This past weekend we went on an excursion to Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica. It is on the Carribean Sea near Panama in Limon. We drove for about 5 horas en un autobus to get there. Get this: we drove through a park that is in the mountains. The cool part is that we were literally driving in the clouds. When you looked outside, you saw the nearest foliage and then white. Once we arrived, we had a free night. What was it like? Imagine a mix between Carribean, Jamaican, Costa Rican, and European. Yes, we were on the Carrbean Sea and there was a huge presence of Jamaica there, especialmente the colors of black, red, and green. Every person is tan, with beachy wavy hair and definitely have free spirits. It is the epitomy of "Don't Worry, Be Happy". Our hotel was across the street from the beach and so we could hear the water casi siempre. The weather was like July in Chicago. Therefore, my normally straight hair curled up like a spring! We quickly realized that the entire area had a bar almost every other building. So, after dinner, we went out and enjoyed the relaxing lifestyle. The highlight was the salsa dancing at the bar in front of our hotel entrance. One of our tour guides, Luis took turns teaching some of the girls how to dance. After a sufficient time out, we went to bed.
The next day, we got up and had breakfast. Our options were croissants or arroz con frijoles (rice and beans) and eggs. In case you were wondering, Costa Ricas are almost as good at making croissants with ham or chocolate or crema as the French. After, we took a short bus ride to the Cahuita National Park. We were supposed to go snorkeling but were told we couldn't because of the rip tide. We definitely didn't complain after seeing the waves. I'm a good swimmer but definitely not that good! Instead, we walked through the park and looked at all of the wild life. Our guide showed us sloths, snakes, and monkey. Sloths are by far the cutest things I have seen. Their eyes are so sad! We also saw a eyelash viper, which is a yellow snake that is venomous. Monkeys here are the trouble makers. They come down and grab your stuff if they think that there is food in your bag or hand. Monkeys are way different from the cute portrayal in the US. We also saw a "Basilisc". You can probably imagine my excitement to hear that word, as I am a huge Harry Potter fan. Sadly, when I turned around, I saw that it wasn't a snake that petrifies you. It was a lizard that blends in with the palm trees, which still is really cool. After our walk, we went to the beach.
Let's be honest, it was like none of us "gringos" had seen a beach before. We ran to the water. There were beautiful palm trees and soft sand. Paradise to say the least. We spend the afternoon swimming and walking. Our guide, Luis, told us to soak up the sun because "you all are still too blancos". Silly, Luis, we burned. But let's talk about the beauty first. The water wasn't clear, but it was the perfect temperature. The sun was bright and the sky was clear. Apart from the occasional drift wood that would hit your leg and terrify you, there wasn't any animals in the water. The after math though wasn't quite as pretty. I'll take my back nice and crispy, thank you! Everyone was a nice shade of red after the beach, no matter how much bloqueador (sunscreen) they put on. Not a problem, though. We all were so happy to be where we were. We returned to Puerto Viejo to do whatever we wanted for the rest of the afternoon and night.
What did we want to do? Shop. We walked around the small "tiendas" and looked at all of the different things. I bought my first pulsera (bracelet) of the trip! I plan to buy one every new place I go. After spending time walking, and watching others get henna tattoos, we went to a cute restaurant for dinner. Chicken Fajitas are amazing when you get them from an actual Spanish speaking country. Who would have thought? After dinner and resting in some of the many hammocks that were in the courtyard of our hotel, we went out. Some of the boys made a fire on the beach. We went from there to different bars and finally ended up on the playa (beach). Yes, we stood outside of a bar, on a beach, dancing with our feet in the water. How cool is that?! The stars were out and the music was playing. I know that it sounds like country song, but I promise it was real! We danced to Gangam Style on the sand and learned Salsa from one of our teachers, Ale, which is short for Alejandro. Knowing that we had to get up early the next day cut the party short for us. We went back to the hotel and relaxed in the hammocks and I chatted with the bus driver to practice mi espanol. My friends and I had some wonderful laughs at everything that happened that night to say the least.
The next morning, after breakfast, we went to a beach about an hour away. Some people stayed on the beach while we went for a walk with our guides to see out onto the sea. Not knowing that we would be hiking, we wore flip flops and were carrying our towels. So, when the path suddenly turned into mud with coconuts and palm branches mix into it, going up hills with roots from the trees, I learned what it felt like to really be one with nature and walk barefoot. After, my feet were covered in mud, sand, dirt, and some unidentifiable things. It was really hard but so much fun. The view was incredible. I felt like I was looking at a post card. The final spot was a rock that was sticking out onto the sea. Gorgeous. Nothing else can describe it. Next, we climbed, or in my case, slid down the hill that we just climbed to go to a beach that was surrounded by rocks. The waves were huge and strong so swimming was not really an option. We spent about an hour there just soaking in the beauty. We returned to the rest of the group and drove back to the hotel. Which brings me to my next adjective: crunchy. Sand and dirt everywhere. On my shoes, in my hair, in my bags, in my pockets, in my ears, everywhere. The shower was like being baptised again; I felt amazing. We quickly packed up and went to lunch. Casado con pescado is the way to go for sure. It is a filet of fish, with rice, beans, and ensalada. As if that wasn't perfect enough, there was freshly made mango juice. Every meal I have has some type of juice with it. And, every time I drink the juice, I realize that I really am in a tropical country where juice isn't from a bottle, it's from the tree outside. It was amazing.
The drive back was a ride for sure. We stopped and saw the actual port where they export a good amount of Del Monte fruit and other things. Then we drove for a few hours. I spent the time laughing so hard I was crying with my friends about the different funny things that happened this weekend. After a couple of stops and a few good conversations in Spanish, we finally made it home.
I really enjoyed Puerto Viejo. It was beautiful scenery with people that understood what it means to really enjoy life. The thing that got me, though, was that while we were there, we couldn't drink the water. It is a weird feeling when you realize that you are so far from home that the water is so different that it will make you sick. I was happy to come to my tica home to know that there I could drink the water and be safe. It is definitely a reality check when you are somewhere so different. It makes you appreciate what you have. According to my familia tica and my other friends, I'm a nice color that is less white than before.It was an amazing excursion.
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