Leaping Into Life

After four days in the beautiful, beach town of Nosara, I write this update listening to the sound of loud latin music (the neighbors) and mating calls of howler monkeys outside mi casa’s window (louder than the music).

SUNDAY

I arrived at Anna’s house, my home-stay, on Sunday. While awkward at first (like any time you move into a complete stranger’s home), we get along wonderfully and talk for a few hours each evening to work on my Spanish and hear more about her life and dreams. She opened up Anna’s Cabinas this past year. It took six to build as she worked two jobs to earn the money to complete the project. Anna wasn’t able to go to high school because there wasn’t one in Nosara when she was growing up, but she taught herself English and takes business and accounting classes in Nicoya (an hour drive) on the weekends. I admire her commitment and tenacity to better her life and to ensure that her sixteen year old daughter has the opportunity to be a doctor or lawyer if she wants (that’s what Anna hopes for as she wanted to be a doctor).

Nosara is spread out over about five kilometers of dusty, rock-filled roads and is 32 kms from any paved roads. The last time I was here, I had a car – now I have an old mountain bike of a former student to get to class and the beach. You see, Anna’s house is a couple kilometers from the main area of small hotels and hostels, surf shops and yoga studios – but it feels closer as everyday goes by.

My first day at Anna’s, I decided to walk to where I had stayed the night before (Kaya Sol) to get my bearings before dark so that I could go out at night to meet up with people. Marco from the Nosara Spanish Institute told me about a short cut through an abandoned housing community so I took it and promptly got lost in the winding roads that I thought would eventually lead me to the beach. After a failed attempt to get directions due to my complete lack of Spanish, I was lucky to run into a fellow Spanish student who helped me get back on the right path (which was perfect timing as panic began to set in and the feeling of being alone crept up on me). After an hour and a half of walking (including through a very cool jungle trail), I arrived at my destination with a growing blister on the bottom of my foot and the feeling that maybe I’d cut off more than I could chew. Did I mention that my flip flops broke the day before and I was borrowing my new friend Jaii’s old, size 12 flip flops?

I met a great couple at sunset on the beach from Seattle who gave me a ride back to mi casa (I was about to rent a bike just so I didn’t have to walk). I was too exhausted to go out and Anna was working at a fundraiser for the local school so I went to bed early. I went to sleep thinking tomorrow is a new day and that while staying at the hostel in town would be easier, this would be a richer experience to learn more (and get back into shape to boot). And I’m muy bueno to say that so far it has.

MONDAY

Monday was my first day of Spanish lessons – think Kindergarten in a different language, that’s how little I know. With just me and my fellow student, Stephanie, our Professora Melissa (who is fantastic) got the ball rolling and by the end of four hours, I was able to say hellos and goodbyes, introduce myself and where I’m from, and say my occupation (we just went with my former career of politics as my current situation is a bit more complicated to explain, but I’ll get there!).

That afternoon, Stephanie and I went to Rosi’s for a casado con pollo (a cheap, traditional Costa Rican dish of chicken served with rice, beans, salad, and fried plantains). We bonded over our love of the dish (so simple, yet so delicious) and lack of Spanish (muchas gracias Steph for offering to pick up lunch.)

Later on, I wrote for a bit, secured my much-needed bicycle (free – now that’s what I call karma), watched the sunset on the beach, and rode back to Anna’s for dinner. I went back out after with a six-pack ($7) of Imperial to meet friends at a beach bonfire, riding on the rocky roads with a headlamp and bandanna around my face to avoid dust kicked up by cars and ATVs (slow down!). My Seattle friends offered me a ride home after since it was almost 11pm. So with the bike in the truck, I was thankful to watch the clouds of dust through a window instead of the fog that I’d rode through earlier.

TUESDAY

Spanish on Tuesday morning was great where I learned colors, adjectives, the verb tense to be (necessary to say pretty much everything), days of the week, articles, and countries. I hung out at the pool that students can use at the Institute after (see photo below, it was muy bonita con waterfall), swung home to eat the rest of the bologna and cheese that I bought in San Jose on Friday, and bought some new flip flops ($12) at the Super Mercado.

On Tuesday nights, the Gilded Iguana has live music so I decided to reclaim my bed in the hostel room at Kaya Sol ($13) so I could drink and not worry about the commute. While doing my homework at the bar, I met Vanessa (a Canadian surfer chasing the swells in Costa Rica for the month with her hubby and friend) who invited me to a pasta dinner in their room before hitting the Iquana. She travelled for six years, sailed around the world twice and was super stoked about my trip – offering some great advice and tips for the road.

I went out hard and stayed out late. My confidence in speaking Spanish increased exponentially with every Imperial and by the end of the night, I was spending most of my time talking to the local Ticos in Spanglish and using my hands and gestures to get my point across. Around 2am, I said goodbye, promised my new amigo Roger that I’d skip out of Spanish early the next day to go to the rodeo in Santa Cruz and quietly slipped into one of the four beds (in the same clothes that I’d worn all day) for a few hours sleep before biking back to Esperanza (my part of town).

WEDNESDAY (Today as I write, but yesterday for you as I won’t have internet to post this until tomorrow)

This morning was brutal. The alarm went off at 6:30am which I promptly snoozed until 7am (classes start at 8am). With a pounding headache, I chugged some aqua and hopped on my bike for the 20 minute ride home. I learned a lot today, even if I was in a bit of a hungover haze. Needless to say, I didn’t make the rodeo, but Roger understood. After class ended at noon, I stopped by a nearby restaurant for casado ($6) and then had a two hour siesta at Anna’s before biking back to Guiones to the beach for a swim and sunset. Back at Anna’s, I interviewed her for mi tarea (homework) and that brings me to right now.

THURSDAY (Today for you, tomorrow for me)

I’ve got Spanish, but am committed to locking down a board and hitting the surf. I’m itching to get out there and, with a good night’s sleep, will be in better form then if I had attempted it today. Thursday night is reggae night at La Banana so I’ll be getting pizza with some amigos at IL Basilica to the tunes of Tico Hendrix (I’ll explain later with pictures) then dancing. It’s also two of the only places that are in my hood so super convenient and walking distance! Habla luego mis amigos! Pura Vida!

EDITOR’S NOTE – If you have read this far, thanks! There’s just so much to share! In the coming days, posts on what makes Nosara so special and how to keep it that way, surfing and what drew me to it five years ago, and recounting my escapades at La Banana and other adventures that will most certainly happen in the coming days.