Traveling vicariously
A ‘pura vida’ destination By Steve Ritchie Leaving the beach at Junquillal on the Pacific Coast after watching another gorgeous Costa Rican sunset, I was brushing the wet sand off my feet before hopping into our rental car. A young man a few cars away called out to me, “Aqua?” Thinking he must want to sell me a bottle of water, I called back, “No, we’re good but thanks.” The young man came over anyway, carrying a big jug of water, and gestured at my still sandy feet. I finally understood and stuck my feet out so he could pour water on them and I could get the sticky sand off. Then he was off, with a wave and smile. I was dumbstruck at this unexpected kindness from a stranger. A week later, my wife and I were hundreds of miles away on the Osa Peninsula in southern Costa Rica, starting a long hike into the Corcovado National Park at dawn. As we crossed a little
stream by hopping from rock-to-rock, Susan was having a little trouble not slipping into the water. She paused on a rock, not wanting to get her shoes soaked just as we were starting our 10-mile trek.
way they relate to each other, and the shared values that seem to unite this peace-loving democracy. As if to remind each other – and visitors – of this, people in Costa Rica often say, “Pura Vida,” instead of “goodbye” when they part.
Just then, a little Costa Rican girl, maybe eight or nine years old, left her mother and silently went to Susan’s side.
We enjoyed our first trip to Costa Rica a year ago so much that we decided to return, and we planned an itinerary that would take us from the northernmost of the country’s 14 volcanoes, Rincon de la Vieja, to the pristine beaches of the Nicoya Peninsula, all the way down the Pacific Coast and deep into the rain forest of the Osa wilderness.
The girl took Susan’s hand and led her across the stream, showing her which rocks to step on. When we finished our hike seven hours later, we came back to the same stream, and the scene was repeated. Without a word, the girl again appeared by Susan’s side, and again helped her across. These two thoughtful, unexpected actions seem to epitomize the friendliness of the people in this beautiful country. In the three weeks we spent in Costa Rica, we never encountered hostility or rudeness, felt threatened or had to rebuff a sales pitch. The friendly, easy-going vibe of the Ticos
Susan Murray and Steve Ritchie in Costa Rica
(the term commonly used for Costa Ricans) reflects their philosophy of “Pura Vida,” or “pure life.” In its broadest sense, pura vida refers to the Tico commitment to preserving the natural beauty of Costa Rica, the genuine
Staying in eco lodges, B & B’s, small hotels, and on a horse ranch, we managed to avoid the most developed tourist areas, and the Best Westerns and Marriotts. We traveled more than 700 miles, but still managed to hike, kayak, bird watch, or play in the waves nearly every day. And we put our 4WD vehicle to the test, fording 12 creeks on our trip to and from
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20 • February 2016
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