(Correction: I've been informed by a reader that Costa Rica has no "Pythons" so consider all references to Python to be Boa Constrictor.)
Words are hardly adequate to describe the incredible past
week and a half for Layne and me but words being my coinage, I'll have to try
and pay the price. As my readers know, the highlight of virtually every week
around here is our Sunday hike with "the Santa Eulalia gang" and
Sunday the 30th of December was no exception. It started out normally enough:
we'd spend a couple of hours traipsing the back trails of our barrio with a
loose plan to end up at some restaurant along the way for lunch. As we followed
picturesque Calle Vanilla that runs below the ridge behind our house, the
adventure began to unfold.
First of all, this remote dirt lane is beautiful just on its
own, with huge stands of bamboo reaching to the sky and the yellow-flowered
vanilla trees for which the road is named offering their own charm. As we
meandered up the last unpaved portion into a small village, we noticed a rustic
house with a large covered patio nestled deep in the jungle. Seidy liked the
look of the place snuggled in the greenery, so we stopped for a closer look.
Just inside the front foliage was a group of men standing over a huge they had just slain, capital punishment for poaching their chickens. The
fearsome creature was magnificent, really, with its complex brown, beige and
black pattern and enormous as you can see. Amazing!
With Marcial and Seidy's inimitable networking skills, we
were all soon chatting in English and Spanish with Don Yeyo, learning that his
brother uses the large patio area to make furniture on the weekends, including
the wooden rocking chairs that Layne and I covet for our veranda. Good
information to have.
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| Bonnie and Seidy look on as Don Yeyo chats |
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| Orchids... |
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| ... and more orchids! |
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| More beautiful flowers |
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| Amazing foliage |
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| Seidy admires the garden as Marcial enjoys rice pudding |
The lady of the house brought out dishes of a yummy rice
pudding and showed us her yard full of orchids and other lovely plants. Ho-hum
-- just another day on the trail!
By contrast, our return trip was uneventful, unless you
count finding a hidden river. With the help of some bamboo walking sticks
machete'd for us by "Costa Rica Dundee" aka Marcial, we strolled down
a steep grassy slope along a narrow cow trail, discovered only the day before
by Marcial and his son Daniel, to a pretty little babbling stream.
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| Seidy, Marcial and Yours Truly relax by the pool |
We carefully
picked our way across the rocks to take a break by a quiet pool before hiking
up the other slope to the road and on to a convenience store for cold water and
cold beers. Exercising a little restraint this day, there was no tequila in our
plans as we all made our happy way back home.
But the next night was a different matter: New Year's Eve at
Stephen and Bonnie's house was a festive affair attended by the whole gang,
including our long-absent friends Chris and Sue who had returned that very day
from packing and shipping duties back in the States. Their container won't
arrive for another month or two but they were ecstatic to be back among their
Santa Eulalia friends. We managed to hold off on the champagne until close to
midnight when the multitude of large and small fireworks visible across the
valley offered the perfect way to bring in the New Year.
With everything closed for the holidays, life slowed to a
quieter pace for a day or two but for Layne and me there were more adventures
in the offing. My son Damian had written a few weeks earlier asking if I might
come to California to assist him following knee surgery he was facing in early
January and, of course, I was happy to say Yes. But with the prospect of a
month in chilly and damp San Francisco, I was longing for just one more trip to
the beach before I departed, a little more sun and surf to hold me until I
return in early February.
So with some help from Marcial we made last minute
arrangements to bus down to Esterillos Oeste for an overnight stay at his
friend Wilberth's beachfront hotel,
Rancho
Coral. It seems Marcial met Wilberth and his wife Eve Araya some years ago
and bonded on many levels, not the least is that the two men share the same
last name of Artavia and were born and raised in the north central portion of the
country. Although not directly related, they nevertheless call each other
primo, or cousin.
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| Rancho Coral gardens |
Rancho Coral is a real find! Comfortable and secluded with
only seven apartments, the gardens rampant with greenery and adorned with an
abundance of hammocks strung from tree to tree, chickens running free along
with a dozen or so friendly dogs rescued by Wilberth and Eve, the place is an
absolute delight. The broad beige sandy beach is just steps away from your room
and the surf is wonderfully clean and clear and delightfully warm. The
breakfast is delicious, the coffee good and strong. One night was not nearly
enough. In fact, we plan to return during the low season with the whole Santa
Eulalia gang and take over the place. Look out, Wilberth and Eve!
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| Playa Esterillos Oeste |
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| Enjoying some Aqua Pipa, fresh from the coconut |
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| View from a hammock #1 |
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| View from a hammock #2 |
The real drama was in our bus travels. When we pre-purchased
our tickets in San Jose in order to assure ourselves of seats, the cashier said
that the bus leaving San Jose at 7:00 a.m. should arrive at the Atenas bus stop
on the main road about 7:30 a.m. When we stepped out of our taxi at 7:15,
however, we had barely time to catch our breath before our bus arrived. Even
then the driver somehow missed our stop and let us off a mile down the road at a deserted parada where Wilberth soon came
to pick us up.
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| Waiting for Wilberth |
Returning on Saturday night, it was just the opposite: along
with a half dozen Ticos, we waited almost an hour and a half for the big
vehicle to show up. Go figure. Or as we say in Costa Rica, Pura Vida!
(PS - As a
holiday gift to my readers, Layne's novel MORAL TURPITUDE is available for FREE
through January 31st. (NC-17 but not erotica.) To download it, click HERE to go directly to the book
page; then click Add to Cart. You will have to register but it's very simple
and you will get no spam. At the Cart page, enter Coupon Code QN77G, then click Update. The price will
change to $0.00. Enjoy!)
