Joanna Biggar's Blog

2. The Rest of the Journey

The road from the airport was at least a road in theory. It was carved, like everything here, through the jungle and through swaths of the particularly persistenbt hibiscus, that dot the green with red everywhere. Eventually the other passengers get dropped off, the young European backpackers at Eco-Camp sites (and I don’t envy anyone camping in this 80+ and 90+ humidity), and we continued to bump along the “road” with only those in our party left, and one gent I called Surfer Dude, from, wouldn’t you know it, So. Cal.

I was surprised he seemed to be going with us all the way to our rather upscale digs, because at 40-something, with his deep tan, swinging long blond hair, and impressive size, I thought he might be something of a fish out of water. but after passing several locals’ homes, which were like compounds to be seen along the coasts of West Africa or the beaches of Puerto Rico, overgrown with flowers, sporting tires and tin drums put to various uses and often with small patches of vegetables growing in the courtyards, I didn’t expect to see any hostleries likely to put up passing gringos. But I was wrong.

We came to one faded pink house with a sort of muddy rivelet flowing from it and a listing roof. “Cool” announced Surfer Dude, and he hopped out.  That left the rest of us for the last stop, Aquila de Osa Inn. But before arriving, we had a few more adventures of our own. Namely at least three more rivers to cross in our sturdy van, one with a fairly impressive current and then, when we came to the end of the superhishgway we had been traveling, we found ourselves on a glorious sandy beach beneath a cluster of palms. We piled out and saw our future: a blue motorboat lounging in the quiet surf.

Three young men, including the captain, helped schlep our luggage into the front, and then we went forthe ourselves, walking into the glorious, warm water to climb aboard. It was a wild, but short, ride across a stretch of the bay and then into an inlet where a small river comes in, and at this lagoon, several other small boats and a landing dock. We had arrived at this haven set upon a hillside and carved into the amazing and most prolific rainforest. We are living among houseplants that reach to the skies and flowers suitable for a land of giants.