A Travel Companion: The Nicoya Peninsula

I keep telling myself that I'll update my blog as soon as possible, but with each day, the amount of content I have to catch up on grows. To make this easier for both me, and those of you reading this, I'll take the past few days in nice, bite-sized pieces. I hope I don't leave anything out.

Last weekend (jeez - that was already a week ago), the entire family set off to take a trip around the Nicoya Peninsula. All eight of us packed into one car a little after mid day and drove off into the sunset, and what a sunset it was. We drove for a few hours before reaching puntarenas and our ferry. This is actually the same ferry we saw crossing the bay on our second night in Costa Rica. This time around, instead of watching the picturesque boat slide across the bay, we were the ones waving at those on the shore. At this time I was still getting over a bit of a stomach bug (see previous post), so the rocking of the boat wasn't the most pleasant experience, pero valió la pena (it was worth it).

We got off the ferry in a town called Cabuya where, in his youth, Ramses' dad had spent a lot of time working and fishing. We had a late dinner at a friends restaurant before taking the plunge and driving another hour or so through the Cabuya Forest to reach our Cabinas.

At first, it seemed to me that Ramses' father must have some solid connections around Costa Rica, since he seems to know almost everybody we meet, but really he's just good at making friends. This friendship making theme came up a lot during this trip, but more on that later.

The next day, after a morning swim and a walk on the beach, we continued on our way. The road we took, though not the most direct, took us along the beach, over the mountains, and through rivers. That's right, through rivers, not over. I swear, the surroundings in some areas looked like something straight out of Lord of the RIngs. Imagine the Shire but with a few palm trees thrown in. The drive was complete with unpaved roads to made our heads rattle, monkeys clinging to the trees that hung over the road, throwing up dust in our wake, Costa Rican history lessons, bachata music, pit stops to buy beers, and senseless banter. I couldn't really imagine a better way to spend a road trip, but that was before I saw our destination.

We met up with Ramses' cousin and her family just a few kilometers outside Punta Islita. Our caravan twisted its way on yet another dirt road to come to a large restaurant, which isn't in business these days. Luckily for us, it had been converted into a beach house get-away set into the hill, overlooking the ocean. Apparently in its youth, the restaurant had received guests like Mel Gibson, who has a house somewhere in Costa Rica, and other movie stars. Last week, however, it was complete with couches and banquet tables, and it welcomed two road-weary American College Students and their terrific Costa Rican family. The owners of this restaurant had met Ramses' family a few years back and quickly became good friends (again with this making friends business). After soaking in the view and the company, we hopped into the cajón (truck bed) and tumbled our way down to the beach.

These waves were so different from the waves in the Caribean. This Oregon girl was actually able to swim in an ocean that wasn't freezing cold. What a novel idea! Sure it's the same ocean as the one I'm used to back home, but this time it was warm. As I was frolicking in the waves with my buddies by my side, my dad #2 was on the beach making some buddies of his own. Kelsea and I got out of the water, dried off, and were told that we would be taking another trip up the mountain. Alexander's new friend happened to be a caretaker for a house on top of the hill and invited us, all 14 of us, to come take a swim. To call this place a house is an understatement. The view, phenomenal. The pool, spectacular. The company, wonderful. The bugs, of no importance. We. Were. In. Heaven. I had to keep pinching myself. If there is one thing I learned from this excursion, it's that I will never regret simply opening myself up for conversation. The people we've met so far have got to be some of the most openminded and gracious people to be found. Our late night swim eventually turned into an over night stay and I was fortunate enough to enjoy a peaceful morning the next day sipping coffee and admiring the view from my hammock.

After watching Argentina get its butt kicked by Germany, we set off for home. We powered through the rest of the bumpy road and arrived in San Jose later in the evening. Though the trip was not lengthy, it was full to the brim!