5/24/15
This weekend I traveled
to the majestic Isla de Cano. I stepped out of reality and into a world where
magic exists. A world where Jack Sparrow roams the seas, where Tinkerbell flies
while the lost boys play, and a t-rex roars before stepping out from the fog
in the trees; a world so magical I can’t believe it exists outside of novels and
movies.
That may be a bit
dramatic, but there really is no other way to explain the beauty that is Isla
de Cano. I found my heaven on earth. I found the place where I can sit on a
rock for an hour without moving. Where wind, water, and jungle truly become
one. And it was only two short hours away!
Green Life volunteers
offers a variety of volunteer projects all over the Osa Peninsula. They are currently
adding a new park ranger project. We were going to check out the project, get
some pictures, and figure out how to promote it. On Sunday morning, high off of
Friday’s realization that I am in the right place (if this statement is
confusing, you clearly haven't read my last post), I packed a small bag with a
change of clothes, my camera, sunscreen, and bug spray and headed out.
The drive from Puerto Jimenez to Drake Bay took about an
hour. We drove through some amazing small towns. We even drove THROUGH a river.
You read that right, we drove not over, but through a river. Drake bay is
stunning and I am planning to make it my first stop when I start backpacking,
so for now I will skip over that and talk more about it later. At Drake we got
into a small boat. The Island is about on hour off shore. It was foggy out and
we couldn't even see it. There is something so surreal about being on a boat
headed to a place you can’t even see. As we rode, the water began to clear. By
the time we were half an hour out the water was so clear and blue that no
picture could even do it justice.
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| You can see the ranger station where we stayed in this picture. |
We arrived at the ranger station around 2 p.m. Isla de Cano
is a national park, mostly known for it's clear blue water, excellent snorkeling, and the best diving in Costa Rica. The ranger station is the only building on the island. In
fact, the only way to stay the night on the island is to be a ranger or a
volunteer. That is part of what made this experience so unique. We were
literally getting to participate in something that very few people in this
world can and will ever do! It is the kind of once in a lifetime experience
that is so hard to describe. It is actually half of why I have been having so
much trouble writing this, I want to fully be able to explain every amazing
detail.
When we arrived, they showed us to our room. It was one
large dorm room with a couple of bunk beds. They showed us the outdoor
bathroom; I mean there was a toilet and there were technically walls, but they
were mostly made of netting (using the bathroom in the jungle was actually
oddly nice. Who knew an outdoor bathroom would be so high on my list of cool
things from this trip?) And they showed us the full kitchen. Once we settled
in, they showed us the solar panels and the hydroponic water system that they
use for all of their water and energy. After that they made us a delicious
typical Costa Rican lunch of rice, beans, and meat in a tangy spicy sauce.
After lunch I decided to go sit out on the rocks. I sat
there for about an hour, as all five of my senses sprang to life. The smell of
trees, plants, and beach blended together and tickled my nose. I could taste
the salt from the ocean in the air. The wind whipped around me, pulling my hair
in every direction so I had no choice but to tie it in a knot on top of my
head. The rocks I was sitting on dug into my hands and legs, not in a painful
way, but in a way that made me feel one with nature. I watched the birds fly
around in trees so green I couldn’t believe my eyes. I turned the other
direction and watched the majestic blue waves flow back and forth into the ocean
around me, reaching the rocks and immediately creating an enormous explosion of
water. But of all the senses, sound was the one that sent shivers up my spine.
The wind roaring around me carrying the sounds of birds, frogs, and other
jungle creatures. The occasional howler monkey would call out to their friends,
who would respond in ever louder howls. Every few seconds as the waves would
crash into the massive rocks, booming so loudly that even the loudest of jungle
birds was momentarily silenced. When I closed my eyes, everything seemed
perfect, magic, in place. I was able to forget everything going on in the world
around me and just be at peace. It was exactly what I needed. And so I sat and
I continued sitting, soaking up every sound, finding my bliss. At some point
someone got a picture of me just sitting. For that I am very thankful. I will
always have that to remember this moment.
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| Finding My Bliss |
In the afternoon we went on a hike to a lookout point then
we went swimming in a gorgeous blue water. While we were swimming, the rangers
took the boat outside of the no fishing zone and caught us a huge Red Snapper
for dinner. We helped them make ceviche, fried fish, and rice and beans for
dinner. I could not believe how fresh the fish was. It had literally been
swimming a few hours earlier. Ceviche takes quite a while to makes, but these guys
actually taught us some amazing tricks. All three rangers are very good cooks.
They have to cook all of their meals and they really work well together,
planning and executing their meals.
After dinner, there was a lightning storm. I sat in the
upstairs hammock for what must have been hours, watching the lightning and
listening to the sounds of the jungle at night. I even recorded about 15
minutes worth of jungle sounds so I could replay them later. At around 9 p.m. it
started to rain. I was falling asleep in the hammock and decided to call it a
night. I wouldn’t have minded sleeping outside, but I think I would have
gotten a too cold in the rain.
The next morning we decided to go take more pictures of the
island…I was being stupid and not paying close enough attention and that is
when disaster struck…but I will save that for the next post, because I’d like
to leave this post on a happy note and I’m not quite ready to go into that day yet…that
day is the other reason I have been having trouble writing about my magnificent
weekend, and so I have decided to separate the two days…so just be patient and
I will fill you in on day two very soon! And so, I will leave you with one last goofy picture (it was a failed attempt at a panoramic picture).
Until Later,
Love you!
-Al
P.S.- If two weeks to a month in this magic place sounds like something you would be interested in, just let me know. This volunteer program is nothing short of amazing. They are constantly looking for volunteers and I'd love to put anyone interested in touch with the right people.
~Also, note that the pictures I am posting are not mine. They were all given to me by friends. more about that later~
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