Our last day in Costa Rica!!! Our excursion today was to the village of campesinos. Julio had told us that it was going to be a strenuous day of walking and hiking. He also said it was very beautiful. I don’t think I took him seriously when he said how strenuous it would be! We walked for three hours. But, this was not hiking on flat terrain, it was very steep, with lots of curves, ups and downs. It was the most difficult hike I’ve ever been on! We were all sweating through our clothes because the heat and the exercise. Half way through we stopped for a natural fresco made from naranja ácida (sour orange). It is a different type of orange altogether that is green on the outside and orange on the inside and is more sour than a regular orange. The drink tasted a lot like lemonade and it was cold!! We also had Yipi bars, which are a Costa Rican snack made from thick vanilla wafers covered in chocolate. They are good! And yes, I will be bringing home a package to share with family!
On the second half of our hike we crossed a very narrow and shaky hanging bridge. We didn’t know if Abby and Marissa would chose to cross the bridge. There was an alternate route that Julio said he would take them on if they preferred. But, the were both very brave and decided to go for it! And they did great! The bridge was very high and I preferred to keep my eyes forward and my steps steady. I can definitely see how it would be very scary for someone who dislikes heights!
Then we arrived at the campesinos village with houses spread out every so often on the mountainside. The campesinos village has been through some unfortunate events and failed projects. But, hey continue persevere. They have created a nice atmosphere for tourists who want to relax. They have cabins, a restaurant, horseback riding, rappelling, and zip lining.
We then arrived at a small waterfall area. We were able to change to our swimsuits and take a dip into the cool water. It felt great after all the sweating we did on the hike!
Then, we continued onto the restaurant where the cooks had made us some delicious, warm banana arepas for a snack. They looked like small pancakes and tasted like warm banana bread!
Next, we went onto another waterfall area with 2 main waterfalls and several other cascades. It was absolutely gorgeous! Everyone had fun in the water, climbing some of the rocks and taking pictures! After about 40 minutes, we went back to the restaurant for lunch. We had a buffet of rice, beans, chicken, potatoes, coyote and cabbage salad. Also, we had the nice naranja ácida juice again.
Then, we were to start on the hike to our bus, which we were told would take 20 minutes. Henry was meeting us at a nearer location. The farmer from the village led the way. He was very trim and the hike did not seem to wind him much at all or make him sweat. I’m certain that he could make that hike in 20 minutes. But, it took us an hour and a half!
Henry had watermelon waiting for us at the bus. Henry and Julio take good care of us! It was 4:00. Then we started the hour long bus trip back to Manuel Antonio. Julio asked what we wanted to do next. Some people really wanted to go back to the beach and others wanted to relax in the hotel. Señora Bolluyt went back to the hotel and I went to the beach with the other group. We only had an hour before dark. But it was just enough to enjoy the waves and the beautiful sunset.
We took a quick dip in the pool after the beach to get the salt water off. Then, it was time to get ready for our 8:00 reservation at a restaurant names “Ronny’s Place”. Julio had recommended this restaurant. When we arrived it was totally dark except for a few candles. It turns out Manuel Antonio had lost electricity. But the restaurant was still open and cooking by gas. So, we ordered. Then, after a while, the lights came back on. We enjoyed our last night together. Last night, we had all pitched in tip money for Henry and Julio. Then, we all signed the envelope with a message of thanks. Ally presented the one to Henry while Ryan presented the other to Julio. Both said a few words of gratitude in Spanish, of course, and did a wonderful job! Julio followed with a few kind words, also.
It was a great night and a terrific last day in Costa Rica. As we reflected on our trip as a group, there were a lot of mixed emotions. We feel so happy that we had this experience, but also sad to leave Costa Rica. Yet, we know that it’s time to go and we miss our families. It will be a long day of traveling and we are exhausted from today’s activities. So, I think I’d better head to bed!
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