Jenny Hazard in Costa Rica

This is a short biography of my youngest daughters time since December in Costa Rica on a piece of land purchased by her Sister and friends , their plan is to develope it over time , I believe she is there for a few months more , I found her writing fascinating, she agreed to share it so enjoy.

Things I have learned from the Jungle…

Day 5.

Termites are the actual worst. I’ve never once had a thought of these buggers before now. And here they are with their unwelcomed presence and unmatched determination, colonizing, trailing through our lives with their hunger, eating through labor and threatening our home.
Build and rebuild. Lessons learned from every decision.

The heat is a force to be reckoned with. Adjusting to this humidity is as much a mental challenge as it is physical. The smell of mold will literally be with me forever.

I wake up sweating, fall asleep sweating. My face has become a faucet that sprinkles sweat like a rain shower. For those of you who know, they should’ve called me Betty. Drinking ten litres of water a day. Working around the property and assisting Scott on his million projects, I look like I’ve just ran a marathon. The occasional afternoon rain shower is closest thing to bliss I have ever experienced.

I sit in this structure that Scott designed and built, in awe. Talking about the future and the potential for this land, has me believing anything at all is possible. This jungle is full of wonder. Infinte plant species I could not even begin to identify. The structure is surrounded by fruit trees and our neighbour started a wee vegetable garden for us over the rainy season. Things really grow here, you blink and they have grown. Which is why so much of what was built and cleared last season has been overgrown by green. A friendly reminder to work with the jungle, not against it.

Birds fly in and out of the structure, perching momentarily on the wooden bunks, just long enough to make you jump with one of their sweet songs. Tucans chill in trees making sounds that don’t seem to match their reputation. Vultures dance in swarms, usually up high circling what I would assume is something that has died. What i believe are finches, bounce around with colors of the rainbow, they are so small they could even be butterflies… but the butterflies here are a whole other story. My favorite birds to see are the Macaws. Multicolored and majestic, these guys roll in pairs, apparently with their life mates.. long tails and always in twos.

Then there are the monkeys. I’m still learning about all the species here but I have already had my introductions with four. Squirrel monkeys are the cutest. They travel in big groups, swinging and jumping around with their bright orange coats and long curly tails. They always seem up to trouble, but I think they are mostly playing. From the compost toilet Scott built, you can get lost following these monkeys around like a game. Then there are the howler monkeys, I haven’t seen them yet, but I can hear them every day howling and barking at each other like a horror film playing in the distance. The white face monkeys are apparently a bit aggressive, their faces are so detailed and decrepit they look like angry drug addicts while eating bananas our neighbour leaves out for them.

The insects. Well, there are plenty. But it’s not nearly a concern, as I’m usually more focused on keeping my body temperature at a somewhat normal level. The spiders are more plentiful than I was prepared for. Usually the size of my index finger or bigger. Mostly at night though. Scott showed me that when you wear your flashlight on your head at night and look out onto the grass, every piece of green seems to have a dew drop on the tip. Well, in fact what looks like water is actually the glow of each and every sider. Their eyes, actually. I investigated by looking up close at each glow, and yes. At night, the ground is in fact completely covered in spiders. Cool :l The fireflies are abundant this month. They are a sweet gift from mama earth allowing me awe in moments I might otherwise be thinking about the spiders. Ha.

The stars out here are as you would imagine. Infinite. The sunsets are disgustingly beautiful. Especially while floating on salty waves as the sky takes on new forms by the minute.

So far, it is clear that this is place is the closest I will get to heaven in this lifetime. Presently lacking some familiar comforts that I’m sure one could eventually get used to. But for now I will trade those comforts in for the smell of mold and the blinding beauty that surrounds as far as my eye can see. Home, it is.

Day 10.

Sassy (our neighbour) tells us Costa Rica will continuously push you. Hand out challenges like food. Well Scott and I endured some of those challenges, with grace I might add. But after a few hectic days and an unexpected stay overnight in Golfito, we have our family with us on the land now. Leigh-Anne, Mark and Yuri and here and the vibe is wonderful. Mark built another bunk bed as if he was making a sandwich. I am happy to report we all have new mold free mattresses and sheets and bug nets.

Yesterday we walked out onto the rocks as the tide was low and found ourselves a tide pool in the ocean. The size of a small pool and as warm as a bath. I believe the ocean water is around 29–30 degrees. We played in there for hours, had speakers set up, drank beers and then it rained. Glorious rain. One of my favorite combinations in life is ocean and rain. Ben Silver, Solar Mix. For those who love the musics, this mix is an essential.

Did I mention there are tide pools a five minute walk from our house? In both directions. This area is beyond abundant in natural beauty. I’m so surprised it has blown up and been swallowed by tourists yet.. and fearful of that day. But thank goodness these guys snatched up this land before things get crazy. The waves are endless. There are rivers that march all the way up the mountain with sweet pools of cool and clear water. One that leads right into the ocean. Yesterday we picked up five fallen coconuts on the walk home that gave us enough coconut water and meat to last the week.

Tomorrow Sassy is having a Yule Solstice party. She is known to make the best food, know the best people and throw the best parties. We have prepared two kilos of prawns for the party, cleaning them in a kind of production line. Pan fried in butter, garlic and white wine… mom’s way.

I have only been here ten days, and already I can’t imagine having to leave. Falling asleep to the sounds of the ocean and jungle every night, sitting for hours in silence, spending more moments in awe of mother nature, than pondering anything else at all . This is a place of healing. It’s inevitable.

Day 13.

Let’s mention living together with four other people on a 500 square foot space. Although there is infinite jungle beyond our steps, our main living area is collaboration of living spaces, piling on top of each other in all of their very unique ways. The tools and workspace lead into the dining area, the laundry line runs from the kitchen to the beds. Somehow it works rather magically, but still I calm the urge to clean and tidy every bit of random, as I know for certain the random will continue to spill over.

For the time that I am here, I will see many personalities come and go. Dynamics are an interesting thing to observe. The root of this place has to be love. And it is, but sometimes egos flare up and soft spots are triggered, and little fires are made. But it is our responsibility, as a family, to put them out.

While on the topic of reality, we came across something on the beach yesterday that woke my soul to the true dualistic nature of humanity. In a place where warm eyes and soft smiles meet you at each crossing of the road, it is easy to raise the people up with the perfection of the landscape. But we must stay humble and awake. People are people.

We came across a dog tied by the foot to a tree, strangled with rope and likely poisoned. His eyes and insides had already made meals for the insects and jungle creatures. His body hadn’t been there long though. This happened so close to our house, I feel like I should have heard him crying for help. The rage that ran through my blood when I saw this could not be directed at anyone, because who were to do this? It seems baffling. Then I recall some local Americans saying that if your dog becomes annoying to the Ticos (by barking or spending too much time on someone’s land or being aggressive) they will often leave out poison for the dog to eat. This happened the other night to a friend of Sassys. She quickly sent clay to the friend, but it was too late. Ticos don’t treat dogs like we do. That is a large generalization of course. But Scott and I stop to greet every pup we see, giving them pets seems like the best thing to happen to them. They are fed and look otherwise healthy, but starved for affection. I have always said, you can tell a lot about the people when you meet their dogs. Perhaps it is a kind of reflection and these people are too, hungry for affection. I don’t know enough to say so. And am in no place to judge.

I want to connect with local native people, so I can begin to truly understand this land and its culture. Teaching yourself Spanish is a feat only a certain few can master, but I will keep trying.

Day 21.

It’s new year’s eve today. Spent two weeks with my sister and Mark and said goodbye to them yesterday. It was so good to have time with them, completely undistracted by the usual buzz of an insanely busy life in Calgary. They eventually adjusted, but it is plain to see my sister is not a jungle baby of any sort. However, we did it all together. We swam, hiked, sweat and slept without walls in the jungle. She looked brighter than ever. Detoxed from an overwhelmed life she is used to. This place has a way with people. I keep saying how interesting it is to see what the jungle brings out in people… You can’t hide behind much. It feels like everything is stripped away and you are left with the most raw version of yourself. Probably a combination of becoming one with nature, surrendering to the heat and pushing yourself to work hard with a quiet mind. Some days raking fallen leaves underneath the Mango tree feels like an Ironman competition. But other days, I can fill and move the wheelbarrow with six loads of dug up weeds and dirt before falling over.

Yuri is a monster. He works harder and longer in the jungle than I have seen anyone work in this heat. Ever. He has cleared so much… mostly weeds, unhealthy trees, paths and spaces to plant food. We have one filled raised bed close to the structure that will soon produce several salad greens and herbs. There is yuca (potato) planted in abundance on our land, tons of oregano, basil and a few other leafy trees that are delicious and great for you. Bananas are growing all over the property, several mango trees, pineapples, water apples, grapefruit, lemon, lime, and star fruit. There are birds of paradise everywhere. Beautiful bright flowers light up the land like a rainbow. the hummingbirds love it. My absolute favorite trees on our land are the Ylang Ylang. At dusk, they fill the air with the best scent my nose has ever smelled. I can’t get enough, and luckily these trees are all over the land. I will soon learn to make essential oils.

As I write this, we are stuck at yet another mechanic, in another town. Upon leaving Golfito (where we spent the night at our usual transnational motel) to head up the mountain to attend our vehicle inspection appointment, the truck fell apart on us. Even after an early morning ordeal to change the fuel filter, on route the electrics gave out.. no horn, signals or brake lights. Scott fixed all of these things at a local mechanic, but as we were ready to leave, the car wouldn’t start. We are now late for our inspection. And it is the last day of appointments. And we have to pick up the next crew arriving this evening back in Golfito.

All of this to say, there is never a dull moment in Costa Rica. It seems everytime we leave the land we are handed one challenge after the other. Perhaps this is the way life goes in some places. The pace of everything is much less rushed. Where we are used instant and convenient resources to manage through out lives back home, we are forced to surrender to the unknown and the unfamiliar.

The verdict is that the car is broken and has to stay here for five days. We will take a taxi back to the land, as there are no rentals available.

Happy New Year my loves. It’s good to be alive.

xo