two weeks…
i´ve learned that it takes a while to wash away the bland grey matter that can form on one´s self from day to day living…
two weeks have passed since i left the green carpet of pdx for lush rainforest and blue seas…am sitting in a florescent lit internet area of the la mariposa hotel in manuel antonio, costa rica - it´s warm, i have a few mosquito bites on my feet, and all is good.
today we went on a rafting adventure down the saveige (sp?) river. anna´s first rafting trip - given the current dry season, it was very calm and relaxing - a few exciting drops, and one highside right that i thought we were going into the drink, but in the end a great time.
have been spending my days watching the warm ocean here 9 degrees north of the equator. the water is so salty and warm, i´ve found that my fingers shrivel up like a kid in a bath tub. at last count, i´ve surfed more than 20 sessions in the past two weeks - from beach breaks to the perfect lefts of pavones - my mind has settled back to the surfing-high and calm that only comes from sitting in line ups, bashing lips, and feeling the moments of timelessness that only waves can provide to me.
have reconnected with old friends, met new ones, and as always found many sights and sounds for my digital camera. my old surfing buddy and school mate dean is doing well in pavones with his partner ingrid. they have built a beautiful life together in a town that seems like what old hawaii could have been. people waving to each other on the street, everyone knowing your name…i could settle into a life like that - but i know myself too well, that i always am drawn to pull away from my life in portland to anywhere that i´m traveling…maybe that´s what makes a traveller - a draw to continue to absorb and drink from all that the world has to offer - to make it my own experience and part of my soul.
new friends from north carolina and other remote surf spots around the states were made in the panamanian surf. was invited to be a guide at the surf camp in panama - maybe a future adventure of mine to be evaluated upon my return to civilization.
just four more days left in paradise…manuel antonio is a fairly small town, a little commercialized, but nice…catamaran cruise tomorrow - maybe a surf trip with rob, a photographer from ohio and aspiring surfer staying at our hotel.
as always, photos when i return - pura vida…