Later this afternoon, I went to a local swimming hole.
It was by FAR the greatest swimming venue I´ve ever been to.
A Tarzan rope swung you directly into the middle of a pool which was fed by two little waterfalls. The edges of the pool were perpendicular rocky crags, and most people elected to float downstream to get out of the swimming hole. For the daring and adventurous, the walls of the pool gave an excellent opportunity to boulder. The sense of accomplishment I got from climbing out of the pool was enormous. The current tried to peel me off and send me downriver, but I would not be denied!!!
I was later joined by a friend from the hostel. In addition to being an avid climber, he is the proud owner of a waterproof digital camera! We swam behind the smaller of the waterfalls. The sheets of water completely wall off a tiny little enclave, which oddly enough had been worn away by the water in such a way that a comfortable little chair had been formed. Hopefully, he´ll send me pics so you can see what I mean.
In other news, I´m leaving tomorrow morning for an overnight white water rafting trip on the Rio Pacuare! Also, I got my first invitation to an interview today!
It seems like things happen all at once sometimes, eh? As my friend Robin would say, what the peace?
But then again... I HAVE spent most afternoons of the past two weeks reading novels of questionable value. Well, that´s not entirely true. Some of the books were good.
Either way.
Pura Vida!
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Holy Batman!
I went on an expedition to the Venado Caves this morning. I´m new to spelunking, and it really is a world unimaginable.
They gave me a pair of galoshes and a hard hat with a headlight, and we set off into the heart of darkness.
It´s wet. Gosh it´s wet! The floor of the cave was some sort of subterranean river. Occasionally water would fall from the ceiling or just suh out from an opening in the wall. There was even a chamber with a huge coral in it! The guide told us that this was evidence that the caves used to be filled with sea water.
It was also very, very dark. While this may seem obvious, it´s hard to appreciate from descriptions or pictures just how dark a cave really is. While you´re there, your whole world consists of these bobbing spots of light, which reveal tiny portions of the whole, and move whenever you move your head. I´d lag behind sometimes, crouch in the water and flick off my light. The darkness is overwhelming and... palpable somehow. It fills your eyes, your ears, even your mouth feels full of dark. And while some of the chambers we entered were grand, with crevices soaring overhead that stretched beyond the strength of our headlights, and some of the tunnels we crawled through were small, requiring one drag one´s stomach along the wet cave floor... NONE of this matters in the dark. With my light off, your senses fill to the brim with blackness and with the constant sounds of flowing water. You could be in a cathedral. You could be in a closet. It makes no difference in the pitch black of the caves.
I saw some neat critters, like bats, crickets and ginormo-spiders. And there were really neat rock formations. Stalactites, and stalagmites, and one large stalactite/stalagmite combination they call ¨The Papaya¨. But the caves, as fascinating as they were, gave me a vague sense that I was seeing something forbidden. That I was in a world that was very much not my own. And that the feeble light of our torches was the sheerest safety net keeping me from being blanketed in darkness and helplessness. Such visual creatures humans be!
They gave me a pair of galoshes and a hard hat with a headlight, and we set off into the heart of darkness.
It´s wet. Gosh it´s wet! The floor of the cave was some sort of subterranean river. Occasionally water would fall from the ceiling or just suh out from an opening in the wall. There was even a chamber with a huge coral in it! The guide told us that this was evidence that the caves used to be filled with sea water.
It was also very, very dark. While this may seem obvious, it´s hard to appreciate from descriptions or pictures just how dark a cave really is. While you´re there, your whole world consists of these bobbing spots of light, which reveal tiny portions of the whole, and move whenever you move your head. I´d lag behind sometimes, crouch in the water and flick off my light. The darkness is overwhelming and... palpable somehow. It fills your eyes, your ears, even your mouth feels full of dark. And while some of the chambers we entered were grand, with crevices soaring overhead that stretched beyond the strength of our headlights, and some of the tunnels we crawled through were small, requiring one drag one´s stomach along the wet cave floor... NONE of this matters in the dark. With my light off, your senses fill to the brim with blackness and with the constant sounds of flowing water. You could be in a cathedral. You could be in a closet. It makes no difference in the pitch black of the caves.
I saw some neat critters, like bats, crickets and ginormo-spiders. And there were really neat rock formations. Stalactites, and stalagmites, and one large stalactite/stalagmite combination they call ¨The Papaya¨. But the caves, as fascinating as they were, gave me a vague sense that I was seeing something forbidden. That I was in a world that was very much not my own. And that the feeble light of our torches was the sheerest safety net keeping me from being blanketed in darkness and helplessness. Such visual creatures humans be!
Monday, December 18, 2006
A Horse and His Boy
I set out this morning on horse back to see the La Fortuna Waterfall today.
I don´t know how cowboys ride a trotting horse. It´s not a big deal for cowgirls, I imagine, but I just don´t see how cowboys would manage. (It may have been better that Dickie went home for this portion of the trip, given his recent injury.)
Our guides took us to the edge of a canyon, where a waterfall (I forget the name) was visible in the distance. We then descended into the canyon to swim at the base of the La Fortuna Waterfall.
The waterfall itself was hidden around a bend in the river, so most people stayed to splash around in that area. I made my way upriver, forded the white water and was soon standing at the edge of a large pool of water. The waterfall poured itself into this pool with such force that it was quite impossible to swim anywhere near it. The water pushed you against the rocky shore.
The rocky walls surrounding the waterfall were covered in greenery, and as I made my way along its edge, there was a constant rain from above which pattered around the long tendrils which extended from the forest all the way down to just above the water´s surface. I managed to inch my way behind the waterfall, and found a rocky beach, which had at its edge, a massive slab of black rock. Water sluicing off an edge of the waterfall had worn the rock into the shape of a wedge. I lay on this rock, and wondered at it all. At the pounding roar of this sheet of water, not even a stone´s throw in front of me, at the green walls on either side of me that dripped with water and life, at the birds that flickered through and around the chaos, at the water which fell in pitters, patters and buckets on my head, at the blessed solitutude of being walled off from the world by a waterfall!
It´s the most miraculous thing I´ve ever done.
I don´t know how cowboys ride a trotting horse. It´s not a big deal for cowgirls, I imagine, but I just don´t see how cowboys would manage. (It may have been better that Dickie went home for this portion of the trip, given his recent injury.)
Our guides took us to the edge of a canyon, where a waterfall (I forget the name) was visible in the distance. We then descended into the canyon to swim at the base of the La Fortuna Waterfall.
The waterfall itself was hidden around a bend in the river, so most people stayed to splash around in that area. I made my way upriver, forded the white water and was soon standing at the edge of a large pool of water. The waterfall poured itself into this pool with such force that it was quite impossible to swim anywhere near it. The water pushed you against the rocky shore.
The rocky walls surrounding the waterfall were covered in greenery, and as I made my way along its edge, there was a constant rain from above which pattered around the long tendrils which extended from the forest all the way down to just above the water´s surface. I managed to inch my way behind the waterfall, and found a rocky beach, which had at its edge, a massive slab of black rock. Water sluicing off an edge of the waterfall had worn the rock into the shape of a wedge. I lay on this rock, and wondered at it all. At the pounding roar of this sheet of water, not even a stone´s throw in front of me, at the green walls on either side of me that dripped with water and life, at the birds that flickered through and around the chaos, at the water which fell in pitters, patters and buckets on my head, at the blessed solitutude of being walled off from the world by a waterfall!
It´s the most miraculous thing I´ve ever done.
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Canyoning!
I met some very nice people on my canyoning tour today. They really added to the whole experience.
We basically made our way along this river, and when the need arose (i.e. waterfall, or really steep incline), we would rappel down. This was truly excellent. Meandering your way down a creek, punctuated with sudden burst of adrenaline amidst lush greenery with friendly Brits, Ticos and Canucks really IS as fun as it sounds.
I was the first to rappel down the last, finale waterfall. After completing the 45m drop, I had a bit of time to explore before the rest of the group made it down. I followed a branch of the river up around a bend...
And came face to face with another waterfall! The water cascaded down onto the massive rocks beneath it. While it was roughly the same height as the waterfall we had rappelled, there was significantly more water coming down. But not so much water that I couldn´t find a place near the front of the waterfall where I could stand directly beneath the falling water.
The water was clear, clear and almost.. sweet. It was a wonderful thing.
A meal was provided with the tour, and while at the restaurant, I was able to see a blue jean frog, as well as leaf cutter ants! I´ve seen documentaries about the industriousness and organization of these ants, but it´s really something to see a whole train of little critters carrying pieces of leaves in person. I heart the ants.
We basically made our way along this river, and when the need arose (i.e. waterfall, or really steep incline), we would rappel down. This was truly excellent. Meandering your way down a creek, punctuated with sudden burst of adrenaline amidst lush greenery with friendly Brits, Ticos and Canucks really IS as fun as it sounds.
I was the first to rappel down the last, finale waterfall. After completing the 45m drop, I had a bit of time to explore before the rest of the group made it down. I followed a branch of the river up around a bend...
And came face to face with another waterfall! The water cascaded down onto the massive rocks beneath it. While it was roughly the same height as the waterfall we had rappelled, there was significantly more water coming down. But not so much water that I couldn´t find a place near the front of the waterfall where I could stand directly beneath the falling water.
The water was clear, clear and almost.. sweet. It was a wonderful thing.
A meal was provided with the tour, and while at the restaurant, I was able to see a blue jean frog, as well as leaf cutter ants! I´ve seen documentaries about the industriousness and organization of these ants, but it´s really something to see a whole train of little critters carrying pieces of leaves in person. I heart the ants.
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Volcano!
After much deliberation, I decided to head to La Fortuna, to see the Arenal Volcano.
The bus drive this morning was lovely. Costa Rica is a very picturesque country. I´ve decided that I´m a bit envious of any country that can grow papayas. Lucky lucky Costa Ricans!
La Fortuna is a small little town near the centre of the country. It took me around seven hours to get here from the pacific coast, where our surf camp was. You can look up the main street of La Fortuna, and BAM, all you see is Volcano.
I found a nice little hostel to stay in. It´s costing me 3 dollars a day. Plus there´s free coffee. Isn´t that something? The rest of the hostelers are very impressed that I´ve come all the way from Canada with nothing but a day pack. I´m kinda proud of myself actually.
Anyways, after ditching my stuff at the hostel, I signed up for a tour of the volcano (from which I have just returned.) On the drive to the volcano, we stopped by the road to look at a sloth. They are hilarious animals.
After trekking through the forest to the base of the volcano, we were served drinks as we waited to see lava. It wasn´t what I expected.
From the fog-shrouded peak, burning pieces of rock would come hurtling down the mountain. It was like stars were tumbling down the mountain. Occasionally, you´d hear a rumble as the rocks collided with each other. Apparently, I am quite lucky to see as much lava as I did. Some of the hostelers had gone the day before and seen nothing!
On the way back to the city, we were taken to some luxurious hot springs. There were 15 pools, all heated by the volcano and all at different temperatures. It was luvly.
Pura Vida!
The bus drive this morning was lovely. Costa Rica is a very picturesque country. I´ve decided that I´m a bit envious of any country that can grow papayas. Lucky lucky Costa Ricans!
La Fortuna is a small little town near the centre of the country. It took me around seven hours to get here from the pacific coast, where our surf camp was. You can look up the main street of La Fortuna, and BAM, all you see is Volcano.
I found a nice little hostel to stay in. It´s costing me 3 dollars a day. Plus there´s free coffee. Isn´t that something? The rest of the hostelers are very impressed that I´ve come all the way from Canada with nothing but a day pack. I´m kinda proud of myself actually.
Anyways, after ditching my stuff at the hostel, I signed up for a tour of the volcano (from which I have just returned.) On the drive to the volcano, we stopped by the road to look at a sloth. They are hilarious animals.
After trekking through the forest to the base of the volcano, we were served drinks as we waited to see lava. It wasn´t what I expected.
From the fog-shrouded peak, burning pieces of rock would come hurtling down the mountain. It was like stars were tumbling down the mountain. Occasionally, you´d hear a rumble as the rocks collided with each other. Apparently, I am quite lucky to see as much lava as I did. Some of the hostelers had gone the day before and seen nothing!
On the way back to the city, we were taken to some luxurious hot springs. There were 15 pools, all heated by the volcano and all at different temperatures. It was luvly.
Pura Vida!
Friday, December 15, 2006
Graduation
We had our graduation trip today. Instead of our usual beach, we drove an hour to Playa Avellanas. The break was perfect, and an off-shore wind held the waves up just so.
So far, we´ve been pretty good about avoiding noon´s intense sun. We couldn´t avoid it today, and even with our sunscreen precautions, Richard came out with sunburned arms. As for myself, I now look like a Mexican. I also burned my lips.
There was also a graduation ceremony at night, to mark our last day of surfing. Tomorrow morning, Richard heads back to northern climes, while I plan to mosey around Costa Rica a bit. While I´m not one to compare our respective surfing abilities, I must admit that our friends here at surf camp had a much easier time getting pictures of Dickie standing on a board. In most of my pictures, I´m laying down. Resting, see?
We´ll miss surf camp.
Pura Vida!
So far, we´ve been pretty good about avoiding noon´s intense sun. We couldn´t avoid it today, and even with our sunscreen precautions, Richard came out with sunburned arms. As for myself, I now look like a Mexican. I also burned my lips.
There was also a graduation ceremony at night, to mark our last day of surfing. Tomorrow morning, Richard heads back to northern climes, while I plan to mosey around Costa Rica a bit. While I´m not one to compare our respective surfing abilities, I must admit that our friends here at surf camp had a much easier time getting pictures of Dickie standing on a board. In most of my pictures, I´m laying down. Resting, see?
We´ll miss surf camp.
Pura Vida!
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Vacay our way!
Richard and I have decided that this vacation will be the barometer against which future vacations shall be judged.
I scope out the days waves from the balcony of our room. I've read more books this past week than I have all year. We are relaxing to the maxing.
We're at surf camp to learn to surf. But really, as I lay on my board watching the sun set on the afternoon's sets of waves through a patter of light rain, I realize there's nowhere else I'd rather be. It hardly matters if I actually learn to surf or not!
Speaking of rain, it rained for the first time yesterday. It was a crazy tropical storm, the likes of which we don't see in our northern climes. Mud EVERYWHERE.
We went to a local club last night. Some of the other kids wanted to go check out the locals and their mambo skills. As it turned out, us surf-campers were the only ones on the dance floor. We're crazy like that. More on the demographics of surf-campers later. It's an interesting crew.
Also, Richard and I love mashups. For real.
I scope out the days waves from the balcony of our room. I've read more books this past week than I have all year. We are relaxing to the maxing.
We're at surf camp to learn to surf. But really, as I lay on my board watching the sun set on the afternoon's sets of waves through a patter of light rain, I realize there's nowhere else I'd rather be. It hardly matters if I actually learn to surf or not!
Speaking of rain, it rained for the first time yesterday. It was a crazy tropical storm, the likes of which we don't see in our northern climes. Mud EVERYWHERE.
We went to a local club last night. Some of the other kids wanted to go check out the locals and their mambo skills. As it turned out, us surf-campers were the only ones on the dance floor. We're crazy like that. More on the demographics of surf-campers later. It's an interesting crew.
Also, Richard and I love mashups. For real.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Futbol in Costa Rica
Yesterday was the first time since our arrival that waves were too big for us to surf. After Rich and I got pummelled for awhile by the crashing water, out instructor finally told us "It not worth it, man!"
So it was largely a non-surfing day for us. Luckily there's free foosball at the surf camp. Two ten year old Costa Rican girls came to join us. They pummelled us. Just not our day.
I joined a local soccer game a couple of days ago. On my way back from dinner at a local soda, I stopped to watch a game involving a group of middle-aged Costa Ricans. I was waved on in short order. Costa Rica is a friendly kind of place.
So it was largely a non-surfing day for us. Luckily there's free foosball at the surf camp. Two ten year old Costa Rican girls came to join us. They pummelled us. Just not our day.
I joined a local soccer game a couple of days ago. On my way back from dinner at a local soda, I stopped to watch a game involving a group of middle-aged Costa Ricans. I was waved on in short order. Costa Rica is a friendly kind of place.
Monday, December 11, 2006
RODEO!!!
Surfing is super hard. Imagine snowboarding, only you have to run after and jump onto the peak of a moving ski hill. It's way hard. I'll write more about the ins and outs of surf camp another time. A quick summary though:
surfing: HARD!
weather: PERFECT!
living: AIR CONDITIONED!
food: AWESOME! and CHEAP!
beer: CHEAPER!
locals: FRIENDLY!
Richard: DIARRHEA!
What I'd really like to write about is our adventure to the RODEO. There's this travelling rodeo that goes around Costa Rica, and we were just lucky enough to be here in Tamarindo when it came to town.
On Saturday night, the entire surf camp (instructors and students) all piled into the surf camp bus and careened our way to the edge of town where the rodeo was. (Remind me to talk about the driving here. It's crazy.)
There were fairground type rides for the kids, and trinkets for sale, and everywhere you looked was a milling whirlwind of Costa Ricans. (We've never met an uncool Costa Rican. If you have kids, do them a favour and raise them in Costa Rica. Or get them a posse of Costa Rican friends. It will guarantee a lifetime of coolness.)
And the food! Friend rice, and friend chicken and friend pork! Skewers of meat, ice cream sundaes and bottled soda! (Although Dickie's current gastro-intestinal issues may have been due to his overenthusiastic consumption of pork rinds. We're not sure. Also, I overpaid for a soda, and the guy at the soda stand recounted my money and gave it back to me. Isn't that something? Also, I'm pretty positive I was the first Chinese person some of these Costa Rican kids have ever seen.)
The highlight though, was definitely the bullring. A large circular ring had been set up, and there was a grandstand of seats. You could press right up against the fence, to watch cowboys ride bulls and stallions. The crazy thing about this whole thing is that once the rider had been pitched by the bull/stallion, things were just getting started. See, before the release of a bull or stallion, ANYONE was free to get into the ring. After the rider had been pitched, they let the bull/stallion take his anger out by trying to run down the other people in the ring.
Take a look at this video (Taken by one of my fellow surfers). See the other people in the ring? They're spectators! Professionals they are NOT. Actually, a lot of them teach at the surf camp.
Anyways, after watching this a few times, Richard and I decided to seize the bull by the horns (harhar), and we took a turn in the ring. (The surf camp instructors were very enthusiastic. They were also pouring rum very liberally into each other and into us.)
I remember standing in the ring wondering if perhaps health insurance might not have been a good idea. And then suddenly, there was this Stallion barrelling down at us. We ran like the dickens. For real. Like. The. Dickens.
It made you feel alive, that's for sure.
In conclusion, the Rodeo is super-awesome.
In other news, Richard and I chipped in to sponser one of the cowboys. He ended up falling off a stallion and separating his shoulder. Ah well.
Anyways, that's all for now. I'm sitting shirtless by the beach waiting for high tide. Richard is in our room chugging pepto-bismal. I suppose you could say the stallion scared the @#$% out of him. Nono! That'd be mean. Rest assured, I'm taking good care of the boy. I owe him. His marketing savvy saved my bacon earlier this week. A story for another day.
Pura vida!
surfing: HARD!
weather: PERFECT!
living: AIR CONDITIONED!
food: AWESOME! and CHEAP!
beer: CHEAPER!
locals: FRIENDLY!
Richard: DIARRHEA!
What I'd really like to write about is our adventure to the RODEO. There's this travelling rodeo that goes around Costa Rica, and we were just lucky enough to be here in Tamarindo when it came to town.
On Saturday night, the entire surf camp (instructors and students) all piled into the surf camp bus and careened our way to the edge of town where the rodeo was. (Remind me to talk about the driving here. It's crazy.)
There were fairground type rides for the kids, and trinkets for sale, and everywhere you looked was a milling whirlwind of Costa Ricans. (We've never met an uncool Costa Rican. If you have kids, do them a favour and raise them in Costa Rica. Or get them a posse of Costa Rican friends. It will guarantee a lifetime of coolness.)
And the food! Friend rice, and friend chicken and friend pork! Skewers of meat, ice cream sundaes and bottled soda! (Although Dickie's current gastro-intestinal issues may have been due to his overenthusiastic consumption of pork rinds. We're not sure. Also, I overpaid for a soda, and the guy at the soda stand recounted my money and gave it back to me. Isn't that something? Also, I'm pretty positive I was the first Chinese person some of these Costa Rican kids have ever seen.)
The highlight though, was definitely the bullring. A large circular ring had been set up, and there was a grandstand of seats. You could press right up against the fence, to watch cowboys ride bulls and stallions. The crazy thing about this whole thing is that once the rider had been pitched by the bull/stallion, things were just getting started. See, before the release of a bull or stallion, ANYONE was free to get into the ring. After the rider had been pitched, they let the bull/stallion take his anger out by trying to run down the other people in the ring.
Take a look at this video (Taken by one of my fellow surfers). See the other people in the ring? They're spectators! Professionals they are NOT. Actually, a lot of them teach at the surf camp.
Anyways, after watching this a few times, Richard and I decided to seize the bull by the horns (harhar), and we took a turn in the ring. (The surf camp instructors were very enthusiastic. They were also pouring rum very liberally into each other and into us.)
I remember standing in the ring wondering if perhaps health insurance might not have been a good idea. And then suddenly, there was this Stallion barrelling down at us. We ran like the dickens. For real. Like. The. Dickens.
It made you feel alive, that's for sure.
In conclusion, the Rodeo is super-awesome.
In other news, Richard and I chipped in to sponser one of the cowboys. He ended up falling off a stallion and separating his shoulder. Ah well.
Anyways, that's all for now. I'm sitting shirtless by the beach waiting for high tide. Richard is in our room chugging pepto-bismal. I suppose you could say the stallion scared the @#$% out of him. Nono! That'd be mean. Rest assured, I'm taking good care of the boy. I owe him. His marketing savvy saved my bacon earlier this week. A story for another day.
Pura vida!
Friday, December 08, 2006
Sometimes. If we're really lucky.
Chest deep in the warm pacific waters. The waves crash against a sky burnt orange by the setting sun. A crab shuffles along the sandy sea floor. A pelican glides by, just just skimming the ocean foam.
I turn to Dickie, "Dreams do come true, eh?"
Pura vida.
I turn to Dickie, "Dreams do come true, eh?"
Pura vida.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
To Sunny Skies and Waves
I'm flying to Costa Rica in six hours.
My residency applications are due by Dec 7th.
Everything seems to happen all at once.
Cowabunga.
My residency applications are due by Dec 7th.
Everything seems to happen all at once.
Cowabunga.
Friday, December 01, 2006
Oddly hilarious
Is this an argument against obesity? Or for it? | |
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