He said “watch out for the ants,” as we walked down the dirt path towards the river. Halted by confusion I looked down and saw a distinct moving line of greens and yellows cutting through our path. I stared in amazement as the leaf cutter ants moved in sync with one another, forming a line that was at least three feet long. I was entranced by a minor act of nature that was almost looked over. This small but surprising event was one of the many memories formed from my trip to La Fortuna, Costa Rica.
Carefully stepping over the ants we continued on the path leading us down to the river, where our raft awaited. As we wobbled our way into the raft, we gently glided across the murky water to begin our tour. Gazing up at the sky we transcended under a canopy of trees hanging over us, awakened by the buzzing sounds of the forest. A sense of peace fell upon me as I entered this unfamiliar world.
As we started along our river tour we were welcomed by the animals that appeared along the river bank. The bright green colored Jesus Christ lizard, who shyly stayed at the edge of the river bank. The birds were next to present themselves. First greeted by the crane and then we saw the rare Tucan birds, which are known as a sign of good luck. As we moved further along the river, our guide mentioned to us that we might come across some crocodiles. We wondered if he was joking until a few minutes down the river there it was. A crocodile around 100 feet away from us sat peacefully basking in the sun. About half way through our journey we slowed down our pace and the tour guide began smacking the water with his paddle. He then made a howling sound and in reply the trees came alive. Hovering over us in the trees were the howler monkeys, voicing their presence with a deep echoing sound. My senses were overwhelmed with fascination. My ears rang with glee from being introduced to this unique sound.
Passing the monkeys overhead we took a stop on our tour to a farm originally owned by a gentleman who lived until he was 103. As we walked up about 50 steps that were all hand built, we walked straight into a home with dirt floors, limited walls that only formed a few small rooms, and every piece of furniture was made from wood off the land. We were greeted by the family with plantains, coffee and cheese. As we sat and ate we learned about the history of the farm. We learned that for years the family started each day by walking up alongside the sun rise. And up until a few years ago they have lived without the use of electricity. They’ve grown organic foods and everything they have needed was grown and made from the farm. A simplified way of life that is very foreign to my city lifestyle. Although we visited for only a short time, I got a sense of the calmness the family must have felt almost every day on the farm
There is a freedom that comes with being in nature that one cannot find within the concrete world of a city. Being amongst nature in Costa Rica I was constantly gazing at the surrounding beauty, from the colors in a flower to the shapes of tree. There were no advertisements or distracting sounds, just tranquility. This calmness has helped me to reflect on who I am, allowing me to simply exist and not feel pressured to fit into the roles that society creates. The Costa Rican people have such respect and value for their ecosystem that I am forever grateful to have discovered a place where a sense of harmony exist. I am grateful to have soaked up some of that harmony to carry with me throughout my life. My gratitude extends pass having a mere experience in nature but to have had the time to rediscover myself. In Costa Rica, they have a saying “ Pura Vida”, meaning pure life. Being in Costa Rica is, Pura Vida.
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