Despite my tiredness from the day before, I woke around dawn. Mostly because I heard the screeches of the monkeys surrounding the compound, rustling in the leaves outside my door, and a placid hiss alerting me to the vibrant natural world outside the walls. Barefoot, I rose and made my way to the deck, lounging in the hammock.
I tried to walk the rocky pathways, but the edges of the stones poked at my toes, so I made my way back to our hideaway. As Dani woke up, we played with a cat that visited our temporary home, and I watched the lizards climb about the appliances in the outdoor kitchen. Back inside, the sunlight peaked through the wooden doors and illuminated the space.
Our AirBnB was so beautiful; nestled in the jungle, foliage created privacy for our individual oasis. I believe there were two or three other buildings on the lot, besides the owners’ two-story home; though we rarely ran into other souls. In the month of planning, Dani had suggested a bike ride tour and I was pleased to be able to do that on our first full day in Costa Rica.
As Dani awoke she greeted me outside and made us some coffee.
“Were you trying to talk to me this morning?” She inquired.
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know; it sounded like whispering…”
“You mean a hiss?! Nah, that wasn’t me!”
As we laughed it off, in the back of my head I tried not to think of there being snakes around and slithering into our room.
Our host had given us a book filled with recommendations for restaurants and tuk-tuk drivers. We called one to take us into town, which was about a 15-minute drive.
The tour host had two tours on the AirBnB experience, one that went to a secret waterfall and the bike tour along the beaches – we had inquired if we could combine them, but we wouldn’t have had enough time. Dani and I met the hosts in front of a bike shop and picked out one that fit us, and off we went! The woman we were in communication with had another person working with her – we’ll call him TJ – and he was the one that hosted our excursion.
“I just want to see a sloth at some point,” I informed him.
“Well, I can’t guarantee, but hopefully we can spot some!”
Our first stop was Playa el Chino. China has interesting ties to Costa Rica, beginning in 1855 when 77 immigrants came to work on the Panama Railway that connected San Jose to Puerto Limon.
Chino Beach It was the closest beach to town – surrounded by bars and restaurants along the shore. Then, the real adventure began.
We biked in the road, which made me uncomfortable at first, but it was fine, as cars and trucks passed on the side of us.
Playa Cocles was the next beach that we arrived to. We traveled through a small area full of trees and speckled with bright crabs, parked our bikes, and ventured to a golden-sand beach that was completely empty. TJ led us up the side of a small cliff and we peered over the edge at the crystal-clear waters crashing against the rocks.
“Will you take a picture of us, please?” I asked TJ.
As he snapped away he exclaimed, “Wow, I’ve fallen in love; you are both so beautiful!”
“That’s our beautiful spirits!” I responded.
As we walked back to our bikes, TJ somehow spotted a slot in a tree.
Yes!!!!
He made this long, breezy whistle – calling out to the sloth and it slowly turned its head towards us.
“Ok, I’m done. My trip is made,” I joked.
Back on the road, we crossed some bridges and soaked up the sunshine.
At our next stop, we pulled up to Jugo de Cana. An older gentleman stood by a table filled with all types of fruits – oranges, mangos, papayas, pineapples, coconuts; any tropical fruit you could imagine. TJ bought us some fresh squeezed juices and we sipped them on the beach as we watched the waves beating against the tan sand.
Next, we found ourselves at the Spicy Coconut, a little lodging and restaurant in Punta Uva and explored the beach there as well.
As we continued, TJ blasted some reggae from a speaker on the back of his bike. I caught the words ganja and rum amongst the lyrics and I laughed and told him, “Yeah, that sounds like a good time to us!” “Oh, really,” TJ said. Dani and I chuckled. “Ya know, nothing like chillin’ in paradise with a little rum, a little bud, and good company!”
I surrendered to the smell of the saltwater and the quiet chaos amongst the trees beside us. After a quick stop at Playa Galardonada, TJ told us to wait for a second and he crossed the street and biked down a hidden driveway. About 5 minutes later, he returned and we continued our lighthearted voyage. As we approached a supermarket, hilariously named “El Super Negra – “That’s going to be my superhero name!” I teased, “Da-da-da!” I shouted, placing my fists on my hips. We parked the bikes and went inside to buy a few coolers and snacks for later.
Our last stop was Loma de Punta Uva. Kiosks sprinkled the small, relatively crowded beach. We locked our bikes by a surf shack, where TJ appeared to have known some of the guys there. He took us to the edge of the beach and we climbed up the side of a cliff and onto a trail. It was such a gem! There was a huge tree, so large it could rival that of a sequoia! In the trees, we were able to spot a howling monkey.
As we scavenged along to the edge of this area, I was amazed at how blue the sparkling, turquoise water was. We found a little plateau and TJ pulled out a blanket for us to relax on. We took a couple of hits from the surprise that TJ rolled up for us, sipped our drinks and stared out at the vast, never-ending waters. A bunch of colorful crabs made their way along the edge of the cliff as water roared towards and splashed us.
TJ was indigenous, and we got into a wonderful conversation about life. We talked about race – “I’m Black,” he said, rubbing his beautifully melanted skin, “even though I’m Bribri and European.” We discussed holistic healing and the naturally energetic and connected ways of the universe that he was taught as a child. We bonded over our disdain for materialism and pharmaceuticals. “The earth provides everything we need,” we agreed. He told us of his journeys around the world as he continued to “discover” himself. You could feel the vibrations rising around us. I looked up into the sky and noticed a heart-shape within the passing clouds right above us. “If that’s not a sign from God, I don’t know what is!” I told the group.
The bikes had to be returned by around 6pm, and we had to have biked at least ten miles, if not many more, so we made our back down the cliff and started our venture home. On our way back, we spotted another sloth, playfully saying “goodbye,” as it hung from a palm tree.
We pulled over one last time when we heard, and saw groups of monkeys – one family on either side of the road – calling out and marking their territory. Their roars echoed and overshadowed the passing trucks. Dani and I had to pass our AirBnb on the way back, so we decided to part ways with TJ there, momentarily considering meeting up later to go dancing. Dani and I had a few hours before we had to return the bikes so we headed back to the Spicy Coconut to lay out on the beach for a while. “It wasn’t that far from us,” we both hesitantly tried to recall. Once we got to the beach, we splashed around for a while before noticing how dim the sky had gotten.
“Those look like rain clouds…” I said.
*And yes, we did coordinate in the morning to wear the white and black bikinis, haha.
And sure enough, before we knew it, the raindrops came drizzling down! It felt so, so good to play in the rain, so we didn’t run or hide from it, but embraced the kind cleansing. By the time we got back to town, it had stopped. We returned the bikes and realized we hadn’t eaten a real meal all day. But first, we had to find a pharmacy, because of course I hurt myself, haha. As we had biked back, I somehow caught a finger in-between one of the bike brake handles and sliced my finger!
“It’ll be so nice to have a seaside dinner and catch the sunset,” Dani and I agreed.
As we soaked our toes in the sand, Dani broke the silence of our deep breathing.
“Is it okay if we talk about what we need to talk about?”
“Yeah, sure; I would love that.”
Even when I travel, I try to find Black-owned businesses, or places that celebrate African culture, to support. We decided to eat at Madre Tierra Cocktails y Resta-Bar, which is also vegan friendly.
We were seated at a table on the top deck, where we could catch a glimpse of the setting sun. As we settled in, and did that awkward thing where we basically sat on the same side of the table, we mutually opened the space to have a discussion about the shifts and needs in our relationship, and feelings around the things that had come to light. “I just wanted to give space for you to say whatever you are comfortable with saying,” I explained.
Over cocktails, we dialogued and teared up a bit. It was such a wonderful conversation that was filled with love, support and care for one another.
“One thing I learned is that everyone is on their own journey, and I cannot be upset at what your path looks like, nor the past” I explained, “but I want you to know and I want to make sure we create a space of openness so I can be there for you, because I know you’ve been affected by it, and it did impact our relationship; and you’re someone I want to continue having in my life and growing with,” I shared.
We hugged one another so tightly and exchanged the most genuine “I Love You.”
Dinner was delicious – I had the Hamburguesa Caribeña and Dani was served a vegetarian meal of veggies and rice. Down below the deck, we were entertained by a local musician.
We hailed a tuk-tuk back to our place and lounged on the deck with our visiting cat until the day’s adventure hit us and we decided to turn in for the night.
“Want to wake early for the sunrise?” Dani asked. There was a beach right across the road from us.
“Oh my God, I would love that!”
She checked to see when the sunrise would come and set an alarm.
For the day’s excursion, we spent $27 per person for the tour and about $20 each for dinner.
