Anyway, Saturday afternoon I decided to finally climb the Mirador trail. It’s a trail that leads up to the top of a mountain on the ranch property and apparently, it’s pretty intense. So I donned my hiking boots and hydration pack and headed up the trail, hoping it wouldn’t rain. Since it had rained the entire day before I wasn’t sure of the trail conditions either, especially since the trail was all dirt—and therefore, now mud. Mostly the trail is used for the horseback tours so as I climbed I dodged piles of horse excrement, as well as a few spots where it looked like the horse had sank deeply into the mud. I made it up to the top in no time, enjoying the physical exertion and breathtaking views that popped up around a corner or in between two trees. I love climbing mountains. It’s harder work of course, but so much more satisfying than a flat trail. The steep trail leveled out once I reached the lookout. It opened up to reveal an incredible view of Lake Arenal, Volcán Arenal, awesome clouds, a few horses grazing, and miles upon miles of pure, green rainforest. I burst into a massive smile, awestruck with the few in front of me and the complete silence, aside from the occasional bird call, howler monkey scream, and buzz of insects. The town of El Castillo lay in front of me as well, small homes colorfully dotting the landscape to the east, as the sun began to set in the west. I wasn’t quite to the top of the mountain, even though this is where the trail supposedly ended. Overwhelmed by the view, I figured I could get an even better one if I climbed a little higher, off the trail and into the brush. There was a small horse trail that I was able to use for a while but I pressed on once it ended. The top was even more spectacular than the first view. I was even higher and breathless with excitement.
Here I was, on the top of a mountain in Costa Rica, feasting my eyes on pure natural jungle. Birds flew by me, and butterflies flitted among the various flowers growing up amongst the tall grass. I fleetingly thought about the high probability of chiggers in the grass, but dismissed it—I was adventuring! I slid underneath a barbed wire fence to get a better view, and to have a place to set up my tripod. As I tramped around, soaking up the view all I could think about was how beautiful it all was, and how I wanted to stay up there forever. I think I spent about an hour and a half up there, taking pictures, listening to the birds, watching them hop from branch to branch and then suddenly take off and soar across the expanse. I got some incredibly clear views of the volcano too, as the clouds cleared off and the smoke from within dissipated momentarily. Eventually, I decided it was time to descend. I now passed along the other side of the mountain, into the jungle once more. I saw a HUGE orange-winged tarantula wasp injecting a big gray tarantula with its eggs in the middle of the trail. Crazy sight. In a few weeks, the eggs will hatch and the baby wasps will eat the tarantula alive. Delicious. ;)
On Tuesday, our friend Luís Carlos came and found us after lunch and told us that there was a kayak tour going out later that afternoon if we wanted to join. Of course we did, ending work early for the day only to make up the hours later in the week—definitely worth it! Andrea and I shared a double kayak, something I’ve never done before, and one other girl got the other single kayak. I’d taken ocean kayaking classes in Chile, so I’d encountered larger waves than the ones that insisted on entering. The wind didn’t help much either though, and we struggled to keep up. I felt like I was in the middle of the ocean, even though it was just a manmade lake. The waves rolled, the wind howled (okay, it wasn’t that bad—but still!), and I imagined for a moment how the pirates must have felt, navigating the high seas during a storm as the water rolled over the sides of their mighty ship. Luís Carlos decided it would be better if we switched, so he came in to the back of the kayak and Andrea took the single. It was much easier after this change, and we made it to the other side of this massive lake to an island in no time, leaving the other two in the dust. Or rough water, one of the two. It was quite a workout, but so fun out on the open water. We rested on an island for a bit, and then entered the water for another go. The way back was easier, with less waves, and the water was warm. It was a gorgeous day—it only rained for about 5 minutes!! The rest of the day was brilliant sunshine, perfect for a kayak adventure. I even took a few pictures for the brochure we’re developing, so it wasn’t a lost cause by any means! :)
Last night was another Awesome Moment. We had another fire on the island in the river, and quite a few people joined this time. There are a few new volunteers as well, two from France and one from Israel so that keeps things entertaining. We enjoyed another fire, along with sacrificing Isaac’s sandals that had broken after 3 years of use. A few guests from the ranch joined us and when they decided to leave, some thought that that meant that everyone was leaving so our large group quickly shrunk to 4—me, Memo, Luís Carlos, and Isaac. The 4 of us burned the rest of the wood we’d brought, including a broken stool. As the fire died down, Isaac suggested going out to “the most beautiful place on all the ranch.” He wasn’t exaggerating. We navigated the river, going upstream and climbing over many river rocks until we finally reached a large, flat rock that sat in the middle of the divide between the two rivers. We laid down on the rock and looked up at the stars that, as the sky began to clear, revealed millions upon billions of tiny, twinkling beams of light. it was so incredible. i felt so small yet so safe and without a care in the world, peering into the big, dark expanse of the Costa Rican sky. Nothing seemed to matter and everything seemed so simple. There was nothing more to do, nothing more to think about. The river continued its course, just as it has for many years before our time, and likely will for many years to come. The stars sparkled, many light years away, looking down on us, or maybe we were looking up at them. A plane flew by, moving quickly from one end of the sky to the other. Where was it going? Were the passengers awake, looking down on the earth below, wondering if anyone was down there watching them fly by? While out in the middle of the river, we saw 3 shooting stars journeying through the universe, burning up into space. all i could do was just smile like a goof and chuckle to myself in absolute wonder and awe. LOVED it.
The rains continue, along with the occasional sun, and the always present beans and rice. We get orange slices for breakfast sometimes now, even had some type of French toast this morning too. I’m loving being able to use my Spanish to communicate with some of the other workers and truthfully, am beginning to enjoy being here. The beauty of this place certainly helps, despite all the imperfections and discomforts that come along with any foreign place.
May you find your own adventures this week!
Cheers,
Katie
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