Naranjillo to Santa Maria. Hike: 8 miles, elevation gain 4,250ft; Bike: 7.5 miles, elevation gain 1,000ft
After a restless night spent listening to the interminable pouring rain, what a pleasant surprise to find it was actually the roar of a nearby river I had heard. Not a raindrop in sight, it was a glorious morning!
Our sopping clothes from yesterday were hanging over every spare inch of our makeshift campsite in a vague attempt to dry. The heavy humid air had other ideas. We would soon learn that wet gear just doesn’t dry here! Still, my lightweight trail shoes fared better than some, and it’s amazing what a difference a clean dry pair of socks makes. For a few minutes at least.
Fueled with coffee and rice & beans (get used to rice and beans), we continued our traverse of this beautiful country on foot. Nothing says Christmas Eve like Cemetery Hill. The clue’s in the name, it was a steep sweaty slog. Hard going but oh so rewarding views. With the sun shining brightly, I was back on solar power, a jaunty spring in my step. And hiking brings a good opportunity to get to know some of the other people in the group.
You may not know this, but in addition to my recently documented phobia of falling I’m also allergic to river crossings. Or maybe I just don’t like them.
I’d seen photos of people walking through rivers on the tour company website, so forewarned is forearmed. Given that I cannot possibly walk across a river barefoot and I only had one pair of trail shoes for both hiking and biking, my solution was to bring along my wetsuit diving boots for this very situation. My rucksack was kinda heavy but it was a price I was prepared to pay. Despite a bit of faffing, there was no drama or hysterics, and once booted up, I sauntered across the river like Bear Grylls.
Despite gaining in elevation, the day was becoming hotter and more humid, and more than once I went to swat a fly crawling on my skin, only to find it was just another rivulet of perspiration. In a place I never even knew I could sweat.
With the promise of water to cool off in, we were happy to swashbuckle our way through the undergrowth to emerge at a remote waterfall. Once again, my diving boots came into their own in order to negotiate the rocks and water. This trip was all about pushing boundaries, and for me to voluntarily immerse myself in cold water, to stand in a waterfall, there’s a boundary right there. But. Just. So. Exhilarating!
We continued through vast coffee plantations, as far as the eye could see, our knowledgeable guide passing on his local insight. There’s a lot of process goes into this coffee making lark, begging the question as to how on earth someone figured it all out in the first place (a bit like how someone worked out you could eat an egg that comes out of a chicken‘s bum, that one’s always fascinated me!). Word has it that an Ethiopian farmer noticed how lively his goats were after eating coffee berries, and thought there might be something in it. He tried eating them and making a tea with them, but they were bitter and nasty so he threw the dregs on the fire. At which point, the heady caffeinated aroma drew him in, and he knew there must be more to it. Roasting the beans was the name of the game and Ta Da… the rest is history. Until then along came Starbucks 🙁
Before our sweaty hike was over for the day, our guide Fez had a challenge for us. Rather than take the conventional trail ahead to our destination winding gently upwards, there was an option to just go up. Straight up. On a trail that would require a bit more oxygen than I had available. A third of our group took the challenging option, including Darren. They equaled the 18 minute record, and many minutes later, taking the road more traveled, the rest of our group popped up over the ridge like meerkats one by one, with me bringing up the rear.
The remainder of the day by bike was relatively easy, on-road with rolling terrain. And even after only one night proper camping, we were delighted to see we were staying in very comfortable cabins tonight. Of course, no day in CR is complete without rain, so just as we were trying to dry out our rain-soaked gear from yesterday and our sweat-soaked gear from today, out came the rain showers.
We were treated to yet another amazing meal (absolutely no chance of us losing weight on this trip, despite how much exercise we’re doing during the day!). And then, what a pleasure to be reminded that it’s Christmas Eve (very easy to forget on this trip). One couple had brought along a little present for everyone in the group, a mini candy cane (a sugary hit for just when you need it) and a candy cane peppermint lip balm. Christmas indeed, and everyone was so touched. When you’re away from home and missing loved ones, it’s super important to make the most of the people you have around you. This is how friendships are forged. Happy Christmas Eve!
