In Search of the Good Life...: Costa Rica Days 7 & 8

Greetings from Rancho Margot! I took a day off from scribing because I didn't want to waste what little time we have here in front of a computer screen. With that being said, the last 48 hours have been spent hiking, paddling, touring, eating, hammock napping, more hiking, natural-pool-swimming, practicing yoga, and reading, so I figured it was time to get caught up.

We left UGA Costa Rica around 7AM yesterday and drove a few hours to Arenal. Arenal is slightly northeast of Monteverde and lower in elevation. It's also home to Vulcan Arenal, one of 6 active volcanoes in the country. We arrived at Rancho Margot slightly before lunchtime, and after lunch, we split into two groups for a tour of the ranch. The ranch is similar to Racho de Lelo in that sustainability is a major focus. They generate all of their own hydroelectricity, grow a variety of crops, keep chickens, pigs, and cows, use a biodigester to provide heat for their natural pools, etc.

Our tour guide, José, was extremely personable and conversational. He spoke very good English but also encouraged our students to practice their Spanish, so our tour was a fun blend of both. Throughout the tour, he'd hand us various crops to try and then have us guess what they were. We tried mustard greens, lemon grass, spearmint, anise...and a live worm. Yep. Ate a live worm. What's more, I ate a live worm out of a soil/manure mixture. I figured after the dumb cane incident, a live worm couldn't be THAT bad. I feel like I'm playing Russian Roulette with foreign substances here. Wonder when my good luck will run out.

After the tour, a few of the students and I went to check out the natural pools. The warm pool is heated by methane generated from the ranch's biodigester. It was very pretty. I regretfully don't have very many pictures from the tour or warm pool because it was raining heavily for a significant portion of the afternoon and I didn't want to chance ruining my camera.

You can see pictures of all of Rancho Margot's amenities here. After the warm pool, the students had lecture, so I was left to my own devices. I finished a book and was lights out by 9PM. It felt fantastic.

Oh, I should mention that our lodging accommodations here are FANTASTIC. The students are in a communal bunkhouse with a very nice front porch. Marta and I each have our own private bungalows. Might be the most picturesque lodging in which I've stayed. Ever. The students accidentally walked past the bunkhouse and stumbled into my bungalow (before I got there) when they were first looking for their lodging. Needless to say, they've been giving Marta and me a non-stop hard time about the disparity in living arrangements. What can I say, being faculty has its perks.

Okay, Day 2.

We woke up early for an outdoor yoga class. M.J., the instructor, taught the class in an open-flow style. It was good for beginners. Lots of focus on breathing and mindfulness. The class was taught in a raised outdoor pavilion overlooking the river. It'll be hard to return to yoga in an indoor studio after practicing yoga in paradise.

After yoga, we ate a quick breakfast and then headed down to Lake Arenal for a guided kayaking tour of the lake. We paddled to the base of Vulcán Arenal, where Marta and our guide, Aurelio, gave a short lecture on volcanoes and a history of the area. Getting to have a GEO lecture at the base of a volcano while on a kayak is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Despite slightly windy conditions, the students did a great job paddling. I didn't take pictures of our paddling expedition because again, camera + water = :(

After paddling, we ate lunch and immediately set out for our hike to El Mirador ("lookout point"). I might add that today was fairly PEDB content/activity heavy (PEDB 1090 "Outdoor Adventure" is the class I'm teaching. In case you're wondering, yes, I do have responsibilities while I'm here). This hike was no joke. Rough, muddy, uneven terrain, and pretty much a straight climb uphill in direct sunlight. By the time we reached the top, our sweat was sweating. But it was totally worth it--the vista provided incredible views of the volcano and Lake Arenal.

After the hike, the students had a GEO class so I had a few hours to myself. I spent the first hour reading a Stephen King novel in the hammock on the porch of my bungalow. I used my second free hour to hike El Sendero del Bosque ("Forest Trail"). Another difficult trail in terms of terrain but not nearly as uphill. The trail ended in the vegetable garden, so I was able to snap a few pictures of locations that I wasn't able to document while we were touring in the rain on the previous day.

Tomorrow, we set out for Arenal National Park and then drive cross-country to Puerto Viejo, which is located on the Caribbean coast. Tomorrow is a long travel day and I'm not sure what the internet situation is at our hotel in Puerto Viejo, so I may be off the grid for a few days, which as far as I'm concerned is a great thing--it's good to unplug every now and then. I hope I have an opportunity to return to Rancho Margot in the future. This place is something special.