The Good Stuff

I had a lot of different experiences in Costa Rica. Most were a once in a lifetime experiences that even looking back at now I can't believe happened. It's like I was dreaming for a whole 2 months. Here is a post all about the good stuff, so grab a coffee and relax. It's going to be a long one..

Finally arriving at camp and realising I have done it - I remember clear as day laying on the damp mattress after fighting with the mosquito net to try and get into the bed. As I lay on my back I looked up at the metal frame above me and just smiled. I had finally done it. The girl who had never travelled before, never even been on a plane travelled all this way and made it in one piece. Don't get me wrong, it had been emotional but I had done it! It was one of the proudest moments in my life.

The wildlife - After all, this was the main reason I went out to Costa Rica to see the beautiful diversity of the wildlife out there. It was truly breathtaking. The locals called the scarlet macaws pigeons due to the population of them in the town! Yes, that's right the beautiful intelligent birds have such a big population in Puerto Jimenez that they refer to them as pests. Another amazing memory is being woken up at 4am most mornings from the call of the howler monkey's in the trees around the camps. I was also the first person in 7 years to see an armadillo in Costa Rica. At first, the leader of the survey didn't believe me and we had a conversation for a good 20 minutes about whether or not it could have really been an opposum until he saw it himself. This experience led to the tattoo on my leg.

Left - Feeding a sloth at a sanctuary. Right - Capuchin monkey

Pancakes - At Camp Osita you will find the best pancakes being made - it might take the whole length of your trip to master them but they are something truly incredible - which if you made back home would taste completely different, maybe it's just the jungle..A simple mix of flour and water (More flour for a thicker pancake) fried in a bit of vegetable oil and topped however you like. Combos included - simply sugar and lime/lemon, peanut butter and banana. Cinnamon or whatever you felt like doing - will never forget Neil's cereal pancakes. After all its about the small things in life.

Cinnamon pancakes with banana and maple syrup. 

Acts of kindness - When you start off travelling it's a whole new experience, its the same when you start anything new in life. It's also a very emotional time, fear, loneliness, homesickness as well as sickness in my case. Small things make a massive difference in these times due to the emotions. I almost cried when one of the girls brought me a bunch of green bananas back from town. I was vegan back then and all I wanted was bananas for my porridge and pancakes as we were all limited to 3 a week. Someone also let me have a pair of their trousers as I only bought 1 pair for the evenings so I didn't get eaten alive in shorts. The whole of the jungle family was so helpful getting me home and making sure I was okay. It doesn't take a lot to be kind.

The people - I met so many incredible people in Costa Rica. Don't get me wrong you never got on with everyone but most of the people at the camp were amazing and honestly people I would love to be in contact more with. They helped me so much and were there to listen to me and have a laugh with. This was the same for the locals. Every time we went into town and I saw the guy who did the dolphin tour, he would always stop and wave. The locals were so welcoming, and honestly not out to steal my stuff like I first thought. Even if language got in the way sometimes we were still able to communicate and honestly, it just added to the fun! They tried to teach me - even if it didn't work.

Jungle Family.

Banana/Egg trade - I was vegan for the whole time I was in Costa Rica, which honestly made it a bit harder - I'm sorry now for the poor jungle family who had to deal with me. Every week each person at the camp had 3 bananas and 3 eggs each to do with as they please. Due to me not eating eggs back then we had a trading system. The first 3 people who wanted an extra egg was able to do so for a banana. It ever became official with a very small little chart in the top corner of the kitchen whiteboard.

Spider Monkey research - Whilst I was at the camp, there was an opportunity to work on a research project which led to a Frontier certificate - great for your CV. One of the staff members was working on a Geoffroy's spider monkey project, looking for groups and their behaviours in different forests so I helped out. I have a passion for primates and after finding out spider monkeys are on the endangered list (due to deforestation of their habitats), I wanted to do it for them.

I tried to go out as much as I could, to record as the more info because the more I got the more it would help Ellen out with her paper. Which if it got published would have my name in it - How amazing is that! knowing that what I was doing would really help towards something bigger. However, due to going home early, I wasn't able to finish the project.

 " It's in moments like this when you realize sometimes its not the destination, it's the people you share these moments with that matters "

Waterfall Trail - One of my best memories is the waterfall trail. Although it was a bit of a challenge to get too, it was worth it at the end. Walking the easy trails in wellies can be hard at times but imagine walking through a stream, climbing over trees and fragile walkways in poorly made plastic wellies that made you walk like you had two left feet, but when we got to the end, the incredible waterfall crashing into a beautiful pool of water, I completely forgot all about it. Well, that was until I remembered we had to walk back. We all took it in turns going under the waterfall and just had a laugh and talked. It's in moments like this when you realize sometimes its not the destination, it's the people you share these moments with that matters. 

Sunrises - I am a sucker for sunrises, the beauty that comes from the darkness, the start of a new day full of amazing adventures and new beginnings. Its just one of the planets amazing events that we are so lucky to have and even take for granted. I was able to see so many of these whilst in Costa Rica, each sharing its own beauty.  Sometimes it would be there to guide me along the first survey of the morning, as I walked along the sand looking for turtle nests, or as I looked out from the hammock as I took a sip from my morning coffee and turned the page in my book.