darkness is your candle

First of all, I’m not in a resort, or on a tour, or even thinking about what comes tomorrow – except perhaps surfing… but I’m slowing down a bit and taking ‘pura vida’ to heart. It means “Pure Life”, and is meant as a sort of latin corollary to the more Americanized “stop and smell the roses”. Pura vida has actually become more of a marketing pitch here in Costa Rica… in fact there are quite a few signs selling various things with that slogan prominently displayed, even one of the places I’m staying at is called ‘casas pura vida’. But I can see where it came from… there’s a different attitude here in Costa Rica… something slower and more savory than in the US.

Speaking of savory, did I mention that people love chicken here? I mean they REALLY love it. Besides the fact that there are live chickens running around… it’s advertised EVERYWHERE! It’s like being in a weird chicken obsessed twilight zone where McDonalds even promotes their “chicken wings” in San Jose, and there are chicken restaurants every few miles… even in the middle of nowhere. Crazy.

I’m in Santa Teresa as I write this and I’ve been surfing a lot the last 4 days… twice a day, in the morning and at sunset. I’m sore from using muscles that I don’t normally use… and happy from lots of sunshine, ocean breezes, and gorgeous beaches. Here on the equator the sun rises at 5:30am and sets at 5:30pm every day of the year. It’s an interesting feeling to wake up early and go to sleep early so much because I tend to be a bit of a night-owl.

I’m renting two places this week, a large house with a pool and covered rooftop in Malpais… and a villa near the beach in Santa Teresa. The house is pretty secluded, set back in the jungle on 5 acres … but a short drive to town. The villa is small-ish, but right on the beach. This morning I woke up, grabbed my surfboard and went out into the surf first thing. I wanted the flexibility to surf, or chill far away from all the action in a beautiful house. It’s great except that both cities lost power for 6 hours my second night here… I suppose it was an adventure, and made me feel great about packing my headlamp. Then last night the water went out at the house. It was a good thing I had another place to go… and the owner of the house decided to give it to me for the week at ½ price as a thank you for dealing with adversity.

I’ve met so many remarkable people here, it’s kind of dizzying. But after a few days in country I feel myself going through over-stimulation withdrawl. San Francisco is either constant work, constant parties, or both depending on your line of work, your age, and your attitude. Anyway, I’ve been getting to know some amazing folks. Lena and Flo, a German couple that I hung out with outside of San Jose for a few days, have been travelling for 5+ months through the US and Central America. Flo supported their travel adventures by playing online poker while they travelled. I almost challenged him to a game of Texas Hold’em, before I came to my senses. Yes, he is apparently that good. And Lena looks exactly like an angel. Then there’s Marguerite, a tall stoic blond Canadian expat and her partner. She’s a local painter here in Santa Teresa and owns a small café called Zwart on the main drag. Her work is featured in some of the nicest houses and galleries in the area. Her partner is building an art studio in the back of their business and they seem to know everyone in this town. Felipe and his friend Carlo, a few guys I met while surfing have a grand plan to create a bad ass paintball course in the jungle. Today was their opening day, and I was supposed to go, but I ended up surfing instead. Betsy, the blond dreadlocked tattoo’d alterna-hippie with the most loving smile I’ve ever seen. She’s in her mid-20’s, from Minnesota, has been living in Costa Rica for 4 years and is the epitome of pura vida from her relaxed nature. There are a lot of expats in this town, and after staying here for a few days I can see why they wouldn’t want to leave.

In a few days I head to Montezuma, a small village on the other side of the peninsula about 7km from here. I’m staying at an incredible yoga retreat in the hills overlooking the ocean. I made a stop in Montezuma the other day, and loved the raw vegan café called Organica, the local street peddlers selling necklaces and pipes, and the mountainous terrain leading to exceptionally gorgeous beaches. I attempted to hike in the Cabo Blanca Nature Reserve about 6km south of Montezuma, but arrived too late to make the trek in. I’ll try again next week. Btw, driving in this area is fun if you like off-roading… but you need an ATV or 4×4. This country has a series of rocky dirt roads that wind through the jungle and beach communities. Paved roads simply don’t exist here on the peninsula de nicoya…

My first week in Costa Rica has been a profound adventure so far. Surfing and connecting with the ocean has been both invigorating and therapeutic. There’s something about the rhythm of the ocean, and riding it that makes me feel connected with something spiritually significant. There’s something so intense and beautiful in it that I don’t get with snowboarding, or any other sport. Plus the water is 90 degrees here, and feels so so good.

My thoughts are frequently of my next adventure… perhaps Bali, Thailand, and Cambodia in February or March. Looking forward to connecting with AY and Cintia (a few SF friends) over there.

Ok. I need to get some sleep for surfing tomorrow morning. There are supposed to be some nice waves headed our way!