THE VIEW FROM A HILLTOP IN EL JOBO, COSTA RICA
THE VIEW FROM OUR CASA MARGERITTA IS BREATHTAKING. OUR RUSTIC, CHARMING CASITA SITS HIGH ABOVE A HILL TOP OVERLOOKING THE VALLEY BELOW AND JUST BEYOND THE PACIFIC OCEAN WHICH STRETCHES ACROSS THE BAY TO THE MOUNTAINS BEYOND. A ROOSTER WOKE ME UP, THEN A HORSE GALLOPED BY AND NOW I’M HAVING MY COFFEE OUTSIDE ON A LITTLE GRAVEL DECK AS I WATCH BIRDS OF MANY COLORS FLY BY, PARROTS, LITTLE YELLOW AND BRIGHT GREEN ONES, A MULTITUDE OF SONGS FLOATING THROUGH THE AIR. I FLEW INTO LIBERIA AIRPORT ON JETBLUE YESTERDAY, ERIK PICKED ME UP WITH OUR RENTAL CAR. WE WOUND OUR WAY TOWARDS THE PACIFIC AND THROUGH LA CRUZ WHERE WE PROVISIONED. BOUGHT FRUIT AND VEGETABLES FROM A LOCAL FARM STAND. AFTER ARRIVING HERE IN EL JOBO WE MET OUR HOST MATHI, A LOVELY FRENCH WOMAN WHO WITH HER HUSBAND OWN THE CASITA AND ALSO A SAILBOAT WHICH SHE TAKES PEOPLE OUT SAILING ON. WE MET DAMIEN OUR KITEBOARDING INSTRUCTOR TO SET UP A TIME TO MEET AT SALINAS BAY TODAY. IT’S REMOTE AND WILD HERE, NO HOTELS OR TOURISTS FOR THAT MATTER. WE WALKED DOWN TO MANZILLA BEACH LAST NIGHT TO WATCH THE SUNSET AND CAME ACROSS AN AUTHENTIC LOCALS SCENE, KIDS PLAYING IN THE OCEAN, THE LOCAL FISHING BOATS WHICH THEY TETHER TO TREES ON THE SHORE AND SWIM OUT TO. A ROCKY BEACH WITH BEAUTIFUL VIEWS OF THE MOUNTAINS IN THE DISTANCE. OUR CASITA IS A SHORT WALK AWAY, BUT ALL UPHILL. WE PARKED ACROSS THE STREET AND SHLEPPED OUR BAGS AND GROCERIES UP A HILL PASSING CHICKENS, ROOSTERS, CHICKS, AND THE HORSE, TO GET TO THE TOP WHERE IT SITS. SIMPLE AND RUSTIC, MADE OF ALL WOOD, WITH ONLY A LITTLE FRIDGE, A FEW DISHES, A HOT PLATE AND SINK, AND A LOT OF WILDLIFE..IT’S PERFECT. REMINDS ME OF THE SIMPLICITY OF MY FAMILY’S FIRST HOUSE IN STANIEL CAY, BAHAMAS.... BACK IN THE DAYS OF NO ELECTRICITY OR PHONES. WE HAVE ELECTRICITY AND THE NECESSITIES, ALL WE NEED FOR A WEEK OF KITEBOARDING AND EXPLORING. THIS IS THE FIRST REAL VACATION I’VE TAKEN SINCE MY MOM PASSED AWAY IN AUGUST. IT FEELS GOOD TO BE FEELING A SENSE OF JOY, OF HOPEFULNESS, OF RENEWAL. IN THE WEEKS AND MONTHS SINCE MY MOM, A BEAUTIFUL ANGEL, PASSED I HAVE BEEN FEELING SUCH SORROW AND SADNESS THAT I WONDERED IF I’D EVER BE ABLE TO WALK OUT INTO THE WORLD AGAIN WITH OPEN EYES AND ARMS AND A SENSE OF WONDER....I HAVE BEEN FEELING SO HEAVY, SO DEFEATED, SO BROKEN FROM THE LOSS OF THE WOMAN WHO BROUGHT ME INTO THIS WORLD. I HAVE NOT REALLY KNOWN HOW TO GO FORWARD UNTIL NOW. THERE IS STILL A LIFE TO LIVE, TO LEAD, TO WANT, TO EXPLORE, TO ENJOY...THERE IS STILL LAUGHTER AND HAPPINESS TO BE FOUND AND FROM THE DEPTHS OF SORROW IT SLOWLY COMES TO LIFE AGAIN AMIDST THE SUNSHINE, THE SAND, THE CACOPHONY OF BIRD CALLS, THE GENTLE LOVE AND TOUCH FROM MY PARTNER, THE NAKEDNESS....I AM SITTING IN A CARVED WOODEN CHAIR UNDERNEATH A TERRA COTTA ROOF LOOKING OUT OVER AN ABSOLUTELY STUNNING VIEW OF THE OCEAN AND THE MOUNTAINS BEYOND. THE PEOPLE HERE HAVE BEEN SO WELCOMING, SO FRIENDLY, EVEN THOUGH MY SPANISH IS LIMITED. THEY HAVE BEEN LOVELY. GREETINGS OF BUENOS DIAZ AND HOLA AS WE NAVIGATE THE TINY TOWN OF EL JOBO, WITH ONE STORE AND A FEW OPEN AIR RESTAURANTS. A POOR TOWN IN TERMS OF POSSESSIONS BUT A VERY WEALTHY TOWN IN TERMS OF QUALITY OF LIFE, NATURE, BEAUTY, BEACHES, UNDISCOVERED LANDS... WE HAVE SEEN NO TOURISTS, THERE ARE NO HIGH RISES...JUST BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPES, LOCALS LAUGHING, FISHING...ENJOYING EACH OTHER.. AN ISOLATED STRETCH OF COASTLINE WHERE FEW “GRINGOS” GO AS THEY TEND TO FLOCK TO TAMARIND AND THE MORE COMMERCIAL AND TOURISTY DESTINATIONS. THIS PLACE IS A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH. RUGGED, RUSTIC LANDSCAPE, CHICKENS AND HORSES GRAZING AND ROAMING FREE.... CATTLE, LOCAL FISHERMAN EAKING OUT A LIVING WITH HARD WORK AND LONG HOURS. TEQUILA, BEER... LOCAL VEGETABLES SOLD AT SMALL ROADSIDE STANDS, ALOE AND CACTI GROWING WILD, DRY TERRAIN BUT AZURE OCEAN BEYOND. WE FOUND AN ABSOLUTELY STUNNING BEACH RECOMMENDED BY OUR LOCAL KITESURFING INSTRUCTOR, PLAYA RAJADA IN EL JOBO, WHITE SAND, TURQUOISE WATER, A PERFECT CRESCENT SHAPED BAY AND NO ONE THERE...ONLY LOCALS. WE SPENT THREE DAYS THERE EXPLORING THE WATER WITH OUR SNORKELS, SWIMMING, WALKING, OBSERVING THE BIRD LIFE, PARROTS AND EXOTIC BIRDS, EVEN SAW A DEADLY CORAL SNAKE ON THE BEACH. HE LOCALS COME ON THE WEEKEND TO ENJOY THE BEAUTY OF NATURE AND THE SEA WITH THEIR HAMMOCKS, COOLERS FILLED WITH BEER, FRUIT AND CHIPS.. BEACH CHAIRS.. AND STAY ALL DAY WITH THEIR MUSIC BLARING FROM CAR STEREOS...THEY KNOW HOW TO SPEND THE DAY AT THE BEACH! WE HAD INTENDED ON KITE SURFING IN SALINAS BAY BUT THE WIND DIDN’T COOPERATE SO WE ENDED UP AT THE BEACH...AND WHAT A BEACH IT WAS. WE WENT BACK ON MONDAY AND THERE WERE ONLY ABOUT 5 OTHER PEOPLE THERE...A LONG DIRT, RUGGED, BUMPY ROAD WOUND DOWN TO A SMALL PARKING AREA UNDERNEATH TOWERING TREES..A REAL TREASURE. ON THE ROAD TO THE BEACH THERE WERE RAMSHACKLE, RUSTIC, SIMPLE HOMES SCATTERED AMONG THE LANDSCAPE...LAUNDRY HANGING FROM EVERY HOUSE TO A NEARBY TREE, CATS, DOGS ROAMING AND SOMETIMES SITTING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD...HORSES AND CHICKENS ROAMING FREE....A WILD AND RUSTIC LANDSCAPE, DRY YET LUSH WITH BEAUTIFUL BOUGAINVILLE AND YELLOW AND RED FLOWERS....OPEN AIR HOUSES...KIDS SUCKING ON COCONUT POPSICLES....MEN FILETING FISH IN THEIR FRONT YARDS, WOMEN DOING LAUNDRY...IT’S LIKE STEPPING BACK IN TIME . EVEN SO EVERYONE SEEMS TO BE HOLDING A CELL PHONE, WEARING MASKS, AND HAVE TVS ON IN THEIR HOMES...