Going Solo

From Bocas del Toro we left the islands and headed north to Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica. On Tuesday Jon, Nick, and I checked in to Rocking J’s, a hostel that has a reputation for its party atmosphere and long term guests. When we got there however it had a super relaxed vibe, which matched the atmosphere of the beach town it was in. There was a sign that said “Guests Can Stay for 3 Months Max” and plenty of people who were pushing the limit. During the afternoons backpackers huddled around whoever had the guitar suggesting song titles until 10pm when they relocated to the beach for bonfires.

Hammocks Where I Slept at Rocking J's

We rented bikes and spent the 24 hours the boys had in Puerto Viejo exploring the town, attempting to surf, and watching shooting stars on the beach.

First Attempt Surfing

The boys left Wednesday afternoon and Joee’s flight didn’t land until Monday morning. This meant four days of going solo.  Maybe it was the anticipation of getting to see Joee for the first time in four months or maybe I didn’t give it enough time, but I did not enjoy traveling by myself. I spent the first day playing catch up on emails, phone calls, bills, and financial aid for the upcoming school semester. After the entire day spent at my computer an older gentleman called me out on being a loner; then proceeded to ask if I would like a massage. I politely told him no, then avoided him for the next three days. He did however make me self-conscious about not spending too much time alone.

At Rocking J’s I met some nice people, but no one I was overly enthusiastic about. Jean, a Brit who had spent the last year in New Orleans, and I rode bikes to the Jaguar Sanctuary, where there are no jaguars but plenty of snakes, howler monkeys, sloths, ocelots, hawks, owls, and a mess of other animals. The sanctuary is run by a Spanish woman and her Italian husband. They work with injured and abandoned wildlife to either rehabilitate them or give them a home. They also own and are continuing to buy plots of rainforest to release the animals into while combating deforestization. It’s an amazing program and incredible to visit. We played with baby howler monkeys and sloths, and learned all about the problems animals face as Costa Rica continues to develop.

Turns Out Sloths are SUPER Cute

Everyone told me to wait as long as possible before heading to San Jose, so I filled Friday and Saturday with as many yoga classes as possible; the first at Om, a small yoga studio by the beach. I was quickly comforted by the castellano of the Argentine yoga instructor and amused by her seven year old daughter who attempted to do yoga next to me. Saturday afternoon I made my way into the jungle for my second class. After a grueling hike I came to an open studio overlooking the Costa Rican rainforest. The owner, Marco, had built the studio from recycled wood and let the instructors use it for free so he could attend as many yoga classes as he pleased. He was also in the process of building a sauna a few hundred meters from the studio. As we moved through Sun Salutation I could hear howler monkeys in the distance, the same ones I had been playing with that morning at the Jaguar Sanctuary. It was a beautiful place to practice yoga and I’m grateful that Marco took the time to build it.

Jungle Yoga Studio

By Sunday morning I had spent five days in Puerto Viejo and was anxious to leave. I booked the afternoon bus to San Jose to finally meet Joee and continue my travels north.