Q: What do you get when you combine 6 gringos, one Mitsubishi Montero, a barracuda, a few sloths and a couple bold Capuchin monkeys?
We introduced Dawson, Shelly, Ben and Katie to our host family on Monday and it was great fun to witness the funny cultural exchange that ensued around our kitchen table. The Tico boys did their best to use their English, and the North Americans had no trouble communicating through a smattering of Spanglish and gestures. Ben took Diego on in a fierce game of Blokus, and Katie put up a good fight in a chess match against Carlos. Isolina cooked up a delicious typical dinner for the gang, all of who (especially Ben, whose favorite Costa Rican dish is arroz con pollo) ate with gusto. It was fun for us to have both of our families together in the same place, getting to know one another and getting along just fine.
A: A wonderful Costa Rica adventure!
Kevin and I hosted our very first visitors from home last week: my uncle Dawson, aunt Shelly, and cousins Ben and Katie. We were able to cram an incredible amount of adventure and fun into our eight days together!
The story begins in San José, where the four Seattleites arrived late Sunday evening. Their arrival into the country was marked by a spectacular fireworks display at the new national soccer stadium, which Kevin and I took to be a good omen for their spring break trip.
By midday on Day 2, we had rented a hearty SUV and were on our way to Sarapiquí, the beautiful part of the country Kevin and I get to spend most of our time in. The Selva Verde (Green Jungle) Lodge was everything we’d hoped it would be – beautiful, green, wet and crawling with tons of interesting creatures – and served as a great home base for the next days’ excursions.
We introduced Dawson, Shelly, Ben and Katie to our host family on Monday and it was great fun to witness the funny cultural exchange that ensued around our kitchen table. The Tico boys did their best to use their English, and the North Americans had no trouble communicating through a smattering of Spanglish and gestures. Ben took Diego on in a fierce game of Blokus, and Katie put up a good fight in a chess match against Carlos. Isolina cooked up a delicious typical dinner for the gang, all of who (especially Ben, whose favorite Costa Rican dish is arroz con pollo) ate with gusto. It was fun for us to have both of our families together in the same place, getting to know one another and getting along just fine. To the delight of our students, Monday and Tuesday nights’ English classes had four special guest instructors. Our students were thrilled to meet our family and enthusiastically showed off their newly-acquired English skills. Katie made some sweet friends, and some of the teenage girls even went a little crazy over Ben’s Justin Bieber-like good looks. Their visits to our community were very positive, memorable experiences for all.
Sarapiquí proved to be a perfect playground for the family during their first few days here; they enjoyed stunning nature hikes through vast protected rainforest, an exhilarating zip-line canopy tour, several close-up animal sightings (toucans, howler monkeys, colorful poisonous frogs, snakes, lizards, iguanas, turtles and sloths, to name of few) and plenty of relaxation time in the pool.
After saying goodbye to the interior rainforest, we loaded up the car and headed to the Caribbean coast to a small town called Cahuita, one of our personal favorites. Despite the near-daily morning rain, the gang had plenty of opportunities to soak up some much-needed sun (coming from an especially soggy Seattle spring), swim in the warm Caribbean water, and sample the unique costal cuisine.
We took one especially memorable hike into Cahuita’s national park, which runs along the coastline for a few kilometers. The wildlife was abundant there; we ran into several crazy looking spiders, noisy howler monkeys, butterflies, blue crabs, lizards, and a bright yellow eyelash viper. At the end of the trail, where we stopped for a dip in the water and a snack, Ben was accosted by a pair of bold white-faced Capuchin monkeys who ended up grabbing his foot and stealing his Trio bar. No one was hurt, fortunately, but it was a good reminder for us to be extra careful around Costa Rica’s wildlife.
Cahuita’s botanical garden and animal rescue center was also a highlight; it was fun for everyone to see the colorful plants, sloths, a peacock, monkeys, butterflies, a peccary, Coatis, and a parrot up-close and personal. The group spent quite a bit of time perfecting their tans and body surfing skills at Playa Negra and even fit in a last-minute snorkeling excursion on our last day there. The snorkeling was a lot of fun, and Ben spotted a shark, Katie and Dawson spied a turtle and Megon had a face off with a scary-looking barracuda.
We made it back to San José safe and sound (thanks to Kevin’s spectacular navigational skills), all a little browner (or pinker), sandier, and more knowledgeable about this amazing country. The trip was simply unforgettable, and seeing our loved ones was a serious morale booster. Now we’re back in Otoya, back to work, and loving it!
Comments