We were all a bit jittery from the ride.  Safe on the ground we were ready for round two of Café con Leche.  Hosts from Lapa Rios greeted us warmly and helped us with our bags.  Next, the overland adventure to the ecolodge, nestled above the ocean in the canopy of the rain forest. There were no paved roads.  The boys were amazed that the drivers seek the least bumpy part of the road, maneuvering from the left to the right side of the roads. Occasionally, our driver would slam on his breaks and point out a howler monkey in the distance or another perched on a near-by limb. Over rocky streams and up steep hills, the Land Rover pulled up to the front of the thatched entrance to Lapa Rios where the manager, Jorge, welcomed us while his staff held out trays of cold, pure white towels and glasses of guava and blackberry juice.  Within minutes we could feel the dampness on our arms and faces.  We followed another staff person to our late morning breakfast table. Although I was hungry, I was ready to explore. We had arrived in a rain forest just brimming with wildlife and exotic flowers.  Two scarlet macaws screeched overhead, a morpho butterfly fluttered as the sun touched its topaz blue wings.

Breakfast included Costa Rican style eggs and banana pancakes with more fruit than we could imagine, more flavorful than even our fruit from our local farmer’s market. The melon and pineapples were especially juicy and sweet and the mango and guava had a rich, full taste that lingered after the last piece was swallowed.

I was more restless than the boys as the monkeys called to us in the distance.  With the boys at prime ages to experience the animals in their natural environments, I was ecstatic that they would gain knowledge, a hand-on lesson in biology, geography, language and culture and quality family time.  We soon learned that our world is really quite small, just six degrees of separation. At a table next to us, I recognized a woman I had worked with in Santa Barbara.  She and her husband were teachers also on spring break and just finishing their stay at Lapa Rios.  They offered us tips on the nature tours and hikes available to the guests that would be the most memorable for the boys.

As a family we stood in front of the board that listed the week’s activities and discussed the various waterfall tours, horseback riding, kayaking trips, night walks and bird watching.  We all wanted to see our cabin and change into bathing suits to rinse our damp bodies and wake up from the early morning start.

The boys counted the steps to our bungalow, 211 total.  As we climbed down, we passed bromeliads, hanging hibiscus and birds of paradise.  Opening the door revealed two beds drapped with mosquito netting, the screened windows overlooked a porch with a hammock and an outdoor shower with the Pacific Ocean in the distance.  We knew this was why we had come to Costa Rica, a beautiful natural and peaceful environment, allowing us to escape the hustle and bustle of our daily life in California. My animal totem, a busy little hummingbird, jetted through the stalks of bromeliads and hedges of hibiscus.  I was ready for the magic of Costa Rica.

Coincidentally, one of my running partners was renting a beach house on the same beach shared by the guests of Lapa Rios.  The boys wanted a swim and I was curious if Susan had arrived.  The walk to the beach was about 15 minutes.  We enjoyed listening and watching for the squirrel monkeys scurrying amongst the branches above our heads.  They weren’t in a zoo; they weren’t in cages.  This was Costa Rica at its best.  We stopped again to watch hundreds of leaf cutting ants carrying pieces of leaves like soldiers carrying their ammunition. We could barely walk 20 steps without spotting a new bird or lizard or hear the screech of a macaw, pelican or a monkey in the distance.

The Osa Peninsula brings about a feeling of synchronicity. We definitely arrived in a place where all of our senses came together; we rejoiced in the warmth and spiritual feeling of the mysterious rain forest as it swept down to meet the wave energy hitting the beach from the Pacific Ocean. During our stay, our incredibly friendly and accommodating hotel manager, Jorge, arranged for a group of us to visit a near-by one room school building that was supported by the Costa Rican government and Lapa Rios. We were introduced to the group of students ranging in ages from 5 to 17 and one teacher. We had planned to meet these students as part of our trip so had brought with us some cards, colored pencils, some books and games and of course, a new soccer ball.  Soon enough a handful of kids had started playing soccer with the boys.  I sat at a desk with another young boy while he colored in a Mickey Mouse coloring book.  Not fluent in Spanish but willing to try, I gave little Emilio a lesson in colors.  The boys and I felt welcomed and could have stayed all morning, but Jorge said the teacher was ready to get back to teaching.  I wondered what would become of these kids.  Would they go onto a bigger high school? Would they work at Lapa Rios?

Lapa Rios proved to be a fabulous introduction to Costa Rica with the plethora of activities, to the incredible meals on the deck under the thatched roof, and the exotic animals and flora surrounding our senses. We quickly became a part of the country and couldn’t wait to explore other areas of the country including, the inland country of Lake Arenal, the Arenal Volcano and Punta Islita.  Let the magician continue to wave the magic wand. We were ready to allow Costa Rica to reveal its secrets.

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