The weekend excursion to Puerto Viejo was an amazing time filled with good food, relaxation and amazing tropical scenery. Sunday we all went to Cahuita, which is north of Puerto Viejo, and hung out on Playa Blanca near the Cahuita National Park. The beach's sand was a nice white-tan color and the ocean was a darker deeper blue because of the ocean floor being stirred up form a front moving in. The weather was mainly overcast but we were able to throw the frisbee and enjoy the warm air. I said "I can't believe I live here now," several times that day. 

Playa Blanca

After the beach, we went back to the condo, showered and went out to eat in Puerto Viejo proper. The night life was very lively because all the Ticos, which is what the Costa Ricans call themselves, had a national holiday on Monday.

The highlight of the trip was Monday when we went south to Punto Mona (Monkey Point) by way of Manzanilla. We drove along the beach and through the jungle to the main beach in Manzanilla. From there, Melissa's brother Alejandro was able to negotiate with a local fisherman/tour guide named Denry to ferry us to Punto Mona, which is only accessible by boat.

Denry is a Nicaraguan who grew up on the ocean. He looked to be in his mid forties and had a weathered and hardened face. He went to get gas while we waited for him near his fishing boat. The “Kai 1” has a 26 foot fiberglass hull with a 75 horsepower, outboard engine and four benches. There were a few old life jackets thrown onboard among several empty bottles of Imperial (one of the most popular beers). He returned with a Marlboro and full Imperial in one hand and a full tank of gas in the other, and we were off.

The Kai 1

That was my first time on the open sea in a smaller vessel and it was very intense. The waves were massive and as we approached them, and there was a slight feeling of weightlessness as we crested the waves and rode down the back side. In an open hulled boat it is impossible to stay dry. The sun was pounding down on us. The saltwater, splashing on my face and body, felt refreshing. Along the way, Denry turned the boat away from the assumed destination down the coast, and out to sea. We were about a mile of shore. It was at that point I realized we were completely at his mercy, defenseless touristas.

Denry and Evan

However, Denry didn't intend to rob us on the high seas, he was taking us to see the dolphins that regularly feed in the area during early afternoon. We looked for the seagulls circling above, which indicate the dolphins may near by. We watched and waited but saw nothing. After sometime, we asked Denry to take us to Punto Mona, ending the dolphin tour. So he started the engine and headed towards shore.

On our way inland, six Guyanan dolphins and one bottle nose dolphin surfaced alongside the boat. Their dorsal fins were cresting above the waterline intermittently and I rushed to find my camera. Just as I stooped down, the bottle nose jumped out of the water and pirouetted in the air, showing off for us. The dolphins continued their display, flopping around in the ocean 30 feet from our boat. It was an amazing experience I'll always remember.

After the dolphins' performance, Denry brought us to the beach at Punta Mona. Alejandro had explained that Punta Mona is a self sufficient, organic farm and education center. I was picturing something like the movie “The Beach” in my head, and wasn't very far off. When we arrived I noticed the small houses built on stilts set back near the edge of the jungle. Beyond the houses began a path into the thick jungle. Our group of seven laid down our towels on the sand and enjoyed the amazing view of the ocean and a view of Panama to the south.

I decided to check out the farm and meet its inhabitants. There was a very old native man sitting on the front porch of the hut. The front of his hut was covered in pictures of Bob Marley and naked women. I waived hello and ventured down the jungle path. 50 meters into the bush, I was greeted by a short, chubby American man who looked to be about 35. Steven had very thick curly hair and a scraggly beard. He was shirtless with ragged cargo shorts and flip slops. He was drinking a can of Imperial.

The main education building at Punto Mona

Hammocks on the porch looking out on the jungle

I later learned that he was the director of the education center and had been living in Costa Rica for over 12 years. He had graduated from University of Wisconsin, moved down here, opened a farm and started teaching Costa Ricans about sustainable living. There are several buildings and greenhouses on the 84 acre farm. I was blown away by the quality and design of the architecture. www.puntamona.org

After digging the farm for a bit I headed back to the beach and was ran into Denry. He had a 30 foot bamboo pole in his hands, at the end was a “J” shaped blade. Denry was using it to cut bunches of coconuts from the pam trees along the beach. I helped him gather the coconuts and bring them to a stump near by. He picked up a machete and lopped off part of the coco leaving a perfect quarter-sized opening. He handed me the coco and I drank from the husk, the milk was clear and fresh. It tasted like water with a sweet coconut flavor. Denry said coconuts are great for the liver especially after a lot of Imperials. I drank four coco's and rolled them down the beach like bowling balls.

After swimming in the mild surf, it was time to head back to Manzanilla. When we returned to the boat I was surprised to see Steven and his female acquaintance, and three other travelers waiting for a rife back to civilization. We loaded their luggage into the boat and shoved off. The boat was riding much lower in the water with our additional passengers and cargo. A few of the females were outwardly concerned with the ride back. Especially after Steven and Denry got into a debate over the odds of making it through the pass between the island and point during high tide with that much weight on board. Denry assured everyone we would be fine, he had carried 27 people before during similar circumstances, 13 of us should be a cinch.

Denry turned the boat into the oncoming waves and gunned the engine, they were breaking just as we drove through and down the backside. As we continued through the narrow pass I could see outcroppings of the coral reef just feet below the hull. The rest of the ride back to shore took about half an hour and everyone applauded Denry for his skill and out of relief to be back on solid ground.

The island off the point. We passed through the narrows on the left side

My first weekend was nearing an end as we drove back to San Jose. I was so grateful to have enjoyed such a surreal experience so early in my time here. I silently promised myself that if I ever questioned what the hell I was doing in this far away land, I would take a weekend and come back to Punta Mona or somewhere similar. After all Costa Rica has about 2000 kilometers of beach to explore. I quickly fell asleep, knowing I would soon have to confront the treacherous city of San Jose and start a new job...