saturday I woke up and hitched a ride up to quepos where I took a bus to dominical. The first thing to know about Dominical is the roads are unpaved, and in the rainy season that causes some issues. 

I walked to my hostel, “Cool Vibes” hostel, in the rain and I was beginning to be covered in mud. When I arrived, I learned that the owner was French, and so was everyone else staying in the hostel because of the French owner.

 

Immediately the longest and most severe rainstorm I experienced in Costa Rica began, and the ‘roads’ were flooding. After waiting a little, I had the itch to explore and went into town in all the quick-dry gear I had available to wear.

the only 'road' to my hostel

The painted Sidewalks

One of the Yoga Studios

the "town"

A Coffee shop with swings for seats

There was a little natural foods co-op that was started by a man who told me he’s been traveling for the last 17 years. His co-owner came in while we were talking and insisted that I try the 'famous' Mama Toucans ice cream. 

We talked about the Costa Rican dogs and how amazing they are. Each Costa Rican dog, stray or not, is more friendly than you could imagine. They are entirely independent, and I never saw a leash used in my entire time there. The dogs roam freely, stray or not, so they have a greater likelihood of injury from cars or wild animals, but an improved quality of life. Just like a human, they thrive with independence (and not being locked in a house all day), so their life has the capability of being much more free and meaningful. 
It made me so happy to be walking down the road and to see a dog pass me, walking with a purpose, to his friend’s house. Sometimes they would decide to sit with you for your company at a restaurant, politely, while you eat. The dogs all get along with one another, they’ve spent their whole life interacting with people and other dogs. They provide for themselves and by humans who are willing, so being unfriendly would only hinder their survival chances. With such a lifestyle, the dogs have a more intense bond with their owners. Dogs in Costa Rica hardly have to be trained; they are so thankful for their owners taking them in and feeding them that they will stay by their side and know to wait outside a shop (if they’re not allowed inside) while their owner goes in. 

I went for a run after the storm calmed in the mud and rain. The way the lighting was was beautiful.

That night, Pratik had arrived in Dominical and would be staying at a yoga retreat called Danyasa. His room was a recycled shipping container called “the womb.”  We went to a local Brewery called Fuego, which was located in the forest (you’re at the level of the treetops), to reach it you walk in an alley, along a bridge lit by hanging lights, to an elevated lodge-like building that is all hardwood. There were hanging basket chairs and I had a glass of pineapple mango kombucha. Pratik and I had more great conversations and I enjoyed my last night in Dominical with a friend I won’t ever forget.

in the swinging chairs in my Costa Rican dress

8/13/17

I spent the morning on the beautiful beaches of Dominical before catching a shuttle to my hostel in San Jose.

I arrived around 8 PM to my hostel, which was one of the nicest one’s I’ve stayed at. All the people staying there were well into sharing a bottle of Guaro and dancing outside on the porch. The hostel manager showed me to my dorm room, and some of the girls staying there came to make sure that I felt welcome to come join them dancing. How could I say no to that?  Once again, there were groups of French people staying there and I got to practice my French. It was a great last night in Costa Rica.

 

           

8/14/17

The next morning I found my way to the bus stop where I could catch a bus for the airport. It was quite a feat to navigate the big city I hadn’t actually seen yet, and once I got on the bus that was a ‘direct’ route to the airport, this French couple and I realized that the bus didn’t actually stop at the airport. We had to plead with the driver to let us out on the side of the highway and all catch a cab towards the airport together.

            My travel struggles didn’t end there. A little after take off the plane was dropping enough in the air due to turbulence that luggage started to fly and people were screaming. If we had crashed then the last thing I was researching and reading about on my phone was “armadillo facts.” That would have been my last deep thought on this earth, thinking about armadillos and sleep habits.

            Regardless of the travel difficulties, I absolutely loved Costa Rica and I love the lifestyle there. It’s an incredibly beautiful place to experience and I’m so glad that I had the opportunity to go. Pura Vida!