La Pura Vida, Day 4 (Wednesday)
Time is flying by. Woke up semi early this morning, not much of a sunrise. Thomas was still asleep so I took some time to meditate out by the pool. I’m trying to spend more time meditating to improve my self-awareness and stress level. It’s not working very well- it takes me about 2 minutes before I even realize my mind is drifting. I’ve tried a couple of different techniques but I think I just need practice.
Breakfast was ready soon after. It was a repeat of Monday’s pancakes. The van came at 9:30 to pick us up for our beach tour. The drive was short – about 10 minutes this time – and the bus was able to pull right onto the beach. We jumped in the boat and headed to the monkey beach.
The monkey beach was not particularly exciting. When we got off the boat we hiked a short way through a mango farm. There were several howler monkeys in the trees, including a mother with a small baby holding on to her belly. We could have snorkeled but chose to wait till the next beach.
The next beach was “Shell Beach”. On the way there our guide stopped the boat to point out a sea turtle floating at the surface. I’m a sucker for wildlife – so cool! When we got there the visibility was incredible. The boat was about 100ft from the shore and the water was only about 5 feet deep. I had only been snorkeling once before and it was not very successful (strong waves, deep water) but this experience was so incredible I wish I could go again tomorrow.
I started to list all the things I saw then realized that mostly it was different kinds of fish I can’t identify, but I also saw crabs, puffer fish, a clown fish, and an eel. It was incredible and I loved every second of it.
After the shell beach we went to the “Egg Beach” which had caves and, more importantly, was our lunch destination. On the way there we saw dozens of sting rays jumping several feet out of the water. Our guide explained that they were hunting sardines. It was really, really fun to watch. As they came out they would flip several times and would flap their wings(?) as they went back in. There were also pelicans and other large sea birds sitting on the rocks nearby.
The caves on the beach were open to the ocean on the other side of the cliff and the waves came crashing through while Courtney and Thomas were taking pictures. So far this trip has hit on all my major phobias: big spiders (at the villa), heights (zip line), deep water, and caves. Nothing like a vacation with the Fitzgeralds to push your comfort zones.
Lunch was quesadillas with fresh salsa and sour cream. Yum. We sat on the beach and watched the waves while we ate. I loved watching the patterns that the black sand made when it mixed with the lighter sand from the land above.
The boat ride back home was wonderful – you could feel the power of the water and the wind and see the giant cliffs all around. I felt very small and very in tune with the elements at the same time. I wished just a little that we had decided to go to the volcano (3.5 hrs away) just so I could have an awe inspiring moment with fire too…then my elements would be well rounded.
When we got back I took a nap until dinner, everyone else read while a light shower sprinkled outside. Very peaceful.
Dinner was the tenderest pork chop I have ever had, potato salad, roasted vegetables (rice and beans). Dessert was tres leches cake with meringue frosting. Mama and Thomas got into a heated discussion of Georgia health care policy over the cake and I escaped to come finish this post. We may play board games later, but I think tonight will continue the early to bed, late to rise trend.
Buenas noches!
