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The horrific aroma of sulfur wafts through the canals of my nose and meanders its way over to my mouth, causing me to gag. The sun did not help as its scorching heat only cooks the sulfuric smell while its rays mates with my skin to produce tiny beads of sweat that slowly drip to the earth’s dirt carpet. Ahead of me, through a smoky haze, green shrubs and pink and yellow flowers breathe life from the sides of the path.
At the summit, I emerge into an open pathway with tall green shrubs and small bushes that hold velvet flowers of pink, orange, and yellow. The smoke is now behind me, but the sulfuric smell is at its most vial. Despite the wooden barrier, the depths of Poás Volcano give way to a crater-like pool of murky, steaming water. Leaning over to take in the dramatic documentary of nature truly at work, I know I have discovered my Pura Vida.
I have not yet returned to the land where I first discovered myself, but often reflect to my time spent there. Pura Vida, it is a way of life; it is a saying that the people of Costa Rica live by and believe in; it is the way I, too, strive to live. Busing through the local towns of Costa Rica and venturing off road into the rainforest, I was unsure of what to expect. I had traveled before out of the country with my mom, though now I am traveling with my cousin and our school mates on our Spanish class trip. The people and the destination are different.
Though I have my cousin, I don’t have any friends or close acquaintances with to bond over this shared experience. I think it is better this way. Mentally being alone is the perfect time to explore myself in a way that exposes my inner most truths to my forefront.
My arrival in Costa Rica is smooth; however, traveling with a group of people, someone is bound to lose luggage. Twin brothers, Chris and Ryan, have us waiting a couple hours for their delayed luggage. Waiting entail sitting in a hot bus as it is attempting to push cool air onto us passengers. The delay was to be expected and is not something to stress too much on, but to be aware for future travels.
My body melts into the steaming hot waters created from the volcano. I close my eyes allowing the steam to take over my insides and clear the sinuses. Sitting in boiling water as if I’m the cooking chicken, puts things into perspective, and not in the sense that I’m going to become a vegetarian because I’m not. Reflecting on the hike up the volcano, I remembered my time in Antigua. My mom had offered to take me for a helicopter ride above a volcano, but my fears prevented me from going. Pura Vida. The phrase replayed like a song in my head. No fear.
As I fall 148ft, the butterflies escape from their cage in my stomach. My mind is going blank. I hope I make it. Strapped on to a wired canopy, I fly across and fall from the sky. The Monteverde Canopy Tour is a must-do experience! The superman canopy soars me across the sky allowing me to take in the distant ocean views and the greenery from the cloud forest below. The Tarzan swing is the canopy that launches me 148ft from the sky to the ground and unleashes the butterflies that take shelter within stomachs.
After zip-lining above the cloud forest, is was even more exciting to be standing at the entrance getting ready to embark on our own expedition through the mountainous forest. Ignoring my distaste and disgust for bugs and insects, the damp smell created from the water in the clouds and the fresh plant life around us pass through me in a pleasant way. The path is marked but also intercepted Earth’s exotic plant life that ignored man’s desired rules. Large, wide trees are erect in some of the strangest of spots. After some time, the strange shapes of flowers and the unique way the rainforest caves in play tricks on my eyes letting me know that my time here is up.
“Watch out for the monkeys,” one of the teachers instructs. After a long week of rainforest and mountainous adventures, it is refreshing to take inhale and taste the salt from the sea as a cool breeze passes by relaxing my skin from the harsh rays of the sun. Despite the monkeys on the beach being known for stealing, I am going to make the best of this time.
Placing my belongings tucked under others within the group, I shuffle my way to the waters edge. The water is both warm and cool on my feet. I missed this. I enjoy traveling and having tons of exciting adventures, but I also enjoy relaxing on the beach taking in the people and the landscape. There is a sense of cleansing when I visit a beach. I enjoy cleansing a few times over the course of a trip. While I swam in pools, there is a natural undertone about being at a beach.
Vibrant reds, blues, greens, pinks, and yellows delicately painted in various forms of triangles decorate the traditional Costa Rican carreta (oxcart). Costa Rica’s most famous craft dates to the mid-19th century, when oxcarts were used to transport coffee beans, an ingredient Costa Rica is also famous for. Originally, oxcart designs were significant to their regions within Costa Rica, showcasing the driver’s own origins. As advancements in transportation take form, the use of oxcarts has grown obsolete, but they are still a significant symbol of Costa Rican culture.
Sitting on a tall, round, wooden stool, I look to the instructor. Her tongue milky with her Spanish accent, I struggle to hear her words as I listen intensely as she instructs us on the art of oxcart painting. In front of me is a blank canvas holding a miniature circle that represents our oxcart wheel. Following her instructions, I look at my own piece, the shapes already etched for me. Looking at the array of paints, I just begin aimlessly. There is something relaxing about painting. Was this their Pura Vida? I could see how a simple life like this could still go a long way. Painting and then selling carts or painting and then transporting coffee beans, the result still being both personal satisfaction and economic compensation.
Outside of oxcarts, walking through the village I watch as people go about their days. I overhear people laughing and the occasional sound of cars passing by. People walk slow and appear relaxed but seem happy at the same time. I enter a shoe store, just exploring the shops. I scan the prices. Ridiculously overpriced! There is no sense of where the street begins and the sidewalk ends, its all just road. I walk across to where I see a bunch of buildings. The smell of cooking food floats through the air.
I take a seat at one of the local restaurants and order a seafood pasta dish. Practicing my Spanish with the locals who pass by and the waiter, I enjoy the feeling of being a part of another community. There is so much more in seeing and understanding how people live outside of the television which is usually full of negative stereotypes and exaggerated drama. The food looks and smells delicious. In moments like this, it is easy to forget how fortunate I am to be able to travel and gain a new understanding and perspective.
Pulling up to the school, I know I’m going to be emotional. We disembark the bus and proceed to enter the school. The building is quite different than ones I know as schools, the classrooms too. The children’s ages vary. Inside the classroom, we introduce ourselves and where we are from. We share our experiences thus far and we answer questions that they have.
Playing and sharing the supplies we had bought filled me. I see how much little they have, and yet they still find joy every day. I can tell how excited they were to have us. Their eagerness to play and learn was fun as we all got to practice our English-Spanish speaking skills. I cannot tell whether my tears are happy or sad. Likely the combination of the two. I was truly beginning to understand Pura Vida as a way of life and a lifestyle.
Escazú, though known as the “city of witches,” I failed to see any flying overhead as we drove to the café. The café was chic looking. The woman at the counter was a small petite woman. She was expecting us. Her accent, not as heavy but still there, was easier to understand as she split us into two groups. Together we were going to prepare a meal for lunch followed up with some of Costa Rica’s best coffee.
I am in the group that was making the tamale dough. I enjoyed the interactive experience of cooking a traditional Costa Rican dish. Getting my hands dirty in a way that was full of laughter and passionate conversation. Coming together as a group to combine the tamale filling with the dough, and then wrapping them in plantain leaves was the “circle of life” in coming back together. The end result was sharing a delicious meal together that we had all joyously labored over. This was Pura Vida.
From the coastal shores to its volcano summits to its rainforests, Costa Rica has a lot to offer tourists, travelers, guests, and residents. For me, Costa Rica provided me with a way of life; an understanding into how I want to live in order for me to live a pure life.
Hiking the Poás Volcano and zip-lining above the cloud forests of Monteverde, taught me that life is about overcoming obstacles, but also trusting that life won’t let you fall. In essence, you can live both carefree and cautiously, but I want that sense of adventure and thrill.
Soaking in hot springs, swimming in hotel pools, and embracing both ocean and sun at the beach eased the tension in my limbs and mind. There is something about travel that, for me, must come with time to relax and reflect.
Oxcart painting, being a local, visiting the school, and learning to how to make tamales taught me about myself and to be humbler. There is a way to live without always seeking something. Despite all that goes on, it is best to live in the present, in the moment and just enjoy what is happy.
The unique experience that I had within Costa Rica gave way to my Pura Vida: a life of traveling to different places seeking new adventures and thrills; while hoping to learn from the people and the remnants of their history; a life of relaxing and reflecting; while laughing over cooking a new meal and sharing in the experience of eating it. Pura Vida.
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