WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE!!

COSTA RICA, PART 1

My son and I got to spend two fun filled weeks in Costa Rica this summer.  I thought it would give us both a chance to practice our Spanish, have fun, and, of course, form a close bond like all moms and teenage sons have. Hahahahaha. 

Are you laughing too?

We took an overnight flight from LA which is always a barrel of fun.  I paid extra for “Comfort Seats” but, honestly, where was the comfort???  If there was any extra space, it was maybe 1/8”.  Wow, what a difference!  Needless to say, we arrived cranky and sleep deprived.   

Our first stop was the Chachagua Rain Forest, a mere 3 hours from the airport over narrow, bumpy, winding roads. We weren't feeling too swell when we arrived. It was worth it, though.  What a beautiful place!

Serene ponds

Soothing waterfalls

The lobby is open air – just a deck with a roof, no walls, like Hawaii!  Everyone here was very relaxed and friendly.  Our villa had a large deck with a sofa, coffee table, rocking chair, a little counter-top with bar stools, and a hammock.  This place is in an isolated area of the rain forest, which meant I was kicking myself for not bringing provisions (you know, wine and/or vodka, the essential vacation items), since there were no nearby stores.  

What? No happy hour??

We were both feeling exhausted and out of sorts, so we tried to nap for a while.   

It's MY hammock

 We read books, did puzzles, fought over whose turn it was to use the hammock.  The sun came out in the afternoon and we set off on the waterfall trail which runs along a river and is lush and tropical.   

My expert map reader keeps us from getting lost

Admiring a pretty red flower. Keep reading to find out why this could have been dangerous

Can you hear the water rushing down?

I was blissfully unaware they found a Boa Constrictor here the week before

We discovered bits of leaves marching along the forest floor

Can you see the line of tiny leaves? They are being toted by a parade of Leafcutter ants!

and crossed the river on a  makeshift bridge.   

Show off

Kyle waltzed across easily, but I crawled on all fours, not trusting my balance on the narrow, slippery board and hoping there were no creepy crawlies underneath where my fingers were gripping.   I also hoped nobody was watching me.

Yes, there really are Tarzan vines in the jungle!

This resort has a garden where they grow fruit and vegetables, and they also have goats, pigs and a horse stable.  There's an old cheese factory where they used to make goat cheese.  Bacteria from the pigs is used for fuel.  It's all very clean and Eco friendly here.

El Jardin

I'm a little Feta!

Horse barn, arena and watch tower

We were about to discover that it rains here every single afternoon, and when I say rain, I don’t mean little Southern California sprinkles, NO NO!  I mean heavy duty intense thunder and lightening storms with downpours lasting at least two hours!  It’s the real deal.  Our covered deck gave us the opportunity to sit outside for the thunder/lightening/rain show, which took the place of the TV we didn’t have.   

Better than a TV screen

There’s always something going on in the jungle, though.  When it wasn’t raining, we looked for tropical birds (we saw a Toucan).  The sound of cicadas high up in the trees was ever present and amazingly loud.  (Sometimes I think I can still hear them buzzing.)

The open air restaurant was lovely and the food was fabulous.  The rain and the sounds of the jungle made it seem like we were eating at Disneyland’s Rain Forest Café (without the wierd gorillas).

Our maid showed her artistic flair!

The next day, we went on a 2 hour horseback ride and our horses were gaited which I was real excited about.  

This is fun!

  

Kyle was real excited too. Can you tell?

Then we went on a nature hike with Christian, who was so knowledgeable and made me feel like an idiot for the casual way we had traipsed along the same trails the day before.  He pointed things out to us that we hadn’t even noticed.   

Look closely and say hello to my leeetle friend! Yes, you say hello while I run away screaming.

A rather large Golden Orb spider hung suspended in its web between two trees which I probably would have walked right into without Christian.  He pointed out her many features while I tried to control the goose bumps sprouting on my arms.  He said this spider was poisonous but not as much as the one by my arm. (!WHAT?!?!?!)  Yes, there was a small tarantula on the tree RIGHT NEXT TO ME.  It was a grayish color so it blended into the bark.  This is a very poisonous spider.   

Then he pointed to a pretty, innocent white flower at the base of the tree.  

Can't touch this!  
Just a sweet, innocent little flower?  NOT!

 He said in the jungle,some of the most beautiful things are the deadliest.  If I were to pick that flower and sniff it, I could DIE. (!?!) It contains a resin that causes muscle paralysis and eventual anaphylactic shock or heart attack.  Good to know.  In fact, good to know YESTERDAY when we were lollygagging our way through this treacherous place.  He said tourists come to the jungle and think it’s Disneyland and nothing bad will happen, but it’s the JUNGLE, and bad things do happen!  He cautioned us never, ever, ever to walk in the jungle when it is raining because things fall down from the canopy, hit you on your head and you die. "Welcome to the jungle, my friend!"
 Christian is so knowledgeable and passionate about everything in the forest and in his country.  Every single thing in the jungle has a purpose, and Costa Ricans have used what they've learned here to keep their country Eco friendly.  I told him his tour should be required for anyone visiting that area!

This is Christian's dog, Canela.  She is very friendly.  She likes to chase the ducks in the pond. (No ducks were harmed.)

We learned so much from Christian and came away with a greater appreciation for this beautiful forest.

This was the perfect place to unwind after a long flight, a total immersion into all the sights, sounds and excitement that Nature has to offer.
 

Next stop - the volcano area!

Rain Forest Cafe?

TORI

Krista and Tori

My daughter called with the terrible news and was sobbing so hard she could barely get the words out, let alone breathe. Her childhood friend, Tori Richeson, had died in a car accident. She was 18 years old.   My breath caught in my throat as I attempted to process what I'd just heard.  Not Tori!  There's just no way this could happen to such a sweet,  beautiful, smart, responsible young woman. Then my daughter said something very insightful for a teenager, "I can only imagine what her mom is going through."  Images of her mom immediately sprang to mind.  Tiny and petite with high cheekbones and a model's figure, she is always cheerful, fun and energetic. I thought of all the times we visited together, herding our daughters through Brownies, Girl Scouts, school activities, birthday parties. 

Tori was their only child and they were a close knit family, always involved in each other’s lives.   Her dad is strong and tall and kind and he and Tori enjoyed snow boarding and surfing together.  My heart goes out to them both.  They were model parents, and a perfect family, attending church, doing all the right things as parents. Tori  was a beautiful young girl with her mom’s happy energy.  So how is this possible and why is this fair?

It’s not.  It’s devastating. It’s another reminder of how quick and fleeting life is and that this could happen to any of us at any time. 

The service was very moving, full of sorrow and tears but also full of love.   It was standing room only; the sanctuary, overflow rooms and entry way were all full, forcing the hasty setting up of chairs outside in the sweltering Ramona sunshine.   A table outside the church held photos, her favorite books and movies, a pair of worn sneakers, her Brownie sash.  A little mini movie of her life, pictures set to music, was displayed on various TV monitors throughout the building.  

The movie started with an infant Tori cradled in the arms of her young, handsome father with her mother smiling beside them.  There is so much hope, joy and innocence when you are a young family.  Your babies need you and nothing bad has happened and you assure yourself nothing ever will. The video progresses through her toddler years, a young school girl going to Brownies and Girl Scouts, hamming it up with friends, her high school prom, snowboarding with her dad, and a candid picture he shot of her recently while surfing.  Tears rolled silently in a constant stream down my cheeks as I listened to the speakers. Her mother spoke eloquently, choking back the tears as she gave tribute to her beautiful daughter she was so proud of.  Her positive energy shone throughout her speech, and she was even able to make us laugh a couple times. I greatly admired her for having the strength and courage to speak and to make her emotions intelligible.   

Tori’s friends also provided some amusing anecdotes as well as attesting to her integrity and wisdom. They said Tori would advise them against doing things they knew they shouldn't, they would do them anyway, get in a lot of trouble, and wish they had listened to their friend.  She would always stand up for others and never say a bad word about anyone.  Her aunt read a heart wrenching poem she wrote for Tori which was printed in the program.  

 

 Her cousin spoke of Tori being annoyed when people compared her to Kristen Stewart.  When her cousin confessed that she also thought she looked like her, Tori scowled and her cousin pointed at her and said, “See! That’s the face!  Stop doing that!”  In the midst of all the overwhelming emotions, these comic relief moments were much appreciated.  I found myself being amused with the TV monitors which seemed to be experiencing technical difficulties.  Instead of showing the person speaking, the camera frequently focused on the light switch or some other random object, then spun wildly around the room - light switch ...  people ... oh there's the speaker! ... and he's gone ... light switch.... - and I started to feel dizzy.  I was standing in a crowd of sweating bodies, fanning myself, beads of sweat trickling attractively down my legs.  I started to sway a little bit and imagined what would happen if I keeled over, knocking my daughter and her friends down with me like dominoes.  She would stare at my lifeless body on the floor and pretend not to know me, and never forgive me for embarrassing her.   

OK, so I didn’t keel over.  I stood there dripping little rivulets, willing myself not to faint, keenly aware that my bodily discomfort was nothing compared to the anguish her parents were experiencing.  After the service, we all drove over to her parents’ house.  There were so many people,both inside and outside in their spacious backyard.  Krista and her friends reminisced about the sleepovers they’d had in Tori’s backyard.   

We came  to comfort Tori’s mom and dad but I think it was the other way around.  It was Shelly and Scott who made us feel better, spending time with each person in their loving and gracious way.  It was nice visiting with Shelly, like old times, as if nothing tragic had just happened.  She is always so warm and bubbly and entertaining.  Scott told me how touched they had been when Krista and two of her friends came to their house the previous weekend to share memories of Tori.  They ended up having a nice visit that was very meaningful for everyone.   

Scott also shared funny stories of typical parent/teenager struggles over simple chores, which made me feel better.  This model family with the ideal teenage daughter still had the same issues we all do at times.  He said how he always told Tori, whenever she left the house, "Drive safe."

We stayed until the sun started going down over the hills, not wanting to leave our friends, not wanting the day to be over, not wanting reality to set in. We half expected to see Tori walk in, to say she hadn’t died after all, wishing for a happy ending.  We drove into a spectacular sunset, a fitting tribute to a beautiful life which, I have to believe, goes on somewhere above us.  Tori is still alive.  We just can’t see her right now.

Drive safe, everyone.