A taste of Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast

by Bret G. Dudl
04.08.09
6:20 PM GMT+8

Filed in Costa Rica

Author: Matthew Meeks

“You want pineapple!?” Before I can even answer he jerks the car off the road into an earthy driveway and the beautiful scenery is now blocked by a cloud of dust and dirt. Juan Carlos, my overly friendly taxi-cab driver, slides open the door of the van, insisting (in a mix of English and Spanish) that I get out and follow him. Mind you, it’s my first day in this foreign country, somewhere between San Jose (the capital) and the Caribbean coastline. I turn and look at my friend, shrug my shoulders and say oh-so-encouragingly, “We‘re on vacation! C’mon!” Having a native pick fresh wild pineapple and slice it open on the side of the road was just the first taste of my tropical trek through Costa Rica.

After about a 5-hour drive through the heart of the country we arrived at our destination in Puerto Viejo. “What do you mean the room doesn’t have AC?!” My friend continued to ramble but his voice began to fade as the sound of crashing waves filled my ears. Just in front of the hotel (La Perla Negra), I carefully stepped through a dense barrier of trees, then over a ground littered with flora, and suddenly found myself on the charcoal sands of Puerto Viejo beach. My senses were overwhelmed as I took in a breath of air composed of both the crisp mist of the rainforest and the salty gusts from the Caribbean Sea. Such a beautiful sight too, and within such close proximity of our hotel. Our “hotel” turned out to be more of a cabin-style retreat with living amenities not so familiar to that of the average American traveler. I’ll admit, the no air conditioning, and no TV, was different from what I’m use to, but hey! We had running water, screened windows, and a lock on the door. All was well.

The town of Puerto Viejo was about a half-mile’s walk down the beach from our cabin nestled in the forest. Dirt roads intertwined and created paths through town. Most of the natives walk or ride their bicycles, and often with bare feet. I thought back to industrial America and back home in Florida where AC isn’t a luxury, but a necessity. I remembered all the cars packed bumper to bumper on the highway during rush-hour traffic. I recalled the countless number of banks and grocery stores I pass on my way to work in the United States. All these aspects so unlike the town I had emerged in that day. The town with few cars, dirt roads, one bank, and scattered privately owned eateries and markets. As I walked back to my cabin-hotel I was left with a strong sense of remorse and a nostalgic awareness of the third world.

Throughout the week I embraced each day with an open mind. I forgot about the world of electronics, indulged in traditional Costa Rican cuisine and managed to get around the area without a car. Even though I only speak a little Spanish, I came to understand the generosity of the average Costa Rican. They would make dinner and share with their neighbors. They would strike up conversation with travelers and tourists with no ulterior motive and no intent to sell them something. The majority of people in town just seemed… happy (for lack of a better word). At first I felt jarred by this because my conditioned American mind preconceived materialism as a source of happiness. I asked myself how could people who have so little have such a strong grasp on an optimistic way of life. The “American dream” began scrolling through my head; the perfect cookie-cutter house and the brand new car, etc. No one in this little town had that, or much of anything else for that matter. Especially nothing you’d find in a typical magazine advertisement in the States. Marketing companies masquerade their products around as being things we need; new cars, fancy watches, designer clothes, the latest cellular phone. I learned that the people in Costa Rica valued more than that. They acknowledge good health and take pride in the food they prepare and eat. Many seem to find pleasure in sharing and helping their neighbors, even strangers! There is this deep understanding of culture and appreciation for the herbs, fruits and vegetables that come from their rich land. This perspective on life can be summed up in a popular phrase often used in Costa Rica; “Pura vida,” when directly translated from Spanish to English means “Pure life.”

There was a specific day I spent there that left me with an extreme feeling of self-reward. I had heard of a place located ten miles south of where we were staying. This place was called Manzanillo and is known to havea breath-taking view of two cliffs with a small section of beach nestled between them. Renting a bike was the first part of the journey. I peddled my way through dusty unpaved roads, up and over hills, and through tiny “towns” that consisting of a few houses and one market usually. The beaten path ended abruptly (after about 9 miles) with only an entrance to the forest. The last mile was on foot and through the dense trees and plants. The ground seemed to follow a man-made path at times, however, everything grows so fast there and foliage intruded upon the walkway. When I reached that spot and walked out on that deserted beach in the middle of nowhere I lied down right in the surf, arms and legs stretched out, like a beached star fish. This next part is difficult to describe… I used all my senses as I took in that moment: the view of this remarkable location, the rush of the waves against my skin, the sound of the sand rustling in the surf, the scent of the fresh forest, the taste of the salt water on my lips. At that moment every worry and concern, every atrocity of this world, just slipped away into the ocean; it was as if I’d reached my own personal nirvana. And it was at that moment I understood the philosophy of “pura vida.”

As I reminisced on my trip I felt satisfied. I experienced intriguing new things, conversed with humble people and tasted some delectable exotics that I will likely never find anywhere else. More importantly I got a taste of the life of a native Costa Rican. I lived for that week as they do. I renounced the materialistic luxuries I had taken for granted in The United States and in return gained a deeper understanding of a different way of life. It’s funny what a week can do to a person; at the beginning of my trip I felt sorry for the people in the little town of Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica, but by trip’s end I felt sorry for us.

Likes: fresh fruit, unspoiled beaches, the way of life

Dislikes: The bugs