When Megon and I first heard the Peace Corps selected us for Costa Rica, most reactions sounded like this: “Peace Corps in Costa Rica? Really? Two-year vacation!” Just to clarify, when people in the United States think Costa Rica, most think of white sandy beaches, beautiful weather and abundance of nature.We experienced all three Saturday when our family took us to la playa, otherwise known as the beach. However, when you live in La Fila – a tiny community tucked away in the mountains – going to the beach is hardly like a trip to the grocery store. Going to the beach from here is comparable to Lewis and Clark’s expedition; you just never know what’s coming around the bend.
The day started with a 3 a.m. alarm, and by 3:15 we were on the road to Quepos, a tourist/surfing town in Southeast Costa Rica where Megon lived for a month while taking classes at a Spanish-speaking school. Our goal was to be there by sunrise and return to La Fila in time for dinner.
Mario, our host dad who took the wheel, has driven the route to Quepos more times than he can remember. He and Esterlina, his wife, packed all the necessary items: beach mats, sunscreen, fruit, coffee, snacks, plenty of water, spare tire, a machete and a tow rope. Guess which item came in handy the most? I’ll give you a hint: 90 percent of the road from La Fila to Quepos is dirt/mud. A tow rope.
It’s to Costa Rica like duct tape is to Alaska; you never leave home without it.
Ours came in handy within the first two hours of the four-hour drive when the single-lane road turned into a slick, muddy mess that made no match for our Toyota van. Luckily, a four-wheel drive vehicle pulled up behind us no more than five minutes after we tried relentlessly to push the van out. The driver let us tie the rope to his car. He pulled us backwards and out of the mud hole, then pulled us forward and through to the other side.
In Anchorage, signs tell people not to feed the bears. In Quepos, signs tell people not to feed the monkeys. After Saturday’s adventure, we now know why. If you take your eyes off your bag, monkeys will snatch it and dash into the trees to eat whatever food you have. But it’s not just the monkeys causing all the trouble – Manuel Antonio has food-thieving raccoons too. Even the dozens of hermit crabs walking the beach want a piece of the action. The only non-thieving animal we saw were iguanas and guatusa, an animal that looks like a guinea pig with deer legs (or a wump, if you’ve ever read Bill Peet). The monkeys and raccoons at Manuel Antonio are so out of control, even Rick Sinnott couldn’t solve the problem.
Other than the loco monkeys and raccoons, and getting stuck in the mud again on the way home (even after using an alternative route), we had a fabulous time with our family. They have really set the bar high for Peace Corps host families. We didn’t brag too much about our adventure to our Peace Corps friends on Monday during language class because we’re probably the only Tico 21ers lucky enough to have traveled to the beach so far. I think we’re going to our family’s cabin in the mountains this weekend. We hope for good weather and for a road that’s better than the one to Quepos.
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