Coming home to Costa Rica – San Jose, Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

By: Lisa Britt

Coming home to Costa Rica
San Jose, Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

All my life, I had heard about Costa Rica. My uncle Raymond was living in a place called Sabanilla, Alajeula, since I could remember. It was a distant, magical, far off land, with monkeys and mountains that I doubted I would ever see.

Growing up, I would tell other classmates about stories I had heard from Costa Rica, and no one had ever heard of this place. Now, Costa Rica is becoming the “new” Hawaii, and to be honest, I find it as disturbing as I do wonderful.

I have always felt that it was important for me to venture off and explore this land I have only heard about. My connection was so great, I felt compelled to go.

I did not own a passport, and in pre Sept. 11^th days you could just show up with a US driver’s license. So, that I did. Out of the blue, I jumped on a plane, and made the trek to this far away, magical place of my dreams. I was alone, 27 years old and scared to death. I had never left the country before, and not knowing anything about Costa Rica, I assumed the worst. I was your typical American, judging the third world with only economics as my basis for assumption. Never once did I factor-in the quality of life that I was about to discover, or learn what I was in lack of.

The plane was flying over what I assume was Nicaragua. Fascinated by this, I recalled all the stories from my uncle, about Nicaragua trying to take over Costa Rica in the 80’s. Our family was sent gold bouillons just incase he needed to escape the country and pay his way out. It sent fear through my body, knowing what he must have felt. Where the hell was I? Why am I going there? What do I think I am going to do? The thought crossed my mind more than a thousand times to just get off the plane and find my way directly back to the States.

As soon as the plane landed, I cried tears like I have never known before. Only, they were not from fear, they were elation! This could not be possible that I had actually set foot in the land of my childhood dreams! I was about to embark onto a land my uncle had known, and loved. I knew that I could not turn back. I wanted out of that airport like no one has ever known before. “Customs, c’mon already, I needed to breathe the air.”

My face tasted its first bit of Costa Rican daylight. I felt like a super star, people were waiting at the exit of the airport for familiar faces, then there was me. I catch a taxi to this hotel in San Jose, Grano De Oro (Golden Nugget). I check in, astonished at being in another country, let alone Costa Rica! My hotel was this Victorian mansion converted into a hotel. They had fountains everywhere, and a rooftop area to look over the volcano. Volcano? I had never seen one before! I was thinking that with all this stimuli, I was in desperate need of a drink. The restaurant inside this hotel had THE most amazing food my taste buds had known. My margarita can only be compared to Armando’s (my Mexican bar back). I was on overload, and felt a desperate need to call my mom, because no one else would understand what I was feeling.

I wanted to take a nap, but could not sleep. I decided on taking a walk through the streets of San Jose. I was fascinated over the smallest things, like the grocery store. It was a grocery store in Costa Rica! I bought almonds from a street vendor just because I wanted to experience THAT. I sat in a park for hours, watching people coming from work, children coming from school and traffic just being traffic! All of this was amazing.

I wondered why I had not done this trip earlier. I looked deep into peoples eyes, they were born in, COSTA RICA! It was clear to me at that moment, I was determined to venture out SEE, everything and anything.

In the morning I booked a flight to a place called Quepos. I pull into this small airport next to the big one I landed in. I get on this little itty bitty plane that seats 8 people. Huh?

The flight lasts a short 20 minutes and I land in…JUNGLE. The airport was just a runway, with a port-a-potty type thing as the check in. Children are hanging from palm trees waiting for their family to arrive. The mountains covered by low hanging clouds are my magnificent background, and again, I cry like a child. They whisk me away on a small bus to a bungalow called Tulemar, in Manuel Antonio. I checked into my own condo with a bedroom, kitchen and apartment downstairs, on a CLIFF overlooking the Pacific Ocean! The monkeys were in the trees outside of my room and a large iguana was on my balcony. At the time, I thought this was paradise, and it was. I just hadn’t known the beautiful culture was about to cement the deal!

Costa Ricans say “Pura Vida”. It literally means “pure life”. They use it for everything, from hello to good bye. Come to find out, it really means what it says. Ask a Costa Rican if they would like to visit the US, and they will answer, “Why?” I have the pura vida.”

It is like stepping back into 1950. You can hitch hike without fear, and no one expects you to pay for their gas after they pick you up. Kids can ride their bikes with friends until dinner and find their own way home. People will gladly cook for you, just to keep your company! PURA VIDA! I found it, and now I did not ever want to lose it.

The morning comes, I sat on my balcony looking at this paradise, listening to the monkeys and birds sing their morning songs. When I got a knock on my door. Some local girls brought me a fresh pineapple they picked themselves. I had never seen a pineapple like this before. It was bright orange, and smelled like perfume. When I cut into it, the juices burst from the skin. It dripped down my arm as I ate every single last bit!

I decided to take a horseback ride, up into the rain forest with a guide from the hotel. The guide came to pick me up, and took me to his wife for breakfast. She had this wonderful juice made from star fruit, cooked my food outdoors , overlooking a river used for white water rafting. I was content just to stay here with this family all day, but the horse was brought to me, and I felt a need to jump right on.

We start the ride up into the mountains. It was so peaceful, it almost did not feel real. We passed this family walking home to their little house in the mountains far away from any neighbors, with no electricity. The father tells us of a mountain lion he saw the night before that had killed some of his pigs. I was astonished he was walking around with so many small kids with a mountain lion on the loose, but they must be used to this. I was more than a little weary of this scenario.

I notice the oldest girl, she was shy, tall and thin. She seems amazed at my blonde hair and asked me if I was Britney Spears. I laughed, as we sat by the side of the road and talked about her father’s pigs, the United States, her schooling etc. The guide wanted to show me something, so we jumped back on our horses and rode further up the hill. He told me that the little girl I was speaking with never talks to anyone, not even him. I was excited, because she left an impression on me to this day.

The guide asks me to get off the horse and we were going to walk from this point on. We go down a pathway, through lush jungle and hold onto a rope so that we don’t fall down the side of the mountain. I saw monkeys and toucans, but my thoughts were on this mountain lion that no one else seemed concerned about. I envisioned the horses being attacked while we were away or even worse, us. Those thoughts quickly disappeared as we approached a noise that had to be a massive waterfall. I first set eyes on this water fall, and immediately took my clothes off and jumped into the pond. The fresh, brisk mountain water was like a fountain of energy sent straight from God! I wanted to taste it, immerse myself in the water and absorb all of its power to energize me for years to come. I stood directly underneath and just smiled with my arms wide open, as it rinsed my hair, and fell over my body with so much power. The sun was shining through the jungle trees, as if the rays of sun were aiming straight for me. It was just me and the universe at that moment, and we were one.

The time came when we had to leave before it got dark. We mounted our horses and began the hike down the mountain. As we were passing by the little girls house on the hill, I saw her running down towards us with a little plastic bag of fruit that she collected just for me! Her mother came out to meet us and asked us to stay for dinner. I couldn’t believe the warmth and love that came from this family. Living with no electricity in a small house, with a large family in the jungle, this family was far richer than Bill Gates. They had peace, and love, they had la pura vida.

My guide brought me back to his house and his wife cooked dinner, again in the back yard by the river. She made chicken with coco milk, a creamy rich rice, a salad so green and crisp. The fruit, ahhhh, the fruit!!!

Magic, pure magic. This was the magical place of my childhood dreams. Better than Disney Land and 100% real. I longed for the day that I could return, for my heart and soul have never left, only my body. I am waiting for the next time I can “feel” Costa Rica once more, and forever.