oh, Costa Rica
Nothing I expected and everything I needed to know, and see…
I am in New York City on the 17th floor of a 17 floor building in the heart of Harlem. I have a beautiful view of the chaos and the cosmos, overlooking the Harlem River (drive). Sitting at my desk with the sun slightly shinning on the right side of me (only). I am wearing a bike-a-tard (of an ex lover) as an incentive to intentionally move my body today.
I start my mornings, usually, with meditation, coffee and a workout (or yoga practice - sometimes both). That feels really good for me. Following the workout I shower and say my prayers and affirmations, and then I get ready for the day.
Im just returning from Puerto Viejo, Limon, Costa Rica. So Im just getting back into my NYC routine, which includes personal rituals, rehearsals and social engagements including family.
Costa Rica shocked me. It was nothing that I expected but it was extremely informative. I am so grateful for the space and the land and the invitation. I will be back.
We arrived at the Juan Santamaría International Airport at about 9am. This is early November so de-boarding, immigration, customs, and baggage was accomplished in under 20 minutes. We are now about 5 hours from our destination. We take a taxi to the Mepe bus station where we will take a bus from San Juan to Puerto Veijo, with one bathroom stop - think Greyhound. 10 minutes late, we caught the bus by the skin of our teeth, and for 12.99 each, we were on our way to the Caribbean island of Costa Rica. We took a taxi for 6000 colones (about $12), less than 10 minutes, to our first air bnb. Immediately, after checking into our jungelesque, outdoor kitchen and shower bungalow, we took a 15 minute walk to rent bikes! This by far was one of the most exciting experiences of the trip for me. Riding our bikes everywhere! Biking along and to the beach every day is a 10/10 experience.
During our time in Costa Rica our days looked free formed, explorative, sensitive, calm paced, breathy and searching. I had a client just about every morning which caused me to be up very early, how I like it. In all the spaces we had, I would take my clients outdoors as the sun rose. It was rainy for the first few days but then started to be more consistently sunny during the days.
Our morning rituals would consist of daily lighting incense and 2 candles on our altar that was cultivated throughout the 11 days. We would mediate, pray and then drift off into our separate flows, which for me, most of the time, was having a client or 2.
When the morning naturally came back together we would eat breakfast, which normally be whatever was left over from dinner the night before because we were over ordering (which is something that we intentionally wanted to change and improved on). We would finish getting ready and set our daily intentions with our candles before we blew them out and hopped on our bikes.
At this point we would go for a bike ride to explore or go to the beach and then naturally end up at Reggae and Chill for 2 for 1 drinks. After the beach or a long bike ride and drinks we are headed to eat again! After dinner we are always in agreement that it is time to get out the streets. At this point, we have done a lot of bike riding and have had plenty of drinks! Showers and evening transitions are made and usually once we hit the sheets, we’re not too far from dreaming.
It was really nice to have gone to a community gathering fundraiser with the black people of the community. This event was full with vendors and food and libations and performance, great music, and human integrations. We made a few friends and spent many of days opening up to new people and new spaces, sharing meals, libations and deep conversations.
One special soul we came in contact with is a Scorpio woman in her 30s, with two strikingly beautiful children, originally from Liberia and just recently moving from the mountains of this part of Costa Rica, down into the city of Puerto Veijo. In my experience of her, it was obvious to me that her children were a great reflection of who she was. Her energy so still, yet open, it’s like only if you ask, will she tell. And the thing about me is, if I get the opportunity, Im gonna ask. After both being immediately and seamlessly attracted to this scorpio sister, we made plans to spend more time together during our stay, only to find out she was the very next property beside our final air bnb. We spent evenings at her house, being entertained by the children and having chilling conversations that affirmed a purpose for being exactly where were at the time. One take away of wisdom I gained from this energy exchange that I would like to share: “When an elder asks to position yourself over the crown of their head, it is an honor, it is calling, it is an initiation” Have you ever had a grandma ask you to come come their hair or grease their scalp? Took me right back to hot combs in the kitchen and braided my nana’s silver hairs.
So - we stayed in 3 different air bnbs, booking as we went, over the course of 11 days. This was an easy process and I think it was a great choice for us as we got familiar with the areas where we wanted to stay and explore. [Keep in mind we went during their down season so there was a good amount of 4.5+ star air bnb’s available with a lot of check in check out flexibility]. All being indoor-outdoor layouts. All safe, all clean, all true to description. I particularly enjoyed the one we stayed in 2nd which had two pools and our accommodation was the only 2nd floor guest. It was extremely spacious and cozy. One thing about an air bnb in Puerto Veijo, it is going to have a hammock!
The island has 5 beaches, we stayed on 3 different beaches, starting with Cocoles which seemed to be the biggest beach where most people went. The second beach was closer to Playa Chiquita which is smaller, and then our favorite, Playa Negra, the black sand beach. Both the sand and the water were incredible! The waves are going to have you constantly to your knees. You have to seek out spaces along the beach where they build in structures for more still water to swim and chill.
The highlight of the trip was the incredible access and abundance of nature in many forms. I loved how the jungle met the sand so you had two different but very compatible worlds co existing and creative a blissful atmosphere. (This is why people get attached and never want to leave, and dont!) Hearing monkeys and seeing all kinds of birds and butterflies daily is delicious. The fruit trees and ocean air, oh my. The weather was mostly enjoyable but it rained often too (rain is healthy so let’s acknowledge that!) There would sometimes be grey skies as well. The downside was definitely the lack of presence of authentic Costa Rican culture, the visibility of elders and the food would be a hit or miss. I met much more ‘ex-pats’ and foreigners that now live there, than born and raised Costa Ricans (there were some I would meet as workers).
I had a consistent whisper in my spirit of wonder about Costa Rica and if it would be a place I could see myself living for a period of time. I came back with the knowing that, no it is not. I would love to go back to connect with some folks and do creative and organizing business and long distance collaborations but not somewhere Id want to move my practice right now. To be brutally honest (because, then otherwise, what would be the point of writing this blog) I felt that ritual that comes from ancient practices were being misused and handled without care and protocol. This is not something I blatantly witnessed but was sensed in felt in many moments of community and connecting and just in the air, really. It is very important to me that we are constantly sharing our teachers, ancestors and the lineage in which we are unearthing our information, that we are sharing as practice, as ritual and as guidance - and offering, if you will. If I can’t find the elders of the community and sit at their feet, I can not be here. NOW, maybe I could have stayed a little longer, searched a little deeper, went a lil harder - but I was there for 11 days, prepared through fasting, prayer and much intention, and this is what I have come back with this time around.
All in all. I felt I went to do, say and be exactly what I was suppose to. I left what was intended to be left, and brought back all that was intended for me to bring back. This I deeply believe and know.
Im writing this on a day in November when the sun has transited freely into Sagittarius, the moon is plotting in Aries, Mercury is preaching in Sagittarius, Venus is at home, in love in Libra and Mars is ruminating to a boil in Scorpio.
Let’s be grateful for the power to manifest exactly what we desire. PEACE
