The Kindness of Strangers

So it has been a good while since my last post, but we really have just been having so much fun, who wants to sit at the computer? Not to mention I needed some time to marinate on all that has happened in the last few weeks. It has been quite the ride let me tell you.

So, last time I wrote we were leaving Sarapiqui where Mike ran his epic race in the jungle. From there we headed further inland to the Arenal Volcano area. Into the beautiful highlands of Costa Rica. Here there are natural hot springs at every corner and we soaked and relaxed and enjoyed the beauty of the volcano and the huge lake at its base. We stayed in a town called Nuevo Arenal with a lovely Dutch family. They provided us a beautiful private casista blanca for a fair price close to the endless recreation the area has to offer travelers and locals alike. We went to many national parks, saw volcanoes and hot springs and waterfalls all around; we went running in the newest national park in the country where the road was sketchy at best, but the waterfall and crystal blue hot springs left nothing to be desired as it was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen with my own two eyes. Costa Rica is incredibly beautiful and each new place we have visited has been more stunning than the last. I feel so fortunate  to have been able to really see this country in its entirety; from the city to the  Caribbean to the mountains and over to the Pacific coast we have really had the chance to explore all it has to offer us. The rental car has proven to be helpful in that we are free to go and see the areas that are most intriguing to us, yet it also has been a bit of a burden, like a small baby that we have to worry about and care for along the way, acknowledging its limitations and the responsibility that comes with it has been a new experience for us. Normally we hop from bus to bus taking hours to get us to our next location and having to navigate often on foot the areas we choose to stay, we wanted something different this time, we wanted to spend less time getting from place to place, and wanted more time to soak up all this beautiful country has to offer. It hasn't gone quite that way.

With two days left in the Arenal volcano area of the country Mike and I were packing it all in as best we could. After a long day exploring an animal rescue center in the jungle and a locals waterfall hot spot where you could swim out to the falls and also hike up and around to the top, we were exhausted and decided to call it a day and drive the hour or so back to our casita in Nuevo Arenal. We were cruising on the Pan American highway singing to the radio and discussing the wonderful day we had had, when suddenly the car in front of us slammed on his breaks going about 100km per hour and swerved all crazy like to avoid a huge pot hole caused by the ongoing construction along this section of highway. A dirt cloud engulfed our vehicle making it impossible to see the pot hole ahead of us and while Mike reacted perfectly we hit the hole still going about 60 km per hour. Crunch! I of course gasped thinking we were done for and yet as we kept moving everything seemed fine with car, the crunch sound seemed to have been superficial and we shook of the shock of it and continued on our way. About 30 mins from home we decided to stop at a local brewery for a quick brew before calling it a night and it was only then as we turned a hard left off the highway that we noticed something was very wrong with the car. The grinding noise sent chills down our spin, and I saw the color wash from Mike's face. This did not sound like a quick or cheap fix by any means. We parked at the brew pub and got out to take a look. It was obvious by looking at the wheel wells that the car's differential was totally off. At that moment we were at a loss, thinking we needed to call the car rental office and admit what happened knowing very well that this would mean surrendering our $1200 deposit on the vehicle. Feeling defeated we opted to just go in for a beer to let it all wash over us (what else could we do?) and perhaps give ourselves some liquid courage for the inevitable call we knew we'd have to make. Upon entering the brewery a small group of ex pats were sitting at the bar enjoying the stunning view of Lake Arenal and the delicious Pineapple local brew. At first it felt strange walking into this little American enclave, but soon we over heard a man discussing some car work he had recently had done and how amazing it was. We decided to go out on a limb and asked him to take a look at our car. "after my beer I'd be happy to", he said. As he finished and we had another we got to talking, in Costa Rica there is no hurry with anything so if we wanted his help we knew we needed to stay and chat for a bit. His name was Tony and turned out later to be our saving grace. He was a loud abrasive man, who walked with a serious limp and his skin was leathered by the Costa Rican sun. He told us stories of his younger days and his love for Pink Floyd and scuba diving. He smoked like a chimney, drank like a fish, and was just as nice as could be. Not the typical person Mike and I would befriend on our travels, but he seemed to be well connected in the community and knew a thing or two about cars himself. He was a very kind and giving man, later Mike and I reminisced about our dear friend Christian who we recently lost and how much he reminded us of him. Eventually just before night fall he came out to take a look at the car, he said it was messed up (he actually used some choice words not appropriate for all my readers), but he knew just the man for the job. He ensured he was cheap and fair and gave us his word that if it was more than we could afford he would help us pay. With a hand shake and a little bit of blind faith in fellow human beings we decided to follow him to his mechanic friends house/shop.

Upon arrival to the shop we were greeted by a man popping his head out from under the hood of a car with the biggest smile I have ever seen. He shouted out to Tony, "hey brother what brings you by?" His English was perfection which was a relief as our car mechanic vocabulary is far from developed. His name was Uber, and within minutes we felt like old friends, he even hugged us and introduced us to his family. Tony explained our situation, limited budget, time line and all. After a good look at the car and much chit chat the consensus was he could fix it for a fraction of the deposit we had given the rental agency. He told us that based on his experience they would take it all with no explanation or receipts, that was "just how they do things in San Jose" (most Costa Ricans we've encountered who don't live in San Jose seem to despise that city and avoid it like the plague). So with much faith and hope and no other real options, we decided to leave our car with Uber for the two remaining days we had left in Arenal. Long story long, we were back on the road by Saturday as planned with a new part and the labor (including his drive literally across the country to pick up the part) costing us just $300, this was an unexpected trip expense, but it saved us a boat load in the long run and as they say "lo que hay"/ "it is what it is". By the end of this whole experience he was offering us to come back and stay on his property and to tell anyone we know coming to Costa Rica to contact him and he will BBQ with them and treat them as family. And there were lots more hugs to go around. He had put two jobs off to the side in order to work on our car and he just oozed kindness in the most genuine way one can imagine. We had another moment wash over us where we felt our friend Christian's presence within this guy and all around us. The community rallied around us for no other reason than the fact that we needed them. The owner of the brew pub provided us with a taxi driver named Javier who drove us all around for two days for $50; back and forth from our casita to the brew pub (our central meeting point) to Uber's shop and repeat for two days. Javier was a gentle man who spoke so slow for us that he made us feel for once like we could actually communicate entirely in Spanish, his patience and kindness was unwavering and he too genuinely wanted everything to work for us.

As quickly as it all went down, it was over even faster and we drove off towards the Pacific coast knowing we'd most likely never see or get to thank everyone in the way they deserved ever.

This experience made me proud to be human and proud that Mike and I both are so open to wonders and magic this world has to offer us.

People are good. The end.

Thanks for reading.

The adventure continues....

Our last weekend in in the Caribbean was over the Columbus Day holiday, which here is called Dia de La Raza. Which is the day of the race, as in the human race. Here they celebrate all the beautiful people of Costa Rica and there is no mention of Columbus (rightfully so). Ziggy Marley played a concert in town and people from all over the country filled up the beaches, they were grilling, camping, surfing, kayaking, and snorkeling, everyone was out. It was a little crazy but made for some great people watching and all the bars and restaurants were open, so it was a really fun weekend. We didn't go to the music fest, but heard from our new friend Kevin that it was a great time. We honestly didn't know it was going on, otherwise we probably would have gone.

Thursday last week we found ourselves in a state of nostalgia from our last trip in Ecuador; we were up early packing our bags and heading out to the roadside to flag down a bus. It was time to say goodbye to the beautiful coast and head back to the big city for a short stop over to pick up our rental car to head up to our final destination in the Northern Caribbean Lowlands for Mike's race in Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui. 

It was a little stressful to say the least. We arrived in San Jose Thursday afternoon at the car rental location only to find the quote we'd been given was not really the actual price... like off by $2,000.00. Needless to say it was no longer an option and for the first time on this trip so far we were forced by the travel Gods to start thinking on our feet and had to make a new plan on the spot. We really needed a car for the race, not only was getting there by bus a logistical challenge, but also we were not going to be staying at the fancy lodge that was hosting the race, and so Mike really needed wheels to get himself to the start by 3:30 am the morning of the big day. After what felt like hours (but was total maybe one hour) of walking in the rain, me with high anxiety and Mike trying to keep his cool about the situation, we found a wonderful little local rental place that gave the cheapest price we could get. It still put us back way more than we had budgeted so we had to tap into our savings fund. In the end though it has all worked out, but man I was freaking, and we joked that it was a good thing we don't mind spending our saved money. Once that was settled we got in the car, buckled up, and headed into the jungle. 

I haven't done a lot of international driving, not since Sigi and I drove from Germany to Italy which I can tell you was much like driving in the US. Central America however is another thing all together and San Jose is known as one of the worst places to drive in the world, so leaving the big city was an adventure all on its own. But Mike was made for this kind of driving I tell you what. All that zippy stealth driving he does back home really pays off here; you cannot be afraid to pass or be passed and motorcycles are allowed anywhere they fit regardless the direction they are heading so you gotta always be on your toes. Also when it gets dark here, it is not like back home, it gets pitch black and not gradually either, right around 5:30 everyday it goes from light to dark just as though someone is flipping a switch. Fewer street lights line the roads, there are rarely painted lines, road signs aren't really something they do here and also all the roads are much more narrow. The experience can cause the little hairs on your arms to stand straight up. But like I said Mike was born for it, he was hooting and ye-hawing and working that clutch of our little Nissan all the way to Sarapiqui, just loving life on the open road. And I will admit a road trip is always a good time, jamming the entire way to Costa Rican tunes and the occasional "Born in the USA" by the Boss (this song is always on at least one station, so weird). 

When we arrived here in Sarapiqui, it felt so different. Our travel book described the town as having a "film noir " feel, which we totally vibed right away and it made us giggle. Like the coast, nothing here looks or feels very new, but the atmosphere is very different. Not as laid back, with many more people hustling and bustling all about and working a lot harder it seems. The streets are still always filled with life and music and fruits of all kinds, but here the people have places to go and things to get done. Our hotel is in the town center right across from the futbol pitch and we enjoy watching as we eat our breakfast when the players or kids are out in the mornings. But the back of the hotel is surrounded by jungle so the views from our balcony are gorgeous and the noises we hear are produced mostly by the bugs and birds living all around us. As you head out of the city center things begin to calm quickly; pineapple, strawberry, and coffee farms and cow pastures line the roadsides, and you can really begin to see all the richness of the land. We are in river country right now, and though we didn't have time to hit the rapids while we were here, we are not ruling it out as Costa Rica has many Rio options throughout the country for the adventurous traveler. Recreation is a huge industry here and you can see it more obviously as you leave the city and head only 5 or so kilometers out; kayaks, mountain bikes, rafts, and road bikes are all out in full force both outfitters and individuals, and the cool thing is that it is always in season. Class four rapids are seen year round, I think we both want to get out there so badly! The first couple days we just spent orienting ourselves with town, swimming in the hotel pool and laying low before the race on the 17th. We attended the pre race meeting Friday night at the Selva Verde Lodge and Mike left feeling the pre race jitters and of courses I did too. The jungle ain't no joke, and I always worry about him before and during and just after a race. The next day Mike was up well before the sun and left me to get my beauty sleep as he headed off to the start, I would meet him at the finish line about eight or nine hours later. I woke up slow that morning, went to breakfast at the hotel and read my book. I took a bath in the fancy tub in our room (we rarely do hotels when traveling, I had to get our money's worth lol), did a little yoga, and then hit the main drag of town for a small stroll to buy some water and snacks for while I waited at the finish line. I caught a cab and conversed quite well with the driver (and was feeling very proud of myself about this), I told him about Mike and the race and that I was from the US in Colorado in the mountains. He had been to Denver so that was a cool connection, and the fact that I understood what he was saying was a big deal for me. It takes a while for your ears to adjust to the sounds and tones and accents of another language, so even if you can speak and understand a bit, the first week or so it all sounds kinda like "wah wah wah". The fact that it is getting a bit easier is a huge relief and makes the trip so much more enriching.  He dropped me at the finish line and I set myself up with a little picnic and my book and waited for Mike. 

A couple hours passed and then I saw him, I knew after one second of looking at him to stop cheering and to pop up and go to him, I could tell things had not gone as planned. He was severely dehydrated and very hungry. He had made wrong turn about 5.5 hours earlier and I assume he was just glad to have found himself again. The course was poorly marked and we found out later he was not the only one who had gotten lost that day. He was disappointed, but on the flip side, he learned a lot and grew as runner from the experience. He always has the best attitude when it comes to those types of things. If it were me I would have cried like a baby and probably embarrassed myself by yelling at the race director, this is just one of many reasons he does these races and not me.

The next day was really great. We used the rental car and drove up up up to the Paos Volcano, a national park about an hour and a half away from town. We hiked up first to the active volcano's crater, it is often socked in with clouds but when we got up there it cleared and we had the chance to see it in all of its glory. The dark grays and blacks of the rocky mountain were so stark and contrasting next to the almost glowing sulfuric water inside. It was a sea foam greenish color with steam billowing out, just gorgeous. There are also lakes that we hiked to as well that are all part of the volcanic system. On the drive we passed so many strawberry farms and on the way home we stopped to buy some, we don't have strawberries in the states that taste this good, period. My mouth knows the flavor of strawberry, but it was like what, how can there be so much sweet goodness in just one tiny strawberry???? Seriously amazing. We also stopped at a beautiful waterfall just off the road as well. I was so happy to have a car, it made the journey so much more fun getting to stop wherever we wanted just to taste or smell or see something new. Just before reaching town we stopped at a roadside Soda for lunch. They raised Tilapia in their backyard and cooked it right up in front of us, the whole fish and served it to us with fried plantains and black beans and salad! In Costa Rica a Soda is a place where people go to eat and socialize. They usually only have one or two options and they are set up much like a counter at a diner or like a bar. They can be intimidating when your language skills aren't strong as it is not designed with the tourist in mind and often the proprietors don't speak English. People run them out of the sides of their homes off the roadsides most often or out of tiny shop fronts when you are in a bigger town. We had been to only one other that I can recall the morning we caught the bus to the Caribbean and it was too early for me to eat anything, but they are cheap and things are greasy and made with love. It really doesn't get more authentic. We were glad to get out of the hotel and spread our wings, it was a magical day.

Next we head off to Lake Arenal, which is situated under Costa Rica's most active volcano, it loves to show off and spit fire. We can't wait. We will do five days there, relaxing and enjoying all the natural beauty. On the way we may do some hot springs and we will go to a protected refuge for a short hike and then a stop in the Cheese City (locals keep saying we shouldn't miss it, so we shall see what it is all about, I do love me some queso fresco).  We are staying at an AirBNB like we did in the Caribbean, the family is Dutch and own a wake boarding outfitter. I am not sure about wake boarding, but a SUP or canoe may be fun and affordable for a day or two, or some horseback riding (I can only hope). We will see what it brings.

Things have just been beyond gorgeous, I feel lucky to be here and can't wait to see more! As always thanks for reading and thanks for your love and support.

...it all just really got me thinking!

Costa Rica Post 2  ...a long ways from Denver

Mike and I met a really nice man named Kevin who has lived here in Puerto Viejo his entire life. Only in 2008 were the roads here paved as more and more ex-pats moved in to build homes and make lives here and back 40 years ago it took over a week to travel here from San Jose. Kevin has been a really cool guy to us and I'm not really sure why, he hasn't gotten much out of the friendship other than a bunch of questions from me and Mike, he has been showing us around and tapping us in to best the little  micro towns here have to offer us. But just yesterday he said something to Mike that I just can't get out of my head. He was being so nice, telling Mike how great it was meeting him etc, but he finished by asking, "you going home right?" I thought he meant to our accommodations for the night, but after some linguistic deciphering Mike realized he meant back to the USA. Every local talks about the paving of the road, the ex-pats talk about with a sense of civic pride, and the local latino and afro populations we have spoken with have all mentioned it always with an emphasis on how they didn't really need it and Kevin actually just plain came out and said it was for the white people, but here 7 years later it still feels like a hot topic, or maybe just a concrete (no pun intended) representation of  how things here have changed so much. It made me feel bad knowing locals worry that vacationers are going to return to buy property and settle down, and I wonder should it make me feel bad? Those of you who know me well, know that white privilege, white guilt, and white savior complex are some of my favorite discussion topics due to the fact that they are all things I personally grapple with, not in the basic understanding of the terms, but in how to live as a white person with these being some major realities of the world in which we live. Just because I am aware doesn't mean they go away, nor does it mean I am the white girl exception to these social constructs. So Kevin's question got me thinking...

Students of life, that's all any of us really are, destined to matriculate only on to the next bewildering level of being human. That is why travel has always seemed to inspire me. It gives one a jolt of energy, a strong and often quick dose of lives lived outside the places from which we originally come. I think too, traveling plays in to this notion and internal desire to return to some kind of nomadic lifestyle that I think so many humans long for on a primitive and even biological level. That is how the human race began isn't it? As nomadic bands? And I subscribe to the theory that the discovery and development of agriculture, that which allowed us as a species to settle down and "evolve" away from nomadic life, was really the beginning of many of the world's problems that affect us today: I am talking about nationalistic and religious warfare on a massive scale, disease, economic hierarchy, poverty, oppression, environmental degradation etc. I will also be one of the first to say many good things came from this evolution as well, things like art, culture, philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, government and technology. And I do not argue with the fact that it would have been impossible for our first people to have foreseen all the problems (and benefits for that matter) that could come thousands of years down the road and so I am not arguing that we all leave life behind and become nomads nor am I saying that this as an issue that can be made black or white, but something that just is so. For every action, there is a reaction; this is true in the social world as well as the biological and environmental, it is all connected. We would never get to all the good stuff, if we didn't have the bad. My goal here is not to give an anthropology lesson, and I should be careful to paraphrase the conclusions I came to based on my limited education on this subject; which consisted of only two, yet very rich, college courses on the subject of physical and cultural anthropology. But that is what I walked away with after taking it in through my lens and personal critical thought process. My point is to say (in way too many opinionated words I am sure) that I think all of us on some level, both conscious and unconscious, are searching and trying to identify with something we once were, and for some of us traveling helps us to satiate that longing.

I think too, travel can make us feel more culturally rich, helping to add meaning and sense of place to our own personal tapestries of life. It is often said that America lacks a culture, and as an American I tend take offense to that blanket sentiment, but I do personally feel our culture lacks a depth or an understanding that many of us seek to find among other cultures during our travels, all the while believing that it is adding to our tapestry. I think it is important to note here that this all comes with a certain set of privileges: I can afford to have this lifestyle, meaning I have the support and education and means and the freedom not only to have these thoughts and desires, but even more so to act upon them. Therefore traveling presents some really interesting questions for me about social responsibility, specifically related to traveling internationally. The more I travel, and the more people I talk to, the more questions I have about the authenticity of the tapestry I am creating and who and what I might be exploiting in order to weave it? I certainly don't have the answer, I am really just beginning to be able to frame the question.

I talked earlier about a longing that I believe we all have to see the world and be a bit more nomadic, and yet we don't see those struggling to just survive making travel a huge priority in life. For obvious reasons this would not be on the minds of most of the world's citizens due to complete lack of resources and often education, and yet in other economically developed nations travel is seen as a right of passage (New Zealand, Australia, Germany to name a few) and encouraged beyond anything we see here in the United States. We all take our place somewhere on this spectrum and I just want to understand the spaces we take up, I want to be able to see it from all sides; the tourist, the guides, the ex-pats, and the locals. I would like to understand the economic vs. social cultural impacts that both travelers and ex-pats have enforced in the places they choose to inhabit whether that be temporarily or permanently. I think answers and insights into the questions I have may illuminate for me what comes next in my life, and how I want to go about doing it. I have often dreamed of an ex-pat lifestyle, but is that right? And how does one resolve their personal dreams, goals and desires with that of the social responsibilities I believe we all have to one another and our environment? How can I act for myself, while also acting for others, or at the very least without doing harm to others?

 “Very few beings really seek knowledge in this world. Mortal or immortal, few really ask. On the contrary, they try to wring from the unknown the answers they have already shaped in their own minds -- justifications, confirmations, forms of consolation without which they can't go on. To really ask is to open the door to the whirlwind. The answer may annihilate the question and the questioner.”
― Anne Rice, The Vampire Lestat

Siempre Sur

Costa Rica Part One: 5,400 km traveled from Denver

I feel drawn to the south. Every time I travel I just feel pulled in this southerly direction and often just happen to end up there. When I went to Germany is was the southern region  I stayed in and found most authentic. In Americorps I was stationed in the southern US and at first though I was being sentenced to the land of huge bugs and small minded folks, but it was there my world first began to open. Everyday I felt more and more drawn to that slow southern lifestyle and now often I find myself just longing for a slow Mississippi afternoon. I am drawn to the equator and all that fills the world below it. Ecuador in 2012 was also a life changing trip, one that Mike and I got to share together. When it came time to hike the Colorado Trail south bound was the only option for me. And now we continue our adventure post Colorado Trail and find ourselves heading south yet again to the beautiful Costa Rica.

Landing in San Jose was a bit overwhelming, specifically after having spent 50 days in the back country of Colorado, as soon as you walk out the airport doors you are greeted by at least 100 cab drivers yelling at you to take their ride and trying to escort you. Lucky for us we had something arranged and it was smooth sailing. We rented an extra room in a yoga studio in the heart of downtown and the woman who owned it just let us in and gave us key, nothing better than that kind of autonomy. We got free yoga too! There we met a journalist who had some amazing insights specifically into the murders of environmentalists and Costa Rica's environmental policies vs their actual practices. She was also staying there while her apartment was being finished next door, she took us to the farmers market and had the cutest dog named Chui and  gave us some information and cool places to check out along our journey. San Jose gets a bad rap but I cannot see why? It was awesome. We jogged all around and defiantly saw the different parts of town, but never felt eyed or in harms way. Little barrios all over the city were breathing out so much life and energy and creativity. All over, the city seemed to have these little hipster enclaves where micro brews are flowing, art is being made available, and community is so obviously important to the people living and working there. San Jose is stop I wouldn't miss on any Costa Rican adventure, more than 2/3 of the population lives there, the true heart beat of a place is with its people.

After a few days in San Jose it was time to board the bus and begin migrating out into the wild country that is Costa Rica. First stop the Caribbean. We found the bus station and a little Soda (traditional Costa Rican place to eat)  open before 6am on the day we left. Mike got a small meal of huevos fritos and gallo pinto and we ventured out to wait in the thick air to catch the bus for a four hour drive south east. The bus station reminded me of Ecuador, so many people hustling and bustling as though they had been awake for hours in an otherwise sleeping city. Vacation goers, gringos, ticos, young and old, mothers and their children all loading up to be shuttled to our varying final destinations all along the same line. The bus seats all felt moist, nothing here ever drys and you stick to everything you sit down on. It took some time to settle in, but once I did the views stunned me and allowed time to pass with ease and as we left San Jose I felt the whole world just slow down around us. The one thing not slowing though was the bus we were on, we arrived less than four hours later in Puerto Viejo: a tropical beach paradise land where the water is always warm and blue, where Bob Marley blasts from all the shop keepers store fronts, beach carts and restaurants, the smell of pineapples, marijuana, chocolate and coconut seem to just linger in the creamy still air, a land where yoga classes seem more frequented than the local children's schools and the main form of transportation is your single speed rusted cruiser bike. Shirts and shoes are optional everywhere and from my observation are often a sign of over dressing in many social situations. The Rastafarian colors wave here almost as frequently as the Costa Rican flags and no one seems in a hurry to do too much at once. The locals seem to be on a perma-vacation, and while I am sure it does not come without struggle and sacrifice it is a very appealing life they do lead looking from the outside in.

We are staying with a lovey family that have an extra small two story cabana tucked back into the jungle on their property just about 7km from the main street area. They have two kids about 10 and 13 and a feisty little dog we have taken to calling el Diablo on account of the fact that it will mock charges us on a whim  going for Mikes  ankles and five minutes later is doing this adorable spin dance jumpy thing to get attention and love. It is quiet here and so beautiful, the flooring and walls are all hand done mosaics and everything is painted in such beautiful reds and teals and yellows. It is weathered of course, being just across from the ocean and having jungle all around, it takes a beating with sun, rain, mold, bugs etc. Everything smells and looks like it came from a second hand store, nothing here comes brand new I don't think, and if it did it would look very out of place I am sure.
The Caribbean is an amazing place, very different from the rest of the country so we are told, this is a wide spread sentiment that is a source of pride among the people who live here.

The first days we were here the waters were so calm and clear, I am so glad we decided to rent the snorkel gear during this beginning period. I have ocean fears but I managed to get out there and see some fish, it was really cool, and I think I'd do it again. Mike was so nice to hold my hand the whole time.The rest of the time has been spent laying on the beach, swimming in the ocean, drinking beer, eating organic foods and meeting as many people as our limited Spanish will allow. These last few days it has rained each afternoon or evening and the ocean has been much more vigorous. We splurged on ourselves and rented a scooter and drove out about 20km to Cahuita National Park for a full day of hiking along their trails of beaches and protected jungle areas. This area was pristine. We had to cross two small streams along the way and we saw so much wildlife. We saw Capuchin Monkeys, Howler Monkeys, many types of incredible birds, insects, butterflies, a large colorful Iguana, and countless other smaller lizards. This trip was worth the bumpy roads and the $60 for the scooter for the day. We still have just less than a week left here before we leave and begin our journey inland to a different town which also happens to be called Puerto Viejo, and this is where Mike will run his race. His training has been going well since being off the trail and arriving in Costa Rica and he is acclimating well to this intensely different climate. If all goes well, he'll be a real contender. We are excited and anxious about everything yet to come.

Our eyes are wide and our hearts are open. As always thanks for reading and thanks for your love and support.

Until next time....

Silverton to Durango!!!! 486 miles traveled from Denver CT completed September 24, 2015

Wow what a journey it has been. Even after having had time to reflect, as I am writing this it is it is hard to find the right words to describe how I feel about being finished with this undertaking. There is a line in a Passenger song that was on repeat in both our heads during our trip, "but dreams come slow and they go so fast." And it is true, this journey was planted in my head ten years ago and even longer for Mike and then once we decided it was going to happen it took so much time and planning and work to make it come to reality. Then while you are out there it requires you to be nothing but present both mentally and physically in order to just get it done and get it done on time and safely. It feels amazing to be done and to be able to say we completed the CT. It is hard to answer the most common question we get about it; what was the best part? I think we would both say the fact that we were able to make it happen was the best thing about it all. We took all the time we wanted, so many people we met on and off the trail just didn't have the time to do it all the way through, and if they did they maybe had 5 weeks. So many people talk about all the things they want to do and see in this world, and we are so freaking lucky to have been able to actually go out and do it! With that said, it is important to share that it wasn't handed to us, it didn't come without struggle, hard work and sacrifice on both our parts. Mike and I are comfortable with very little in terms of what American culture expects and often demands of us, we both want just enough money to keep us safe and moving forward in life. It is a life style choice for us both, but I'll admit sometimes it is a lonely choice. Being out there with other nature lovers and social deviants escaping the demands of American life made us feel like we weren't alone and it just seemed to encourage our next adventure.

The last stretch seemed to come and go in a blink of an eye, despite the fact it was a full 8 day pack out. It felt like Mimi dropped us off at the trail head in Silverton and then we woke up in Durango. We were trying so hard to savor the moments too, but it was gone in a flash. The dogs also seemed to know change was yet again in the air. Joey began acting naughty and rude to other humans on the trail reverting to some very old bad behaviors and Little Britches stayed close during the last section, almost as if to say, "I'm gonna spend as much time with you guys as possible before this all has to come to an end and I go back to the life of a house dog." Mike and I both approached the last section with  a determination that had yet to be seen in either of us, especially simultaneously. It was only until this section that I would allow myself to talk about what was to come afterward or to discuss the trail in terms of it being something I would absolutely finish. This attitude gave me a renewed sense of self and strength, but it also caused me to be less present. Mike and I were getting ready to throw ourselves out of the woods into a huge beautiful family celebration in Durango and then immediately return to Denver and get on a plane to the tropics for 5 weeks. There was much to discuss and very little time to do it, as a result I personally felt less present during our last stretch in the woods but was able to be more grateful of everything in my life over all, if that makes sense?

Since arriving in Silverton we were really beginning to feel and taste Fall in the air, but it wasn't until our last two days of the trip that we really had the chance to bask in all of its glory. The colors overwhelmed us from bend to bend in the trail and throughout the entire week. In this section we spent the majority of the time in the trees descending toward town, so we had the chance to really see the change. I swear I would fall asleep under a green leafed Aspen and then wake up to her in all of her golden glory, it happened right before our eyes. I felt so lucky to really be in touch with that so intimately via this experience. The Aspens changing is one of my favorite parts of living in Colorado, and boy it did not disappoint. Watching the seasons change opens us all to the possibility and necessity of change in our own lives. If our Mother Earth is in a constant state of change and growth, perhaps we should heed her call and fall in line? Autumn reminds me I am on track, meaning we are meant to change and grow and like mama tierra be in a state of perpetual motion. I find much comfort in this idea.

My knees and feet killed on this last section, it was primarily all down down down steep hills and mountains. It felt like we took 6 weeks to climb up hill and 1 week to come back down. Each step was slam, slam, slamming on my joints. My body was sick of this crap man, it cried out each afternoon begging me to stop and set up camp. Despite the pain, we did our biggest mileage days of the entire trip during this last week, one day 15.5 miles and the very next 15 miles. This set us up to have a very short last day on the trail. We were both so excited and anxious to see family and friends, to shower, to sleep in a bed with soft sheets, and to eat whatever we wanted. Our camp food was just not acceptable to us by the last morning and we didn't even bother making breakfast, we just threw stuff in our bags and got the hell out of there. It was weird packing up camp on that last morning, it had all become so familiar and methodical to us both and here it was our very last day. We hiked out to the most anti-climactic dirt parking lot. It was empty, nothing but a tumbling tumble weed and crickets chirping, ok it wasn't quite like that, but it felt that way to us. I don't know what I was expecting, maybe a marching band a few signs and a crowd cheering, not that much to ask I don't think? We hitched in to town and that was that. 500 miles in the bag and the Colorado Trail completed. If we did 500 miles the dogs easily did 800 and I am not kidding at all about that. They were the super stars out there and kept me going time and time again. I am not sure I could have made it without the constant inspiration of Little Britches and the unconditional loyalty of Joey. And it is a fact that if it weren't for my husband this dream would have never made it off the couch. He is the motion in my ocean, the jam to my peanut butter, the milk to my cookies. Without him I would only be half the woman I am, I just love him so much. I am a huge pain in the ass, and he does these things with me over and over again and takes good care that I am always all right... that people, is true love! I am the luckiest, I think I need a good hard pinch just to make sure it is all real.

...and now off to Costa Rica.  Stay tuned.

As always thanks for reading and thanks for the love and support.

* Mike and I are putting together a picture slide show that we will just post on FB directly. Sorry but from the States it takes way to long to upload the pics directly here, and now that we are in Costa Rica the internet is so slow it would take days... Just know there were some trees, some mountains, a few selfies, lots of dog pictures the usual.

Lake City to Silverton 412 miles traveled from Denver

Well friends we have made it to our last stop over in Silverton. The San Juan Mountains are just the most epic range we have ever explored in Colorado, everyday has been so rewarding. They are beyond gigantic, jagged and sharp, most often they are dark in color with very little vegetation above tree line. A range that looks almost uninviting, yet there is something about them that draws you in deeper and deeper, like a Siren calling out to a man at sea. The wildlife is truly “wild” out here and we are the ones who feel out of place; we encountered a Bull moose and a Cow on separate days, both a little closer than what felt comfortable but we admired and kept moving, we saw a migration of Elk at least 200 head which brought me to tears it was so astonishing and we heard the males in rut bugling to the females throughout the cold nights and early mornings around dawn. Another Cow moose slept just below our camp one night and we got to observe her all evening. The sightings have been bountiful, but sadly so have the hunters. I am not here to get political, I know hunting brings a lot to these small communities and hunters know how to spend money I tell you what. I am personally torn about the whole thing. Most local hunters we meet are sustenance hunting for the winter for them and their families, but the vast majority we meet are out of state trophy guys from Texas and Oklahoma… it just feels different somehow. We have fished along the way which was hard for us at first so I feel I have no room to get on a soap box. It just makes me feel deeply sad every time we hear a gun shot out there or see a beautiful herd in the distance knowing not all of them will get to see the snow fall this year. Bleeding heart I know I know!

Over the course of the last week we spent over 4 days above tree line in some of the harshest conditions we have experienced yet. No lightning, but a lot of wind and misty spit rain, the kind you don’t really realize is soaking you until it is too late. The dogs don’t seem to care much for the change in weather, but they are still truckin’ right along with us, every step of the way and wagging those adorable tail and nubbin’.

Out of Lake City we took a “short cut” via another trail that intersects with the CT, ideally this would have cut maybe 6 miles off our first day back out there, but the trails weren’t marked and we got a little turned around, only lost an hour or so over all, but I’d say due to the condition a steepness of the trail we didn’t save any time that day at all. It was nice because we hiked up to a yurt for CT and CDT thru hikers, Mike paid for us to stay a night. I think he was a little disappointed with the condition other hikers and the volunteers who manage it left the yurt in for us, but it was nice not sleeping in the tent and having the wood stove was fun too! We had been bunked up with a bunch of other people (dudes, bros, and hairy stinky men everywhere I look in these towns for the past three weeks) in Lake City at the hostel, so it was nice having the place just to ourselves, it was quiet and we watched the sunset from the rickety old deck. That night the stars were just gorgeous and I actually stayed up late enough to see them. I really appreciated that Mike took the time and the forethought to book it for us, it was a nice little change up. PS yurts are super cool!

The next day while hiking Joey and Lil Britches caught a lil chipmunk, he was scared and in shock, I think disoriented and in an attempt to find coverage he ran up my leg. I wish I would have just frozen on the spot, maybe he still would have had a chance, but no, my natural reaction was to shake my leg vigorously. I threw the poor thing right back to the wolves and it was Little Britches who went in for the final blow around its neck. I couldn’t believe my eyes, she killed a chipmunk, I never thought in a million years that would ever happen. Of course I cried about it as we continued down the trail. That same day we reached the highest point on the CT, something like 13,200 feet and some change. All the while making our way to Carson Saddle. So much of this section was high up and desolate with little mining ruins scattered throughout the landscapes. We saw a coyote the next day while taking a snack and water break, he was sneaking up on us. I really think at first he just saw Joey and Lil B and that his plan was to eat her. Lucky for us Mike saw his huge head a red back and so he stood up so the coyote could see us, it dashed away quickly. But I was paranoid the rest of the day that he was nearby just waiting for his chance to pounce and eat her up. We called it early that day and Mike fished at Cataract Lake and we feasted on Brook Trout both that evening and the next morning for breakfast, a real treat since all of our food is not as appetizing as it was on day one. The next day was seriously the longest 11 miles of my life. The trail was like a roller coaster just up and down and back up, up, up again. We met a large group of 10 mountain bikers that day and when we finally reached the top of Stony Pass that night we saw that they had left us two beers at our trail head. They were still cold, yum Modelo! That is what you call trail magic!

Speaking of trail magic and trial culture, some of you may have been wondering if we have trail names out here, all of the folks on the long hikes (CDT, PCT, AT) use them to help keep track of one another because there are lots of Johns and Mikes out there. The trail names are richly ingrained in the AT thru hiking culture and that is where I am told it all started. So we began this journey as Wook and Dimples and will continue using those names in registries along the way, but those names were chosen prematurely because we thought we had to have them, before the trail really had a chance to name us… This section the true trail names found us and in the future we will be known out on the trail as Pack Wolf (Mike) and Lights Out (Erika). Little Britches is Carhart and Joey is Culture Shock. I like this part of the thru hiking culture and want to adopt it in to my personal backpacking lifestyle. Other parts of thru hiking culture I can live without. They are all so hardcore, I guess if you have 3100 miles to cover you’d have to be. But they are up at dawn and will often hike well into the night, they rarely use tents and go as ultra-light as they can with gear and food, lots of cold oatmeal and cold Ramen out of a Nalgene bottles...no thanks!!! They do at least 20 miles a day and because they are all on such rigid schedules they end up hiking together a lot of the time. Groups will band together and it seems it gets really clique-ish, people will join in and get kicked out of different groups along the way and lots of talk seems to go around and around. Love blooms and goes down in flames out there. Plus many of them know each other from previous long hikes so stories a rumors follow people from trail to trail.  In Lake City we met a couple (they gave all the inside info I just mentioned) getting ready to Triple Crown, that is when you complete the CDT, AT, and the PCT. It is a huge accomplishment, but not really one Mike or myself are looking for personally. It is just like any other sub or counter culture, thru hiking is a lifestyle that many people are drawn to, but I just don’t see myself getting too sucked in.

The last couple days to Silverton were slow going, we didn’t have a ton of miles to cover but the terrain and the weather was tough and both Mike and I are starting to get bored with the trail life routine. Don’t get me wrong, we love it out here and everyday there are new surprises and beauties that we look forward to, it is just that hiking these miles day in and day out and being on a tighter and tighter schedule as Durango approaches makes the hiking feel more and more like a job. And camp life is hard too, setting up, cooking, cleaning, and then tearing down… day after day after day. Let’s just say this is no day hike and we are really excited to finish this trail!

In our last days we continued and climbed over a mountain through a gigantic rain cloud that we rode to the precipice of Elk Creek Canyon, the most beautiful place I have ever been in Colorado. We began hiking down into the canyon just as the cloud we had been riding lifted, and before us was the most gorgeous red quartzite and green limestone rock out cropping’s as far as the eye could see. Against the grey sky and the inverted clouds still lingering among us, there were just the most beautiful red and pink and every shade of turquoise shiny rocks towering above us and resting below us. The rocks are so smooth and you could see the rain gliding off of them giving them and extra sheen in the emerging sunlight. We dropped down further and further and the canyon walls grew taller all around us. The streams were so clear and pristine running off from all sides of the canyon walls all joining Elk Creek at the bottom. The exposed geology was a billion year old timeline just laid out before our eyes. It was almost too much beauty to fully take in. I have never seen anything like it. That night we camped just near the train tracks for the Durango to Silverton rail and it was fun to see the trains pass that afternoon as we settled ourselves at camp. People loved it, waving at us and taking pictures. The next day was just a 5 mile hike out to Molas Pass but it was a doozy. Miles of switchbacks and when you get to the top of them you can see and hear the cars, but you are still 1.5 miles from the top and it is mentally tough getting up there. It is like, “really, I’m not there yet?” But I made it up eventually and within 15 minutes of thumbing it a nice older couple from Indiana picked us up and took us into town, and boy do they just love Silverton we heard about it the whole way down the pass. The hostel here is weird, it is really nice and inviting but the people working here leave something to be desired and it could be a little cleaner feeling. Let’s just say this place could be a lot better than it is, but we are grateful for the hot shower, the kitchen, and a private room with a really good sized bed for the four of us to share. Tomorrow we will head back out and are set to arrive in Durango on Thursday the 24^th. Mike’s other awesome auntie is gonna meet us here tomorrow to have lunch and then take us back up to the trail head.

7 more days!!!! 

We didn’t have time to upload our pics from this epic section so you will just have to wait until next week for those.

As always thanks for reading and thanks for the love and support.

Buena Vista to North Pass 8 days 304 miles traveled from Denver

Well folks we are still out here and all things are a go for finishing in Durango on the 24^th of September assuming nothing too unexpected pops up for us or the dogs.

I am sure you felt my downer vibes in the last blog as we prepared for leaving Buena Vista and heading into this next 2 week long section. For all of you concerned about my mental well fair, just know I am better than the first day we set out and am feeling stronger every day! Things are really good, not getting easier by any means, on the contrary, but I am good and that makes all difference out here. Maintaining a positive outlook is key and I believe this applies outside of trail life too.

Our last night in Buena Vista our friend Van came and met us so he could join us on the hike for the first three days of this push from Chalk Bluffs to HWY 50. I had been so looking forward to having him join us since about 2 days out from Leadville, just knowing someone else was out there coming to meet us and would inevitably change up our dynamics for a few days was a thrilling prospect, out here you crave diversity in many ways, food, people etc. He arrived early that evening and we packed our bags with new fresh foods (because the site of dehydrated potatoes was and still is now enough to make a woman sick) and set off for HWY 50.  Van was with us to celebrate our ½ way point in both days and miles, man what a feeling knowing I had made it over the “hump” and was still willing to put my boots on every morning and give it a go. In those days with Van the topography really changed for us, we had our first meadows in what seemed like weeks. Long sections of flat and exposed areas, hot for sure, but such a nice respite from the endless climbing we were experiencing in the Collegiate Peaks. This section with its wide open areas began offering us better and better views than our previous six day trek nestled under gigantic peaks like Massive, Elbert, and Harvard. We gradually climbed around Shavano and Tabauguche Peaks and had to the opportunity to see them in all their glory from multiple faces. Stunning these two mountains are, this is the stuff that can take your breath away, why not try and see of much of it as you can? Van brought his dog Eddie and I think our dogs were happy to have him also join the pack. Eddie was as fun, if not more fun to watch enjoying the hike as Joey and B. He leaped and bounded over everything and at camp still had so much energy it was incredible. I just love watching the dogs, and Eddie really heightened the experience in that regard. 

We arrived to HWY 50 on Saturday the 29^th of August, where we were set to separate from Van and continue on to Fooses Creek. I still was not feeling amazing and I was still discouraged about my mileage abilities and I was feeling more drained than usual because of “lady times”. So when we got to the HWY crossing it was a real treat to see our friend Katie (Van’s wife) pull up. I squeezed her so tight. I needed female energy in a bad bad way, I just cried, it was a natural release (thanks girl #blessed). And despite them having the chance to slip away for a romantic night at the hot springs they decided to stay with Mike and in all of our bickering and my sickly glory and car camp with us. They drove into town and brought back ice cream and twizlers and gallons of clean water. They sent us off the next morning with eggs, fresh water and a whole new vibe. I felt strong and empowered after my Katie and Van time as we walked away from their car toward the creek, and since that moment each day has been more fun for me.

From here it was just 5 more days to North Pass, where mike’s mom and aunt were driving out to meet us with a resupply box. We pushed hard and got there in 4 days instead allowing us just one day “off” to camp and not bag miles. A nice unplanned treat to say the least. This was the first time I did more than 11 miles per day and was still able to continue each new day with as much vigor as the day before. Over this stretch it became more and more apparent that Little Britches has reached her full confidence level here on the trial. She no longer needs to follow Joey around, she is breaking her own trail. This makes me a little nervous, but I don’t have the heart to leash her, she has never been so wild and free and at ease since the day we adopted her. Watching your shelter dog become free of fears and anxieties that they have been burdened with since you adopted them is a beautiful gift as a “rescue parent”. As her confidence grows, I can see myself paralleling with her. We are now two strong empowered women heading toward Durango, and together with our boys we are unstoppable! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, she is my inspiration! Every person that is lucky enough to meet her on the trail is also inspired by her abilities and tenacity. We’ve given her the trail name of “Carhart”, since they are the toughest britches you can find.

Since leaving Van the climbs really intensified again as we left one major mountain range and began ascending into another. We climbed over 3,000 feet to Sergeant’s Mesa which gave us spectacular views of where we’d been and where we were going, and areas we won’t have a chance to go to on this trail (the Sangre de Cristo’s). The view was 360 degrees of magnificent; seeing the Sawatch Mountains behind us, the San Juan’s in front and the Sangre’s towering out in the distance; as far as the eye could see it was mountains and it gave me that similar feeling as when I’m standing next to the ocean, an obvious reminder of how small we actually are, that humbling feeling of insignificance (in a good way), and that feeling like “I am standing exactly where I am supposed to be at this very moment on Earth”. Feeling insignificant individually, but so connected to everything bigger than you at the same time. Is this called inner peace? Maybe it is.

Connectedness is a major theme on this journey for me. I’ve been feeling for years in the “real world” like I don’t really fit anywhere, whether that be places we’ve lived or jobs I’ve had, but mostly in terms of what I view as success for my life seems so counter to what most of my friends and family have done and are doing. It makes you question yourself, when you compare yourself to the way other people choose to live. But out here I belong everywhere I am. I feel part of the circle of life as cheesy as it sounds, but I’m serious here, I feel powerfully connected to both the micro and the macro and everything in between. The ants and spiders and millions of little micro lives existing beneath our shoes, the breeze rushing through the huge single organism Aspen groves, and the gigantic mountains, calderas, and ancient volcanic ash hoodoos over 27 million years old. We all exist because of what and who came before us and therefore we are connected to everything that has come and will come. Again I know this is a little cheesy, but you can’t help asking yourself while you are out here, “what are we doing to protect each other and our lands, what are we leaving for the future world? What is my responsibility as a member of the human race?”

Just a side note… I’m becoming a geology nut out here, I just can’t get enough information to satisfy all questions I have about what I am seeing day in and day out.

As we approached North Pass we saw two Moose, our first big wildlife sighting. There was a female and a male, Mike and I assumed they were a young couple just like us, just trying to make it in this crazy world. What a sight! This was also the first and only day on the trail so far we have not seen another living soul, at detail I made sure to appreciate.

This section was vital to my survival out here, I had to break down in order to build myself up, and up I am!

North Pass to Lake City 4 days 358 miles from Denver  

What a beautiful stretch. We made it to North Pass a day early and got to have an extra day just camping with no miles to walk. What a great feeling. Sara and Lynne brought us our resupply box and drove us up to Saguache Park where we had some great food, wine, and conversation while car camping. It is always nice to see new faces, it is rejuvenating. We pressed on the next day and climbed climbed again. We made it to the fishing spot on the CT, Cochatopa Creek. Mike caught 2 Brook Trout and we shared one for dinner and had one for breakfast. September 5, 2015 is our one month “hikeaversary” crazy to think we have spent the last month living in the wilderness. I am finding my personal stride, my spirits are way up and Mike and I finally have a great schedule going for ourselves and I have worked out my nutrition so no more vomit and my weight has leveled out.

We pushed over Snow Mesa, which was a crazy huge mesa well over 12,000 ft. There are no words to describe this section. You will have to look at the pictures below, and even those don’t do it justice. I guess ya’all will have to just come out next year and see it for yourself ;)

The changing of the seasons is upon us and every day we can taste fall in the air and can feel it in the air, Days are shorter and so are the nights. A new “crispness” in the air. The leaves are just starting to change and we are getting more excited to push on. 

The kindness of strangers and other hikers we have met here in the last few days on our layover in both Creede and Lake City. We arrived a day early and had trouble hitching to Lake City so we hopped over to the other side of the road and the first car picked us up and took us to Creede, what a strange beautiful gem of a mountain town. It was not as easy as we thought it would be to find a hotel in town. I talked to many locals who sent me to bars and pizza shops to ask random people for rooms and nothing was available for us AND our dogs. We were feeling pretty low knowing we'd have to pack up and find a place to camp and a man stopped us and asked us if were hikers and if we were doing ok. I of course cried and said "until now..." He didn't hesitate for a moment. He loaded us up and took us to his deceased mother's house where we camped and he opened the doors to us for facility use. Such a nice guy, who just wanted to help some hikers, he admired what were doing. As he left us for the night he gave me his card, he turned out to be the county commissioner for Mineral County and local staple in the community. Thanks Scott, if you are reading this just know that is the greatest gift one can receive on a journey like ours and we will never forget you. Next day we got a rides back over the pass to Lake City where we have had the most restful and amazing stay at the Raven's Rest Hostel. For the owner Lucky you can tell that this is so much a labor of love. He loves the hiking and adventure culture and chose to bring us all into his home. One of the best hostels I have ever stayed in, I feel at home and will miss the comforts and good company when we hit the trail again tomorrow.

Next is eight days to Silverton and then just six more days to Durango.

As always thanks for your support and thanks for reading. We love and miss you all.

Leadville to Buena Vista (from the last blog)

Buena Vista To North Pass

North Pass To Lake City