"I heard you were going to Costa Rica?"
"Yes, we are really excited."
"You'll love the beaches. They are beautiful!"
"I'm sure they are, but we'll be in the central valley, rain forest."
"Ooooh."
After a few conversations like that, I began wondering where I'd really be. Obviously I knew what I'd be missing...all the beautiful coasts in Central America (usually that would be hard for the beach lover that resides deep within me but I was full of anticipation for what God was doing). In my head, I pieced together more of a jungle than a rain forest. Not sure how that got so convoluted in my brain.
Stop here for a moment. Close your eyes and if you haven't been to the central valley of Costa Rica AKA the rain forest...imagine if you will what you see. Be honest with yourself now.
Okay....for me it was vines (lots of them), dense foliage, monkeys and lemurs everywhere. Of course a spattering of tropical flowers and fruit with lots of flying creatures. And don't forget the dreaded snakes. I heard a few volcanoes existed but I didn't really imagine a mountainous terrain. And maybe a few winding rivers. By default I figured the rain was a sure bet...I imagined that to be in the form of sun showers. Some of this proved true like the flying creatures, lots of rain (every day at 2:00 to be exact) with dark clouds but no wind or lightening, very unlevel ground, some tropical flowers and fruits but we didn't see the first monkey or lemur. We did, however, spot a toucan and a couple of hummingbirds.
Following our bird's eye view from the plane, our next look into Costa Rica was a mass of people plastered to the glass windows looking inside the airport for their loved ones (very different from any US airport arrival we've known). We whizzed by that chaos rather quickly and straight to our bus. OH, did I mention I envisioned a rusted out old school bus with a large suitcase rack on top? Instead we were met with a spacious bus, air conditioned, and driven with the precision of an Indy 500 driver (and maybe the thrill of it, too)! Sergio was our driver; he loved the Lord and drove like he wasn't afraid to meet Him! I was glad, I think, to be seated half way back for the two-hour ride. We flew into San Jose and stopped in Cartago for dinner (about half way) and then onto our destination of International Impact Ministries (IIM) in Turrialba. Our luggage rode in a farm truck of sorts, more like what I thought we'd ride in.
I remember the bus drive being rather quiet as we were looking in all directions and soaking it all in. San Jose is built up, many cars, businesses, homes, all connected together and all placed behind iron bars. We brushed up on our Spanish as we read sign after sign. I must admit there is a nice familiarity between Spanish and English which made us feel very smart (i.e, supermarcado, automovil, Burger King). One of the most interesting differences for me was the cemeteries....above ground burials...and the road side sales (like the bananas here)
After we ate dinner (our first colones purchase and funny enough our last American fare: Burger King, Papa Johns, or Church's chicken, maybe), we drove on to Turriabla, where we started to see the rural parts of Costa Rica. We wound up and down the heights of the land. Aha, mountainous terrain. Here is where my mind conjured up a pot-hole filled dirt road as our luggage clung to the top of the bus. All roads (except the neighborhood we stayed in) were paved & I still haven't seen the first vine!
Instead we saw fields or maybe I should say hillsides of coffee beans, banana trees, sugar cane, ferns and tomatoes covered with white plastic. It was evident the ground was made of a rich, fertile soil. Very different than the hard red clay of north Florida. Striking to me were the hillsides of fern, which was protected by a covering of burlap. I still can't imagine how hard it is for them to cover the ferns so systematically or how hard it is to harvest these crops on such steep earth.
This volcano was Volcano Turriabla, an active eruptor, which was visible from our picnic tables each morning. The perfect backdrop for quiet time, journaling, or if you must a cup of coffee. The perfect view was early in the morning before the clouds rolled in. I especially like this picture because WE are above the clouds in our altitude....the view itself reads like a Psalm.
And nothing could have prepared my eyes for the vibrant beauty of the Mariposa Morpho. I first saw this gorgeous butterfly in the rain forest when we went canyoning. I scanned every bit of that forest the rest of the morning to see another. There it was, my second zip line, which was approximately 200 meters, gliding in front of me against the lush green foliage for the entire course. Breathtaking. (And I did see those vines I expected while canyoning!!)Homes were varied. Some in pretty colors, most with tiled outdoor foyers. The fronts could be really nice with a fancy coat of paint but if you looked around the side or back, you'd see tin siding and large gaps.
Another shock to me was that everything, everywhere was behind iron bars. Some crude, straight bars, others decorative, scrolled or creatively pieced bars. Only occasionally would you find one home without (like the one with the small bread stand attached on the side). The thought is that if you don't secure what you have then you must not care for it and someone else will take. However, the people of Costa Rica are a very open and honest people in their dealings and conversations, strange mix.Costa Rica was full of surprises. And now I'll leave you with a glimpse of her people...some I hope you get to know as the blog continues.
There is a distinct difference between the Spanish speaking people of Costa Rica (as seen in the 1st picture at the local public school with my very blonde daughter and the 2nd picture of a local man doing business down our street) and the Indian population from the mountains (the sweet baby is Kevin, just 4 days old, his mom came by before her 8 hour hike back to her territory from staying on the missionaries farm until she had her baby). Some of the Indian children do come into town and attend Spanish speaking schools and as expected there are some children we saw that come from both lineages. There is a distinct difference in their physical appearances but otherwise they are approachable, appreciative, and a happy people. A people I miss.The faces, and their homes are different, Dear Readers, but the hearts are the same....God loves them all! Look into an unfamiliar face today and let them know of His love! And the next time we meet, I'll share about our one evangelistic event in the town square and the three responses I personally received that night! God works in amazing ways.
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