4/9/17
Yesterday we continued exploring the beautiful plant and wildlife of Costa Rica. As if attuned to our water element focus, the weather presented us with rain. We stopped by the Saturday market of local vendors, and the rain started to subside, as if on cue to our plans to ride out to the jungle. We rode out into Manzanilla, and for most of our jungle hike it was shady and cool, though wet in places. The rainboots I borrowed really came in handy (as did my walking stick!) and we were saved from scorching heat and sun, which worked out in our favor.
I can’t begin to name how many creatures, critters, and foliage we saw in that rainforest tropics! Our guide was absolutely brilliant, sharp-witted, funny, agile and extremely far-sighted! He seemed to sense all the sightseeing spots, and feel the animals nearby, whether from memory or instinct, or a combination of both – it was amazing to witness. My incomplete attempt to name what we saw is as follows: nonifruit, rubber tree, strangling fig tree, dragon’s blood shrub, lobster’s claw plant, eyelash viper snake, damselfly, butterflies, bats, ants (army, leaf cutter, bullet), spiders, caiman (mom, dad, babies), turtle, tree frog, crab shell hermits, sloth, monkeys (+babies), toucan, and a hummingbird’s nest! It was just indescribable to witness all of these ecosystems within ecosystems everywhere!
At dinner one of the participants of the retreat became emotional at dinner, also fitting perfectly into our ‘water’ theme of the day. It was touching to see someone feel safe enough to open up and release in front of the rest of us.
