Monday, March 23, 2009

back in full effect







Costa Rica was a dream.
I have been back for a few days but am only now really coming out of the fog of traveling.

1. Dogs rule in Costa Rica, or at least in Montezuma. The dogs ran free, but I wouldn't say "wild". They were very polite and loveable. On our first full day there, a dog guided us into the forest to a series of waterfalls. His name was Java. The dog in the image above prevented Bez from swimming in dangerous water by jumping in after her and pulling her out, seconds before the water turned rough. Seriously. The dogs are amazing.

2. Taking allergy medicine before embarking on a mountain hiking expedition wherein one scales the side of a mountain in flip flops is not advisable. I did this, and the result was me scaring myself half to death unnecessarily several times, and then spacing out once we reached the desired location. Still an adventure though!

3. Howler monkeys sound SCARY.

4. Joaquin Phoenix has a house in Montezuma and I visually stalked him hanging out in the street. He looks kinda crazy but had an agreeable demeanor from what I could tell. He DID cut in front of everyone in line at the beer store though, and that got me going on a "who does he think he is" rant. Aye, actors who rap.

5. Wave-jumping is fun until the waves become so big that you actually consider death as an imminent possibility. Apparently I am not a strong swimmer because what was a leisurely float in the ocean quickly became a battle for air as the waves overcame me so strongly and repeatedly that I did not know which way was up. We all survived but I didn't go back in past my hips after that.

....
Looking at the list above, you may think that I spent a week in Costa Rica in sheer panic, but really I spent most of the week laughing and trying to come up with the sound that a hermit crab makes as it scuttles sideways to get away. I ate a lot of fresh fish and read a book and plotted ways to make a life in a place so far south that the moon turns on its side and the stars multiply by the second. I love you, Costa Rica.
....

Back to work this week, busier than ever. I am going into my shell and scuttling sideways.....

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Little One,
You are an amazing writer. Very interesting vacation!

Unknown said...

Dogs ran free in Martinique, too.

Once we were at the beach and shared a bunch of our picnic with one because it looked so sad and pitiful.

Fast forward several hours and several km away, back home in Marin, and we see the same dog hanging out at the waterfront pizza restaurant, begging crusts. That dog had it dialed in.