Tag Archives: travel

Jul23

up in the canopy and so lucky.

Posted on July 23, 2023 by beth

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it was a very lucky day

to wake up and look out my window

to see the high clouds had cleared

revealing the top of the volcano at last

then a hike up and into the tree canopy of the arenal rainforest

amidst many highly specialized flora and fauna that very rarely live in other places.

it’s estimated that no less than 1/3 of all tropical species are found in a rainforest canopy.

it was such a lovely way to end the day

to see these skies when returning in the early evening

after a day spent up high in the canopy

a very lucky day indeed.

“the forest is for me a temple-

a cathedral of tree canopies and dancing light.”

-dr. jane goodall

Jul21

going through.

Posted on July 21, 2023 by beth

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a welcoming walk through the rainforest

in the sarapiqui region

beauty everywhere

bravery on the hanging bridge

over the roiling river

finding a lock of love

magnifico.

“the clearest way into the universe is through a forest wilderness.”

-john muir

Jul19

pura vida.

Posted on July 19, 2023 by beth

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my home away from home

in the rainforest on the caribbean side

water, more water, water from the sky

crocs, orchids, trees, coconuts, mangoes, sloths, monkeys, birds

rice, beans, fish, bananas, coffee, veggies, guava, papaya,

calm

pura vida

—

The term “Pura Vida” is an expression of happiness, optimism, and living life to the fullest. It is impossible to visit Costa Rica without hearing this phrase continuously.

As a question, it is equivalent to “how are you?” As a response, it means “very well.”

Curiously, the person does not necessarily have to be very well — the greeting arises automatically because, deep down, its meaning is: “I’m glad to see you and that makes me happy”.

it is also used to say goodbye:

it is the equivalent to saying “yes” to any question and used to say “you’re welcome” or “it’s nothing”.

regardless of the context, Pura Vida is always expressed with enthusiasm, sympathy, gratitude and motivation, because it emerges from the soul.

Pura Vida is an expression so embedded in the culture of Costa Ricans that no one would suspect that it may have arisen from a 1956 Mexican movie with the same name. The phrase is used by the protagonist throughout the film to refer to good people and beautiful things or situations.

Ticos (people native to Costa Rica) adopted the term, morphing it to a distinct meaning yet with varied manifestations. It is now so ingrained that it is used by different generations and is part of Costa Rican mainstream culture and identity. More than just a term, it’s a lifestyle.

Jul16

the last straw.

Posted on July 16, 2023 by beth

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after much trial and error

and lacking strong spatial skills

i shifted to a 3-d jigasw puzzle approach

and was finally able

to fit everything

for my two-week trip

to a country

with twelve micro-climates

into a carry-on bag

that met the weight and size limits

however

i was not able to fit one more thing

as this sad q-tip having to be left behind would illustrate.

—

“on a long journey even a straw weighs heavy. “

– spanish proverb

Costa Rica’s 12 micro climates vary from the exotic volcanoes to the cool cloud forests, from the dense jungle to the tropical dry forests and golden beaches to the secluded waterfalls and rivers.