Strange how our moments are occupied with endless inanities when one is in the city. It’s a full-time affair just to manage the noises that assail our senses when we crowd with the multitudes in cramp spaces. But, a wonder it is to be able to get away into the trees and pastures where man does not intrude. Yesterday morning, a friend of an acquaintance for whom I had done some work came by to pick me up to visit his “farm” in rural Costa Rica. After taking a circuitous route pass two volcanoes, cloud forests, rain forests, and pastures, we arrived at Mr. Gardella’s 180-hectare vanilla farm. The scenic route was absolutely breathtaking and a world apart from the capital’s bustle. Driving through cloud forests is an almost mystical experience of unimaginable beauty.
The open escape to pastoral scenes takes to my heart with facile adoption. The farm is not really a farm, but a rain forest; replete with all forms of flora and fauna. Plants grown on top of plants that grow on top of other plants. We prattled on various topics as we wondered through the thick jungle with a machete, finally reaching the 7000 vanilla vines 2pm. Methinks I have new-found appreciation for the work and skills involved in maintaining a farm – especially having helped about all afternoon with manual labor. No complaints here as its been a fancy of mine to return to the idyllic and simple ways of life; but alas, notwithstanding my pleasures, I can’t remain forever. We visited some of his friends – all retired expatriots from different parts of the world – and had dinner by a river as gnats and mosquitoes swarmed about on a balmy night; where the scent or orchids and hibiscus floated in the night air … such is paradise for one night.
We returned through rural, unpaved roads late into the night completely exhausted. The highlight so far on the trip was taking an open cold shower with water channeled from a mountain stream… in the middle of a rain forest jungle; that’s right, I was bare naked in a rain forest.
I spent the night sleeping there in a cabin with cicadas, birds, and insects ushering me to dreams. No troubles flocked to my mind on this night. But as with all things, it must end. Tomorrow I head to La Fortuna to visit an active volcano, up close.