Day 3 - Puerta Viejo

 Mar 4 - Day 3

Last night's dinner lived up to the billing. Got something called Churrasco Tico which is a slab of beef that is much like prime rib with an amazing sauce. It was absolutely delicious but I could not possibly eat all of it. I forced myself to only have a few bites of the passion fruit mousse. It was so sweet. By the time we returned home from the restaurant, I was so tired that I could barely move. I crawled into bed and slept eight hours without stirring. 

We had a more relaxed morning today. Woke up around 6 am, showered and went and ate a leisurely breakfast at the hotel restaurant. We were sitting oceanside and it was simply gorgeous. After breakfast, we headed to Cahuita National Park. We hiked on a flat trail through the rainforest alongside the ocean, stopping often to see all the many animals and birds in the forest, as well as learn much about the Costa Rica ecosystem. It was so beautiful and I felt peace and contentment welling up inside me. Such soul food. I could barely stop from sobbing a few times as I thought of David, realizing I would never travel with him again. But I felt his presence with me and somehow, it seems like he is OK. I think I am healing. But there is so much sorrow inside me for the way he died and the great sadness of all his pain. It is more than I can bear. Sometimes I am so removed from it and other times, it is so real that I cannot stop crying. Back and forth, slowly making my way to be able to rebuild my life and continue living. I am talking a lot with Matt. Sometimes digital communication is awkward with us. Not sure if he feels it. I sure do. But I try and let things just be what they are and continue to just be me and let him be him. It will land where it should, of that I am confident. 

After our hike, we came back to the hotel and had lunch. Tim and I sat by the ocean and just listened to the waves for an hour or so. It was lovely. We then headed back into town on the bus for a drum lesson. This was quite an experience. A couple of Costa Rica guys pounding on drums and providing our group with a variety of percussion tools. We traded the percussion instruments all around the group and banged on drums and made noise for the better part of an hour. I can truly say this was a first for me. I'm not entirely sure what I thought of this experience but I'm still glad to have had it. This was supposed to be followed by a salsa lesson but our tour guide told us that it would be swapped out for learning a variety of dance moves. We quickly realized that we were in a Zumba class as women in leotards poured into the hall. We stayed for a bit but it was hot and not really what we had in mind so we departed early. 

Tim and I decided to walk the 2.5 miles back to the hotel, stopping for dinner on the way. We walked through the pitch black jungle. Puerta Viejo is a small primitive town but the food is delicious and the water is clean. There is virtually no crime so we felt entirely safe but there are no street lights anywhere and the road is narrow. We stopped about halfway at an Indian restaurant, decided it would be ok to get a break from Caribbean cuisine. The food was delicious but surprisingly expensive. We paid about what we would have in the Bay Area. After we ate, we walked the final mile back to the hotel. I went for a quick swim in the pool and am now relaxing as we prepare for bed. Tomorrow we are driving to the Arenal region with a stop at a pineapple plantation along the way.