Adventure

Wednesday, March 18 - Miercoles

Okay, it has been a wonderfully crazy week.  Well, half week.  I am having so much fun with JoElla and Monique, while teaching a workshop, that I haven’t really had the time to write.  Having both of them here has been wonderful.  We visit with each other throughout the day, still spending time doing our own thing and spend the evenings sitting on the terrace talking.  It’s really nice to have people here who care about me and support me.  This is especially sweet since I spend most of my time here supporting others. 

JoElla has taken over my visible roll as the on-sight representative and yoga instructor, freeing up my mornings and minimizing the amount of questions that are individually directed toward me.   I love having the early morning hours to myself.  Every morning, I get up, strap on the sneakers, post water - of course, and hike a different part of the property.  Monday, JoElla and I hiked out to the Cascades by ourselves.  Monique and the guests were on the boat tour.  We swam in the natural pool and then tried each of the naturally occurring swimming holes in the cascades.  

Today is the full day tour and we’re all going along with the guests.  Up and out on a horse by 9:00 a.m.!  Yes, a horse.  I do it once a year, every year.  Monique is an expert rider.  JoElla a novice.  Me, an unwilling novice, but I’m doing it again.  I beg for the smallest, slowest horse and I’m the last one to mount.  Diego carefully checks my saddle and tells me everything is going to fine.  I have the slowest horse - I’ll be fine.  Off we go.  Monique in front with Diego, the participants in between her and JoElla and a Spanish couple in between JoElla and me.  I’m bringing up the rear with Pistolo. I’m not sure how Pistolo feels about this.  Since he only works with the horses, every time he sees me, there’s a look of terror in my eyes.  He has been the one driving the horses on the two occasions I thought I was going to be trampled during my morning walk.  He knows how I feel about horses, and now I’m on one, next to him.  Of course, since I have the slowest horse, he needs encouragement at times, which Pistolo is more than happy to provide.  Each time Pistolo makes the kissing noise - which moves the horses along, my horse tries to pass the two horses in front of him causing me to brush up against the other horse, or trees or anything nearby.  My horse will even walk dangerously close to the edge to speed up.  Monique is in the front talking away to Diego in Spanish, JoElla towards the rear talking away to her horse in English.  At least Monique is being understood.  Pistolo, unfortunatly, doesn’t speak or really understand English.  So, I’m all by myself, legs shaking, reminding myself to breathe, deeper.  Every once in a while I’ll say something in Spanish - which makes the Spanish couple laugh.  Needless to say, I’m not having a good time.  I really don’t enjoy horseback riding.  I know this, yet I continue to try it once a year.  About 3/4 of the way through the ride, after several passing attempts, lot’s of kissing noises, and dangerous edge riding, I decide I’ve had enough.  I know there is a huge hill coming up and I would honestly prefer to walk it than ride it.  My lower legs have been shaking most of the time and no matter how hard I try I can’t seem to get my knees into the horse while my heels are out as I’ve been taught.  I look at Pistolo and say  “No Mas” while drawing my finger across my throat.  I’m sure the finger was unnecessary, because he can see the fear on my face and in my eyes - but I threw it in for good measure.  It takes a little while to get Diego’s attention - he’s leading the group and talking non-stop to Monique.  Once Pistolo has his attention, Diego says loudly from the front of the pack “Who wants to get off?”.  Well, so much for pride - in front of all my students, guests and friends I say with a strong voice “I DO!”.  I can practically see Diego roll his eyes, although he patiently smiles, get’s off his horse and comes back and helps me get off my horse.  I actually fall into his arms, because my left foot get’s stuck in the stirrup.  He doesn’t seem to mind.  No one in the group seems surprised by this or says anything.  

We resume the trip - everyone riding and me walking next to my horse!  Once we get to the base of the big hill, my horse decides he’s had enough and stops.  I try the kissing noise, clapping and waving my arms - he’s not moving.  Pistolo tells me it’s okay - he’ll go back to the barn on his own.  I keep walking, laughing at myself and eternally grateful to be off the horse. My legs have finally stopped shaking and even though it’s warm, I’d rather be walking than riding that animal.  The horses and their riders turn off the rock and dirt trail onto a mud and clay path and I pick up my speed.  As I approach the canopy, the horses are no where in sight and Cokie is coming up in the tractor.  I jump on the tractor and stand next to him, Costa Rican style, while he gives me a short ride to the base of the canopy tour.  The horse’s and their riders arrive a short time later.

We all climb up to the canopy tour carrying our harness, helmets and clips.  Diego and staff strap the equipment on us and give a safety lecture.  Unlike the horses, I love the canopy tour.  When the opportunity presents itself, I make it known that I want to go upside down.  The staff agrees, and tells me they will take car of it on the 7th zip line.  We zip through the rain forrest.  I marvel at the way Pistolo appears to walk off the platform while he is talking and then turn upside down all by himself.  I make a note to ask Joaquin if I can learn this before I leave.  At the 7th zip line, I get my opportunity to  fly upside down with Diego.  One of the guests attempts to take a picture - but she’s only able to capture me raising myself up.  After the zip line, we pick up our bags at the jeep, change into bathing suits bask in the cool waters of the cascades.  After a typical Costa Rican lunch under the open air pavilion, beside the rushing water of the cascade it’s time to head back to the hotel for rafting.  We board the back of the tractor and take the 30 minute bumpy ride back to the hotel.  

Cokie drives us to the new rafting location - we are the first group of the season to be back rafting on the Sarrapiqui.  Since the rains have stopped, the other rivers are rather low and the Sarrapiqui has been clearing everyday.  The water is still the color of coffee with milk, but the floating debris have cleared and the rapids are better than those on the other rivers.  JoElla, Monique and I get in a raft together with the better looking guide.  Hey, you might as well enjoy the scenery while you can.  Monique, of course, is an experienced rafter.  I’m moderately experienced and JoElla is a novice.  Big day for JoElla!  Big day for all of us actually.  I am not accustomed to spending this much time with people, after all Wednesday is usually my free day.  Monique has been grabbing quiet time where she can, but with the three of us rooming next door to each other - it’s hard to do.  We proceed down the river, laughing and talking.  German, the guide, is speaking to Monique in Spanish and JoElla and I are chatting away inbetween paddling instructions.  At one point, we hit a big rapid, JoElla and I fell back in unison into the boat.  We laughed so hard, we couldn’t get up.  German stood over us and shouted “PICTURE!!!”.  Which just made us laugh more.  Finally, I started to get up and either Monique or the guide pulled me back down, telling me to stay there until we navigated the rapids.  Once up, Monique asked how we managed to fall backwards in perfect unison and I responded “We are both Forrest Yoga Instructors.  You practice in a room with Ana for 30 days and you would do everything in unison as well.”  JoElla and I laughed even harder.  Halfway through our rafting experience we pulled over and had fruit and cookies on the banks of the Sarrapiqui River.  We shared our experiences with our guests in the other raft and waved at passing rafters.  Apparently it was a busy day on the Sarrapiqui.  Post fruit, we returned to our raft where JoElla and I switched sides.  Since we are both yoga instructors we want to ensure balance.  Following commands, we navigate the river.  At some point we hit another rapid for which we were unprepared.  JoElla fell into the middle of the raft, landing with her hand on my knee.  I fall halfway out of the raft.  My helmet is grazing the rapids.  I’m doing a back bend over the side of the raft with my feet wedged into the floor - one foot in the foot hold and the other between the side of the raft and the bottom.  I open my eyes and notice the safety kayak racing towards me.  This causes an alarm to go off in my head, instantaneously I decide I’m not going in the water.  I push the handle of my paddle in the direction of JoElla, as we were taught in the safety lecture, nothing happens.  Since I don’t want to end up in the water, I pull myself up with my abdominal muscles.   As soon as I get up I say to JoElla “You’re supposed to grab my paddle and help me up.”  She said “I fell too.  I was holding onto your knee - why are you yelling at me?”  I didn’t realize I was yelling - we both look at each other and start laughing.  I look back at German - he has a very surprised look on his face.  I give him a look implying ‘What?‘ and he responds in very clear, slow English “You are VERY strong.”  I said “Yes.”,  thinking again of all that Forrest Yoga abdominal work and my morning abdominal practice.  More laughing and paddling and we survived the rafting without further incident.  At the take out location, we all help to carry the paddles, safety rope and water bottles.  A quick shower and change into dry clothes.  There was a photographer on the route and he shows us the DVD on a computer.  We are disappointed to learn that there aren’t any pictures of us falling.  All of the pictures show us laughing and having a great time.  JoElla purchased the DVD and loaded the pictures on my computer.  We pile back into the van, exhausted from our full day of excursions, looking forward to dinner.    

Upon returning to the hotel, JoElla and I each took some Arnica - just in case.  It was a very big day with lot’s of new adventures and we have no desire to relive it in our muscle memory tomorrow.