PURA VIDA: A Teen’s Journey Through the Rainforest of Cost Rica
Local teen resident of Lighthouse Point, Megan Dekok, describes her unforgettable and fabulous trip into the Rainforest of Costa Rica. We thank her for her wonderful story and photos, not to mention her professional writing ability and great passion she has for lending a helping hand.
Megan and Costa Rican boy, Esteban
Story and photos by Megan Dekok
The idea of a summer excursion in Central America, where I could not only practice my Spanish, explore the culture, and experience independence, but also engage in service to local communities seemed so far out of reach. That is until I found myself sitting in the aisle seat 17H, on a crowded flight to San Jose, Costa Rica, armed with a few good books and instructions on where to meet the rest of my group. Though I bid farewell to my family with a heavy heart, the anticipation of the journey ahead quickly transcended over the woes of leaving home for an entire month at the prime age of sixteen.
Upon landing, the obstacles of immigration and baggage claim being entirely in Spanish did not faze our pure and ardent excitement. As we exited the airport we were greeted by a sizable crew of seventeen kids, two counselors, and a guide, all clad in the familiarly hideous gray tour shirt, and displaying gigantic smiles, conveying the shared mutual feelings both of enthusiasm and trepidation.
Our trip, booked through Westcoast Connection Teen Travel, got off on an astonishingly fast start as we boarded a fleet of four by four trucks and set off on a six-hour ride through the muddy roads of rural Costa Rica. The tour was taking us to the Fonseca family, deep in the Rainforest. At some point we stopped at the edge of the Rainforest for lunch to change into the widely popular rain boots for our hike into the heart of the forest. Three brutally uphill and rainy hours later, we found salvation in two wooden cabins and the first signs of human life we had seen, in what seemed like forever.
Most of our time with the Fonseca family in the rainforest was spent using ropes to propel ourselves down one hundred-foot waterfalls, making tortillas, climbing three hundred year old trees, and learning about the abundant flora and fauna of the rainforest, as well as their wonderful medicinal properties that it produces. The four days spent living isolated from any slight civilization proved both tranquil and then supplying the biggest adrenaline rush I've ever experienced. We truly bonded with the Fonsecas, singing Spanish songs throughout the day and telling traditional ghost stories at night. We had left behind all inhibitions and judgments which enabled us to truly immerse ourselves in this memorable cultural experience.
Following our rainforest adventure, we traveled to San Gerardo and San Isidro, where the majority of our community service was to take place. In the mountain town of San Gerardo, we were constantly speaking Spanish as we took part in various service projects, ranging from helping locals harvest apples and blackberries, to organizing a bingo tournament for the children of the community. The most humbling experience of the trip, however, was our time spent at Hogar Ama, an orphanage home to fifteen boys, ages six to fifteen. Translated, Hogar Ama means "a home to love," and that is exactly what we felt as we helped the boys with their chores, including milking goats and gathering chicken eggs. We also helped them refurbish their gymnasium, complete with a mural of a tree with our handprints as the leaves and signing it with the words "pura vida," which not only means pure life, but is the national attitude towards life in general.
When the time came for us to depart, nobody wanted to leave, as we had formed special friendships with the kids at Hogar Ama, and it was with tears and prolonged goodbyes that we left the orphanage. We were sure to exchange contact information and shared a desire to return once again.
At our group session that evening, we were still reeling with the sadness upon leaving that amazing country, but with a sense of accomplishment after witnessing such extraordinary children that live with such vigor and passion much greater than our own. From that experience, we all vowed to take advantage of the great opportunities that we are given in life, and to relish our good fortune when remembering the orphans at Hogar Ama.
The next stop on our journey was purely adventurous, quintessential to visiting Costa Rica. We toured through the beach towns of Dominical and Manuel Antonio, and the volcano Arenal. We took part in surf lessons, nature hikes, and visited the local salsa clubs, while experiencing true "tico" culture. Witnessing monkeys, sloths, and various birds of Costa Rica showed us the beauty of untouched nature, and expressed to us the importance of conserving it.
As we ziplined through the forest surrounding the active volcano, Arenal, even suspended two hundred feet in the tree's canopy, we were able to appreciate the breathtaking power of the verdant and lush forest. Our final service project was to be a presentation to the community of Zarcero, a town virtually untouched by the influences of tourism. Our presentation, "Las Caras de Zarcero," or "the Faces of Zarcero," featured interviews with the mayor, the oldest resident, and an esteemed milk farmer, all of whom call Zarcero their home. After our presentation, we mingled with the locals enjoying traditional snacks and each other's company.
One would think that after a month-long whirlwind journey, filled with life-changing experiences, I would be ready to go back to the comforts of home, but this was definitely not the case. On this trip, I made friendships that I know will last a lifetime. All of my fellow tour members, counselors, and the people that we met along the way, truly shaped my experience, and allowed me to feel pure joy, humble tears, adrenaline rushes, hysterical laughter, and unadulterated happiness, all at once.
Waiting at home to take our fabulous trip seemed to take forever, but looking back it can be compared to an unforgettable, but short rollercoaster ride that leaves you hungry for more, yearning to go back to those unforgettable moments… back to Costa Rica.
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