Costa Rica... Que Rica Rica

Sow the seed of love and let it grow to touch every soul that crosses your path.

Goodness knows I try to stay on top of things and only travel paths that lead me to a greener and more positive pasture, but there are moments of feeling let down by others, which, upon reflection, goes back to the ego. Sometimes, I feel disappointed in myself and those close to me, so with this in mind, I booked a yoga retreat in Costa Rica to go on my own and see if I can yet achieve another higher level of being.  

On the second morning of our arrival to San Jose, the bus journey began at dawn after an early breakfast, which seemed convenient as jet lag had already kicked in. I settled into the front seat next to the driver and watched abrupt scenes of the capital as we drove by. However, once we left the hustle and bustle of the city centre, the scenery that followed was breathtaking as the green surroundings of mountainous roads began to emerge. Apart from a short visit to the Krama yoga centre, San José is still to be discovered. This time, the focus remained on experiencing the wildlife of Costa Rica in the mountains for three days and the beach for the rest of our six nights' stay. Hence, the San Isidro Valley was the designated destination in Canaán de Rivas, alongside the Chirripo River, where Angus awaited us with a deliciously prepared lunch for our hungry group of ten.  

At first, the diva in me awoke when I saw the room on the lower floor, too close to the wildlife which surrounded us, but upon reflection, the whole point of this trip was to further heighten my tolerance and acceptance of situations as they arose. Let's face it: my room was great, simply decorated with a balcony, a rocking chair, and views only the heavens above could provide; it was all lush green, with birds singing along and the sound of the river below running in the background. I went back to Tania, who was in charge of the retreat, and told her:
"Darling, I must be out of my mind to complain about my room. This is the whole point of me being here. Actually, I love it and am grateful."

On the first day, I walked down to the pool after eating; there was a chill in the air, and the clouds were hovering above. It was too cold to dip, so I settled on a large rock by the river, absorbing my new environment's beauty and sounds. It brought new meaning to the word wholesome. As I sat there taking in nature's artistry, Tania's smiley face appeared from the woods, and she sat next to me on the boulder while the beginning of our friendship started to shape. Soon after, it was time to prepare for a yoga session in a spacious studio with no windows but all open air. Our instructor was called Kenny G. Needless to say, I had not read the program and hence had yet to learn what to expect from the program nor this young all-American boy with short, curly blonde hair who seemed well rounded. 

This was another case of me booking a holiday as I had done in the past, checking in to the spa retreat in Spain last Easter on Juliette's recommendation, and getting there to find out I had booked myself on a boot camp! I truly enjoyed the following challenging week. Dare me into a challenge any day.

Everything I heard from other attendees on this retreat about Kenny G's marvellous method of teaching yoga was true and more. Despite the three times-a-week pilates reformer classes and boxing before travels, some positions proved strenuous. Although I began my first yoga session at seventeen, which goes back a while (long before it became fashionable), the regular practice has been far from my schedule apart from when holidaying in India a while back, then Spain and Bali the year before. After the two-hour class, another tasteful dinner was served, and everyone was ready to retire to their rooms. There were too many unknown creatures hanging around in the woods outside, including varied bugs, which I preferred to avoid getting too acquainted with; hence, going to bed was the only remaining option.

Meditation and Yoga Centre

Waking up early for the 6:00am meditation in the semi-open-air yoga hut was pure pleasure, as serenity and calmness filled the space with sounds of nature. Looking back at the lovely people I met during my ten-day stay, it took me a while to get to know each one as, at first, it is only an image of a person we perceive according to how we feel and not who they really are. Then again, it also has something to do with energy flow. 

On the second day in the mountains, we walked to the Jardines Secretos, only a few minutes up the road, and the guide walked us through this Secret Garden. It was planted with Bird of Paradise flowers of different kinds, orchids growing out of trees, water lilies, and many other plants whose names I only wish I could remember.

Colourful Secret Garden

Orchids growing on trees.

Most unusual flower!

In the afternoon, I was still not tempted to swim in the pool because of the chill in the air, so I sat on the porch and read while, every now and then, being distracted by the lush green scenery and the sound of the birds. As the sunsets were as early as 17:30, everyone headed to their rooms as darkness descended upon us after a healthy dinner. Even I went to bed at an unheard hour of 10 or 11pm! That would be after a cheeky cigarette with my new partner in crime, Kasey. 

On another early morning, we were loaded into the truck (literally), myself in the front seat (being older does have its advantages) and the others standing behind in the open, going on an adventure trail, a short drive away, to the National Park; Cloud Bridge where I barely managed to take a photo. If I had known the walk would be so challenging and mainly uphill, the choice of going might have been left out of my schedule, alas, there I was breathless trying to keep up with the rest of a very fit entourage. And so, huffing and puffing, I struggled. There, amid the wilderness, grew plants I had never seen before. The guide who stayed behind to accompany me towards the end of the trek (as everyone else was far ahead) picked a particular fruit from the tree, slightly larger than a pea and before he had mentioned the name, I picked some from the tree and sucked out the white, sweet and sticky gel-like substance with tiny black seeds. The guide said:
"We call this fruit mucus."
I would have spat the substance out if I hadn't swallowed it so quickly!

Even in Spanish, I knew exactly what he meant as it felt exactly that; yes, mucusy but sweet. Urgh! On reflection, though, I liked the taste, especially when he mentioned how much protein it contains and having climbed mountains (well, in my book), I needed all the energy coming my way. There were waterfalls almost everywhere we looked; the only shame was that everyone seemed in such a hurry that I did not get to enjoy the scenery that surrounded us entirely. Glad that was over when it was, and the few hours of ascending had left us hungry for lunch, a visit to a trout farm, where we fished for our meal, literally. The last fish I happened to catch for that meal was my first ever!

Trout Fishing in Costa Rica

Afterwards, Angus offered to show us around their home, where Tania and their cute kitten awaited us. Oh, how I admire people living amid a jungle, mainly in an open space where monkeys often pass you by on nearby trees, and seeing a panther or a snake is no risk to anyone. To live this lifestyle in the ten days I did was a massive step towards being free in more ways than simply in mind and spirit. In my book, this was getting out of any comfort zone imaginable.

A room with a view. And what a view!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upon returning to the Chirripo Retreat, another yoga session was scheduled before an early supper. Afterwards, we returned to our rooms to pack and get ready for another bus journey to Osa Peninsula early in the morning. This time, the adventures followed us to the beach. 

 To be continued ...