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This Is Not A Blog contains essays, short stories and poetry by Stephen B. Starr.
March 22, 2008
Reflections on launching a static website
The Heart of Costa Rica (April 25, 2008)
Pure Vida… I was told is an expression unique to Costa Rica… literally “pure life” but a catch-all euphemism for expressing the delight in the small pleasures of daily living. A good friend saw a cartoon depicting airport customs in Costa Rica with a line for citizens, visitors and yoga instructors. It’s become something of a new mecca for people seeking a relaxed lifestyle in the midst of incredible natural beauty.
I did not go seeking resorts catering to North Americans. I wanted to get as close as I could to an authentic Costa Rican experience. I did not rent a car, I took the bus to my beach destination and I ate at the local “sodas,” diners where you sample what the locals eat. And my Spanish phrase book was always at the ready.
Puerto Viejo is on the Caribbean side of the country where I stayed in the midst of the rain forest in a beautiful house custom made for those in love or seeking to fall in love with life again. “La Casita,” one of three properties on the farm at Loco Natural is a short walk to the pristine Playa Negra. Each time I walked to the beach, I wondered why it was not crowded with hordes of people. I could run a mile north and back seeing only a group of boys playing soccer each day as the heat of the day began to dissipate. When I slept at night, the broad windows of the house were thrown open so I could hear the birds calling and the rain pelting the roof.
A hike through the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge was particularly special. The guide, Abel Bustamante C. had grown up in the little hamlet of Manzanillo where everyone is someone’s brother, sister or cousin. His father was a traditional hard working farmer and had to be convinced the refuge should not be farmed—that ecotourism could bring people almost to the border of Panama to appreciate the rain forest and stimulate the local economy.
Pamela and Carter, my hosts at La Casita own Loco Natural—for this vegetarian, the best restaurant in town. The Jamaican Jerk stir-fry and their incredible signature salad with fresh greens, chick peas, fruit, and avocados was my favorite meal. Puerto Viejo is uniquely international from the Argentine songstress with long dark hair, North American tan surfer dudes walking the streets carrying their boards like overgrown school books to the indigenous, dark skinned Bri Bri.
Returning to San Jose was a study in contrasts… a busy city shot through with streets filled with taxis, motorcycles and buses… a dizzying array of buses. After a long day in the museums and parks, I approached the Plaza de la Cultura and heard the strains of beautiful, repetitive music. The small crowd surrounding the musicians stood at a respectful distance mesmerized as I was, the lights of the Teatro Nacional in the background casting long shadows on the square. I had planned to catch a tour of Arenal, the active volcano outside the city. That evening, I changed my plans and returned each evening to the plaza. Scratching beneath the surface, I felt like I was at the heart of Costa Rica.
Stephen B. Starr, April 25, 2008
