Experiencing Pura Vida in Costa Rica

Last month, Veronica and I spent 12 days immersed in the rainforests and beaches of Costa Rica. It was a spontaneous trip, planned about 3 weeks prior to departure upon Veronica’s acceptance of her new job. There was no shortage of adrenaline, as I rafted through the jungle, ziplined above the lush canopy, swam beneath towering waterfalls, and learned how to surf on the rolling Pacific waves. There was also plenty of relaxation, featuring geothermal baths in the shadow of the majestic Arenal Volcano and beautiful beaches along the Nicoya Peninsula. Not to mention the abundant life in the protected rainforest and coastal reef ecosystems. I am still riding high off the energy, an energy that pervades the entire country and actually has a name that is part-cliché and part serious slogan for the country: pura vida.

What exactly is pura vida, you may ask? It’s literally the “pure life,” a distillation of life’s best elements into a lifestyle that builds you up from the inside out. It de-emphasizes stressors like work-culture and materialism to focus on friends, family, and fun. Pura vida is appreciative without being forced, chill without being lazy, welcoming without establishing barriers, exuberant without being frenetic. In Costa Rica, pura vida is used as a universal motto, a replacement for “hello”, “goodbye”, “cheers”, “hell yeah”, or a number of other contexts (the craziest one was “Pura vida, I have the best cocaine” – my stunned response was, “No thanks…pura vida!”). There’s a warmth and openness to every interaction, like the Costa Ricans know that they have harnessed lightning in a bottle and are happy to share their joy with visitors who are attentive and accepting. I hope that some of this joy is conveyed as I take you through what was a truly phenomenal trip.

After a short 3-hour flight and perhaps the easiest customs experience ever (welcome, pura vida!), we picked up our rental SUV, a silver Hyundai Tucson that we would soon find out is the official tourist vehicle of Costa Rica and a certifiable all-terrain workhorse – we would need this on the rough-and-tumble rural roads and highways. We stopped first in the town of Liberia, where awaited a delicious meal of barbecue a la parrilla with perfectly crispy patacones. We then headed for the mountains on Highway 1, our speed capped at around 80 kph/50 mph by a persistent grinding sound coming from somewhere in the front suspension or alignment of our rental. After a two-hour drive that got progressively steeper, darker, and rainier, we arrived at Hotel Catarata, a splendid budget motel with a garden walk connecting all-wood cabins with the central open-air dining pavilion. A steady waterfall of rain pattered on our tin roof the whole night and into the morning, but by noon the next day it had cleared enough for us to enjoy the remarkable Rio Celeste. Named for the celestial blue water caused by light scattering from mineral particles, the river appeared chalky gray from the earlier downpour, which made for extra excitement as we took the roiling rapids by innertube. We spent the afternoon hiking upstream in Volcan Tenorio national park, catching glimpses of the bright blue headwaters in moments of sun. This was our first experience with the resplendent rainforest and its wildlife, including a tawny agouti darting across the trail and a sloth climbing purposefully along vines overhead.

We spent the next 3 days in the Arenal area, enjoying the attractions around La Fortuna during the day then retreating to the bucolic Tio Felix Ecolodge at night. Located at the base of the imposing Volcan Arenal, which spent the whole time shrouded in dense rainclouds, we would awaken to the sounds of toucans and songbirds feasting from the tropical fruit trees around the farm. We toured an artisanal chocolate and coffee farm, learning about the sustainable agriculture of several cultivars grown in Costa Rica (cacao, coffee, banana, peppercorn, vanilla, cinnamon, ubajay, and others) while creating our own chocolate and coffee blends to taste. We enjoyed delicious meals of Peruvian anticuchos and ceviche, elevated Caribbean barbecue, and rotisserie chicken with a smattering of innovative sauces. We hiked down 500 stairs in dense jungle to the base of the 200-foot tall La Fortuna Waterfall, where we plunged bravely into the turbulent pool surrounded by a lush, misty ravine. We continued our splashy adventure on the Sarapiqui River, an exciting Class III-IV whitewater rafting experience that was basically one continuous rapid for several miles. The action only paused for a snack of fresh mango and pineapple, and to portage around a tree that had fallen in the previous night’s torrential rain (this was an interesting situation, as the guides said that this hadn’t happened before yet marshalled us around the tangle of timber the without a hint of distress). As the perfect recovery, we concluded the day at lovely Paradise resort, sipping cocktails while floating in geothermal hot pools secluded by verdant palms and bromeliads. Days of high adventure followed by top-notch food and relaxation…now that’s pura vida!

December marks the end of the rainy season in Costa Rica, and the deluge began to subside the day we left La Fortuna.  That morning, we hiked through a downpour in the national park, trudging through varied stages of rainforest evolution (a series of 20th century eruptions flattened the old growth and the park seeks to preserve the new forest biomes). When we arrived at the “old” lava field from the most recent eruption in 1992, the clouds gradually opened to reveal a breathtaking vista of the majestic volcano towering over Arenal Lake. We continued around the lake by car, practically alone on the scenic winding road apart from a few top-heavy cargo trucks and a band of opportunistic coatis. Our lunch stop at Toucan Lane was exquisite, and I ate a rich seafood stew on a balcony above the vast lake. Though this was just a roadside stop between two destinations, it had a really memorable energy: hummingbirds whizzed around our heads while jockeying for access to a nectar feeder, an adorable bunch of dogs playfully patrolled the restaurant as we ate, and our waiter even invited us to his birthday party the following evening. A tempting invitation for sure, especially with pura vida in mind, but as American tourists we held firm with our reservations and pressed on.

The road became rougher as we ascended to Monteverde, an ecotourism hub located in the cloud forest a mile above sea level.  The air was chilly, and the clouds from the steamy Caribbean side were moving fast just above our heads as they dissipated into drier air from the Pacific side – this was the exact confluence of interesting meteorology and unique ecology. We took a walking tour of the cloud forest reserve, where our guide Marvin pointed out the intricate details of the rainforest ecosystem.  A hummingbird in a delicate woven nest.  A massive tarantula coiled in a hole, its hairy pincers poised to strike unknowing passersby.  A green-brown anole, camouflaged perfectly with the branch to which its feet were suctioned.  Leaf cutter ants that systematically tore off pieces of foliage up to 1000 times their weight to carry back to their miniature civilization. We followed a band of coatis as they foraged for beetles and grubs, poking their snouts into the soft soil, barking and squeaking all the while.  We birdwatched for the rare quetzal, whose bright blue plumage had been spotted by photographers earlier that morning – to no avail, but the act of listening to the silence and watching intently for the slightest distant movement was positively meditative.  The rainforest is brimming with life, all the way from the forest floor to the 150-foot tall ficus canopy.  For a higher perspective (in elevation and adrenaline), we ziplined through various levels of the canopy, culminating in a thrilling mile-long flight above the treetops.  Gliding through the foliage at 70+ mph while the clouds raced just above our outstretched fingers was certainly a rush, and I’m grateful to have interacted with the cloud forest on so many levels.

As we descended to the coast for the next week of beach-hopping, we had the full Costa Rican road trip experience: awesome views of the Gulf of Nicoya from the California-like golden foothills, a herd of brahma cattle traipsing down the middle of the road, a washout and an impassable river crossing, and tons of potholes and large rocks everywhere. Armed with glass-bottle Coke, plantain chips, and sour Panditas, we were ready to enjoy these obstacles with pura vida spirit, playing reggaeton on the radio with the windows rolled down – our trusty Tucson was crushing the terrain, and we would get there when we get there.  When we reached Santa Teresa, we were treated to an absolutely stunning sunset on what felt like a private beach, where we relaxed for the next day in the palm shade watching the long wavebreaks.  They were the perfect waves to learn the art of surfing, as my instructor John somehow managed to get my tall and flail-y self to spring into a standing position and ride a surfboard all the way to shore.  In contrast to Santa Teresa’s secluded boho surf town vibe, Tamarindo’s beach was lined with resorts and crowded with horseback riders and vendors, still beautiful and vibrant but decidedly not peaceful.  My favorite beach town was Montezuma, a tiny fishing village with an undeveloped beach abutting the coastal rainforest.  After a night serenaded by crashing waves, I set out on foot to do the waterfall hike, where after about a mile of clambering over roots, rocks, and stream crossings, I was rewarded with an invigorating dip at the base of the 100-foot cascade – pura vida at its essence. 

From the beach in Montezuma, we boarded a boat tour for Tortuga Island, known for some of the best snorkeling on the Pacific coast.  And it didn’t disappoint – the reefs were brimming with colorful coral, spiny urchins, and lots of fish.  Though I missed the elusive octopus, I did watch a manta ray opportunistically patrol the reef perimeter and a pufferfish partially inflate when startled by a crab.  The scenery above the water was beautiful as well; I savored a melt-in-your-mouth grilled corvina (sea bass) under a stand of tall palm trees, hiked to the top of the island for a panorama of the bright blue gulf, and saw rock formations and waterfalls from the boat.  We immersed further in the coastal rainforest ecosystem with a visit to Curú Wildlife Refuge, where we were greeted in the parking lot by a cacophony of jungle sounds.  There were bands of capuchins and howler monkeys in the trees, iguanas marching every which way, white-tailed deer* snacking on coconuts, and macaws screeching and squawking from…somewhere.  This was surreal, feeling the press of the jungle with all of our senses.  Veronica even had a cartoon moment where a nut fell on her head, discarded from the mouth of a macaw in the canopy above.  After passing a spidery mangrove swamp and crossing a rickety wooden bridge Indiana Jones-style, we found ourselves in a quiet rainforest that evoked Jurassic Park and other scenes I had only seen in movies.  While I have serious qualms about the refuge putting out food to draw all the animals to the parking area, it really made for an intimate, one-of-a-kind experience with Costa Rican wildlife.

Speaking of one-of-a-kind experiences, we did a couple of nighttime tours to see things that I never imagined I would witness firsthand.  From our lodgings in Paquera at Casa Manito (my favorite overnight – Alonzo and his family really made it feel like we were staying in their home), we walked down to the shore at sundown for a bioluminescence kayaking tour.  As soon as our guide Eddy shoved our boat off into the dark bay, we noticed the ethereal blue-green sparkles.  Every paddle stroke generated a bright cluster of these ethereal aqua embers that danced in chaotic swirls before gradually burning out (in nerd-speak, we supplied critical oxygen that the algae metabolized to generate the bioluminescence).  And these algae attracted all sorts of life to the bay, as a few fish jumped over our kayak and we spotted the outline of a sea lion in the water nearby.  Another crazy night tour had us drive from Tamarindo out to an isolated beach, where we hiked in pitch darkness to the nesting site of some green sea turtles.  By following the tracks where turtles had dragged their shells up the sand, we kept tabs on three mother turtles, lurking out of sight until they had cleared the loose sand and begun digging their holes.  Using a dim red light that wouldn’t disturb the turtles, we watched as the mothers methodically scooped sand upward with their fins and tossed it aside.  When the holes were a couple feet deep, the mothers settled in and began laying clutches of eggs – we watched from an arm’s length as about 100 gooey ping-pong balls were pushed out into the nest. Two months later the eggs hatch for the famous arribada, when the baby turtles will face a treacherous, predator-laden gauntlet to reach the ocean.  Truly spectacular wonders of nature, viewed under a glorious skyful of stars!

As the trip drew to a close and we returned to the airport in Liberia, I felt a mix of warm satisfaction from my encounter with pura vida and a longing to stay in that wonderful country. I understood why so many people from all over the world are captivated by the scenery, adventure, culture, and overall vibe of Costa Rica – case in point, my friend Cassidy (whom I met in passing on my Peru trip 5 years ago) fell in love with Costa Rica as an exchange student, tries to travel back every year, promotes Costa Rica often in conversation, and just so happened to be there during this trip so we met up in Tamarindo! I had the privilege of meeting many awesome people who were all drawn to Costa Rica for various reasons: Silicon Valley escapees Elango and Anka looking for new connections and adrenaline, London power couple Ken and Gami seeking new experiences and closeness, a group of Chilean nurses looking for beach relaxation and camaraderie, Montreal natives Eric and Kathleen seeking warmth and wildlife watching. Some even stay long-term, like our Argentinian whitewater guide and the Polish couple who opened a pierogi truck in Tamarindo (an absolute gem of an eatery, by the way, serving the best Polish food – I tried practically the whole menu!), settling in a niche and leaning all the way into the pura vida lifestyle. Part of me wanted to abandon everything and remain in paradise as well, but I hope instead to bring back the best aspects of pura vida to apply in my life in America, to be an unflappably warm, flexible, grateful, and positive person for the people around me.

*Despite all of the wondrous wildlife in the country, the white-tailed deer is the official national animal of Costa Rica. Yeah.

A Worldwide Weather Web

In the era of connectivity, we have the opportunity to see what’s happening around the globe all at once, all the time. Tuning into the Weather Channel informs the viewer of a constant series of extreme weather stories, seemingly disparate events selected for broadcast for either photogenic shock value or humanitarian import. Upon closer look, these events are all linked as the air and water movements that generate our weather oscillate and shift around the globe. While most small-scale perturbations don’t register when it comes to predicting faraway disasters (the Butterfly Effect, though elegant, has been solidly disproven), meteorologists in many countries across multiple fields of study work together under the notion that a good prediction of the world’s weather relies on the detailed understanding of data spanning the entire globe and aided by years of historical records.

For example, let’s start with the measurement at the core of all long-term forecasts in North America, sea surface temperature anomaly in the Pacific Ocean, the metric that quantifies the extent of El Niño or La Niña conditions. The presence of La Niña typically creates a high-pressure gate off the coast of California, forcing convective systems northward while leaving the Southwest in drought. But in the current weakening La Niña conditions, the collapsing gate has instead forced convection into narrow atmospheric rivers that are dumping more rain and snow on California, causing devastating floods and landslides. As these atmospheric instabilities cross the Rockies, they collide with the jet stream, which characteristically shifts up and down the Heartland depending on the activity of the polar vortex. Warm air over Texas and the Gulf of Mexico, a typical effect of La Niña, is feeding moisture northward into these instabilities to create spring-like severe weather conditions from Alabama to Iowa. The jet stream then continues moving toward the northeast, leading to impressive lake effect snow in Buffalo and to mild, mostly snow-free conditions along the east coast.

Atmospheric rivers have brought 3-6 times the usual rain to a wide swath of the United States over the past 2 weeks. Source: NOAA

Of course this explanation is oversimplified, but I find it remarkable that a couple of seemingly minor characteristics can influence weather across the entire country, even spreading ripple effects to other continents. The same jet stream and gulf stream continue across the Atlantic to Europe, one of the key factors in a record heat wave there, also keeping the polar vortex at bay over Russia. While long-term forecasts sometimes read like the farmer’s almanac now, monumental work is being done on models that incorporate all of these parameters to generate predictions with greater confidence up to 6 weeks in advance. Through all of the disaster press, that makes me hopeful.