1The Costa Rican Way
It´s Thursday evening and I´m sitting at the computer at my host family´s home, waiting for the rain to subside before we head out for our last evening as a group in San Ramon. The past three weeks have made a “little family,” as Annie calls us, out of 6 (now 7, a new volunteer joined us this week) strangers, and it will be sad to break up our home as three of us say goodbye this weekend. One will be heading home, another is off to a different project, and I´m on my way to see the country for two weeks while the remainder continue to work on our house.
This week we added a roof to the walls and foundation laid, making our house look more like a “home” than ever before. The work ethic of the Costa Ricans is impressive… these men go morning until night without a single complaint or any visible exhaustion. The volunteers, while working hard, tend to take a few more breaks during the day, including my personal favorite- the pre-lunch lunch break. It´s fun to wander through the rooms of the house picturing what they will look like after they´re finished and painted, and I wish I could be here the day Walter, Lindsay and Abigail move in to their “castle” on the hill. We had a good laugh the other day when we asked one of the workers what Walter´s address would be and he responded (in Spanish), “Walter´s House, 100 KM east of the church, La Paz, San Ramon, Alajuela, Costa Rica.”
I have a feeling my Christmas card won´t be getting there. We also don´t know what happens if another Walter moves in to the village, but I guess you cross that path when you come to it. Easygoing is definitely a good way to describe the Costa Rican way of life.
Yesterday we played a game of soccer (or FOOTBALL, for my British, Danish, and Costa Rican friends), Volunteers vs. Costa Ricans. Although we ended up losing, 20-16, we´re pretty sure the Ricans cheated throughout most of the game. I maintained my title in defense, even scoring a goal, despite the fact my legs and arms became a feasting spot for the vicious sand flies this country breeds. The field was muddy, we all took a beating, but it´s a day I will never forget.
Friday I say good bye to the workers and families who I´ve spent each day with for the past three weeks. One of the saddest goodbyes will be to Sirenita (which translates to “The Little Mermaid”), the little Chihuaha/Jack Russell mix who became my best friend on the site. Every day she comes out to greet me with those big brown eyes that remind me of my childhood dog, Cocoa. I will take my last morning ride on the Bluebird school bus, an ironic name for my daily journey for those that know the song that haunted me before I left. And of course, I will say goodbye to my Costa Rican family, who, regardless of our language barrier, gave me a warm place to sleep and a full stomach every day.
After that, it´s on the road again. Just me, my backpack, a bus, a beach… no set plans, no set schedule, just life as it happens. It´s the Costa Rican way.
So much more than building a house…
Friday afternoon we boarded a bus from San Ramon to San Jose to begin our journey down to Manuel Antonio for some relaxing beach time after a week of hard work. The house now has all of it´s walls up, the frames for the windows have been built, and the preparation for the roof is in place, with the only casualties being a few more mosquito bites and a 15lb breeze block cracking on my thigh (don´t worry, I have pics of the bruise for those interested. It´s epic.) It is incredible that just 2 weeks ago this spot was a simple piece of land and now it is a house. We can walk through doorways and peer out where windows will eventually be placed, enjoying the breathtaking view that the family will wake up to every morning.
On the bus journey down to Manuel Antonio an older Costa Rican woman took a seat next to me. About 60 years of age, she had kind eyes, weathered skin, and a smile that revealed crooked and missing teeth. To my surprise, she immediately began attempting to speak English with me. I found this unusual because unlike Europeans, many of the Costa Rican people are quite comfortable with their native language and speak/understand little English. The woman proceeded to tell me she lived in New Jersey for a year where she worked at Wendy´s and her daughter worked at ShopRite. Both she described as SO nice and SO beautiful. She spoke of her family, her grandchildren, and her house in San Ramon, and she asked me what brought me to Costa Rica. I told her about the building project and you could see the genuine joy in her eyes and she blessed me and my fellow volunteers, telling me how much she loves Americans, loves English, and loves me. It was the sweetest thing I´ve encountered since I´ve been here. The appreciation she had for such basic things in life was sweet and innocent, almost child-like, and reminded me of why I came to Costa Rica in the first place.
There really is a laid back way of life here that is both comforting, settling, and inspiring. Most nights I´m so exhausted after work I end up showering, eating dinner, writing, and reading. The two albums I´ve had on repeat quite a bit this week are Sara Bareilles´s latest ¨Kaleidoscope Heart¨(yes, STILL listening and still loving it) and my friend´s band Malpais (in honor of my time in CR). Both have songs and lyrics that really speak to me right now and I am enjoying getting lost in the words and music on a nightly basis. My journal has been getting a lot of action as well, and of course my camera is out every day. The book my friend Justin gave me, ¨The Celestine Prophecy,¨sits on my nightstand and I am loving it so far… such a thought-provoking and well-executed concept.
This past weekend the six remaining volunteers ventured to the beach in the hopes of a weekend of sun, but alas, it has been cloudy and raining. We did get some sand and ocean time in yesterday, and the hostel where we are staying has lovely hammocks to swing in while overlooking the Pacific, so overall it´s still been a great experience. I enjoyed my first official Costa Rican ¨casado¨ yesterday, a traditional dish of rice, beans, salad, fried plaintains, and for me, fish, that was a welcome break from the overdose of carbs I typically consume during the week. Costa Ricans add white rice to any dish the way we would add a piece of bread, and I´ve had quite a few meals that consisted of potatoes and white rice, or pasta a white rice. I would give a vital organ for a big salad and some mangoes on most nights.
Sitting on the computer at Hostel Vista Serena, I occasionally look up, gaze past the forest of trees and land and into the clouds settling over the Pacific Ocean. A fresh cup of coffee is beside me, and a light breakfast of bread, butter, and jam waits outside the door. The hostels here are not only an affordable option for travelers, they also offer a community environment where people who were perfect strangers just a few hours ago can now sit together on a porch and chat about life, work, and future travels. It´s so easy to make a connection because essentially, you are all there for a similar reason and purpose. I have found myself intrigued by so many people´s stories and it has given me a new perspective on my own life and what changes I want to make.
This experience has been both empowering and comforting thus far, opening my eyes to things I have only read about or hear of, and it´s interesting to find myself building and connecting in a community that spans the globe and not just downtown NYC. The next time I post I will have completed my work as a volunteer and will be working my way down the coast to explore the rest of the country.
I cannot wait to see who else I meet along the way.
