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.
