After my 3 week stay in kéköLdi with the bribri and a few days of reflection in San José, I spent the final weekend of Costa Rica in San Gerardo de Dota with two amigas McCall and Madison. They are students at Southern Nazarene University, which runs QERC – Quetzal Education Research Center – in the valley of Talamanca mountain range. San Gerardo is the sanctuary of quetzals, in the tropical cloud forest. The first trip to this beauty of nature, I was oblivious to that. But after watching birds for 3 weeks with my indigenous brothers in the Caribbean, I took advantage of the opportunity to go with Maddie and McCall to another distinct climate/diversity zone of the Talamanca mountain range…with hopes of relaxing, just being, and perhaps doing a bit of birdwatching!
The ‘paseo’ was a refreshing closure to my time in Costa Rica. I never imagined what range of biodiversity thrives in a country the size of West Virginia. It was like crisp fall weather…sunshine…no rain! Glorious. Maddie, McCall, the director of QERC, Michael, and I hiked the trail to the waterfall and another trail in the primary forest. We paid a bit of dinero to hike up the back of a man’s property to see some quetzals as well! They love to perch in aguacotillo trees. The resplendent quetzal is in the trogon family….and it is known for its brilliant green, blue, and red colors and flowing tail feathers. Of course the male is the favored one over the duller colored female…she’s still a beauty. It was a blessing just to be and soak in God’s creation with a few wonderful women.
On Saturday afternoon, I spent my final moments back in Guadalupe/San José packing for Panamá and saying goodbyes at my favorite bakery, my neighbors, and my familia. It was a simple goodbye with my host family. We took some pics in front of the Christmas tree, and they gifted me with a Costa Rica “¡pura vida!” tshirt and a letter. I was not super close to my family, but I truly value the experience. They welcomed me in treating me like a daughter. I got to see how a single mother survives on a low income supporting her 3 children….the good and bad of the family…real. I appreciate all the “cafecitos” (coffee breaks) that I shared with Mami when she shared with me her life and perspective….all the games of Clue and Uno and Dutch Blitz that I played with my brothers…all the fútbol games of Alejandro on the weekends, the Disney movies with Sebastian, the rainy weekend trip to the beach. It was challenging to live in a house with different values of ‘cleanliness’ and nutrition. What I can now look back on and laugh about is the ridiculous fact that one of the mini poodles – Sakoomi – would sometimes poop and pee on my bedroom floor…guacala! (gross)…I never understood those 2 dogs that were not disciplined in the house…but I endured. Craziness. Like Mami told me, I had the opportunity to learn from a variety of familias…my tica familia, nica familia, Bribri familia, and Kuna familia. Indeed I did, and I learned to respect each one in a different way…there is no ‘perfect’ familia.
I am also glad that I made a few connections with other ticos while in San José. Although most ticos do not interact with their neighbors…they are super family-oriented…I met my family’s neighbors and would go over to cook with the señora here and there or have ‘cafecitos.’ I also hung out at the local Panadería (bakery) of Joaquín…who makes the best bread (and cinnamon rolls) in Costa Rica…and made connections with him and the other employees. I got to know a few other LASPer’s tica familias by going over to their houses and taking weekend trips with them.
Goodbyes were simple and sweet in San José. It was time for the challenge of Panamá and Kuna Yala…living on an indigenous island with the Kuna….
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