raised in wisconsin, inspired by the world
costa rica.
the happiest place in the world.
2 weeks. 4 cities.
Pura Vida is a phrase often used in the country of Costa Rica. These 2 words, together, mean Pure Life, and through our experience we learned that this is how the people of Costa Rica go about their everyday lives. This magical country is known as "the happiest place in the world" by many because the nation has had no army since the year of 1948.
In August 2013, my friends Alan and Sarah, my sister Alisha, and I were given the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica for 2 weeks. During this time we visited the cities of San Jose, Monteverde, La Fortuna, and Manuel Antonio. The reason for this new adventure was to go to a place we had never been, be introduced to a health system abroad, learn about a new culture, make new friends, and of course eat good food.
San Jose is a busy city.
People everywhere; walking, getting on the bus, getting off the bus, going to work, coming home from work, going to school, coming home from school. People everywhere. Go. Go. Go. It was much different than I expected. Other than everyone speaking Spanish, instead of English, the tempo was a lot like a city in the U.S.
Lucky for us we were welcomed into this busy city by an amazing host familia, who we all felt bonded to immediately after our first game of UNO. Our host family's house was just outside San Jose, and only a short bus ride from the city. Lucky for us!
During this first part of our trip we were able to help out at at the nursing home, Hogar de Ancianos Alfredo y Delia Gonzalez Flores. Every day at around 6:30 am, from our host family's home, we got on the bus to ride into the big city. From San Jose we walked to the train station where we boarded the train and rode the 45 minutes to the nursing home where we started our day.
The health care system we experienced in San Jose was not immediately what I expected. No one was denied care - no matter their social class, their gender, their appearance, etc. Everyone was provided the same care. Hospitals were full, but provided the best care they can.
Hogar de Ancianos Alfredo y Delia Gonzalez Flores was a beautiful place started by an older Costa Rican couple with no children. Outside was an open area where the warm sunshine could shine down. The employees worked very hard taking care of over 100 residents daily. During our time there we were able to work right besides the nurses, a physical therapist, and an occupational therapist.
The physical therapist, Mari, was who I became closest to during my time in Costa Rica. This woman is truly a blessing from God. There was obviously a language barrier between Mari and I, but even with this challenge, there was no doubt in my mind that Mari was someone who had a passion for helping people. She was the only physical therapist employed at this nursing home, taking care of 10-15 patients at a time.
Every morning for 4 hours we worked with patients to improve their range of motion, took blood pressures for the nurses, did arts and crafts with the residents in occupational therapy, and best of all created relationships with people that don't have someone to talk to every day. Not speaking Spanish was a struggle for sure, and an inspiration to learn the language. However, even with not being able to speak the same language, communication was not eliminated. It just wasn't with words. Instead, body language, facial expressions, smiles, and touch all became ways to communicate with each other. This experience was one I will definitely never forget.
a day in monteverde
new friends.
bus rides.
vacant hostel.
card houses.
zip lining.
bungee jumping.
van. boat. van.
Ahdrenaline Junkies? I guess you could say that.
Staying in a hostel with no employees in sight, except for the maid that let us into a room. Leaving money on the counter to pay. Walking down the roadside to find a taxi because we didn't have a phone. Zip Lining for a total of 4 kilometers. Tarzan Swing. Superman. The highest Bungee Jump in Latin America - 143 meters over one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. David. Jon. Sarah. Alisha. Myself. Yes. I guess you could say we were looking for something fun. A stomach Drop. Well, we had one. Or 10. A Day spent in Mondeverde. A successful day. A fun day. A day to remember.
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superman zipline
bungee jump from a distance
bungee jumping with a head-cam
the city of la fortuna
From Monte Verde to La Fortuna we took a van, then a boat, then another van...where we finally reached the Arenal Backpackers Hostel. This place was awesome. They ran out of regular rooms, so we were upgraded to a 5 person suit at no extra charge. There was an in-ground pool with a bar right up to the edge, and actual seats to the bar inside the pool. Pretty legit. La Fortuna is also the home of the famous Baldi Hot Springs, the water coming straight down from the Arenal Volcano. This place was beautiful and the water was perfect.
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manuel antonio
Getting to Manuel Antonio was quite an adventure. This adventure was just Sarah and I and I guess you could say language is a huge barrier when you don't speak the same one. Neither Sarah or I speak good Spanish, so communicating when trying and figure out where the heck we were going was quite a challenge. It took us a whole day to get from La Fortuna to Manuel Antonio, when it was only supposed to take about 4-ish hours. Yup, it was a struggle...but we made it alive, and as safe as ever, after a long day spent on multiple buses.
When we got to our hostel we had a few hours before dark so we made the mile walk down to the beach to watch the sun set over the Pacific Ocean. This was an absolutely beautiful site. When God created night and day, He sure had a way of making the transition gorgeous. It was like nothing I had ever seen, and I could have stayed there all night. However, we decided to make the mile walk back up the hill where we slept hard after our long day. We spent the rest of our days in Manuel Antonio on the beach, soaking up the sun, and having a great time. I've never laughed so hard as with anyone. This adventure is surely one I will always remember, and I can't wait to return to Manuel Antonio, and the country of Costa Rica :)
