La Fortuna is a land of fun and family

As my friend and I walked outside together, we saw our guide.
He introduced himself to us as Pelon and gave us an overview of the way Costa Ricans live, saying in closing, "It's Costa Rica, pura vida! And, the goal is to have a good time!"

We stopped at Lands in Love, a kibbutz and hotel that also functions as an animal rescue. While reading the stories of the different animals that were saved by the people there, I gave the girl at the counter a donation. She thanked me, explaining that they have so many animals now that the donations really make a difference for getting them medical attention.

The next morning, we went whitewater rafting. Our guide Dani explained to us how his family came from La Fortuna and that he had a total of around 36 siblings in all. It struck me again how family oriented the people we had met all were.

As we settled in, our rafting guide, Alberto, introduced us to one of safety kayak guides, who was also his brother. It turns out that they had both been living and working in La Fortuna, together. I found myself admiring that these brothers who were not natives to La Fortuna, shared this life of work and adventure.

Our next day was a hike totaling 6 hours. For lunch we went to Pelon's home where his family fed my friend and I wonderful "typical dishes" of Costa Rica. I was struck again with the ease that Pelon opened up his home to us, and as we ate, realized how many would stop in to eat as well. Not only was it Pelon's actual family, but it was Pelon's extended family of the Costa Rica Descents team that came here on a daily basis. I found it inspiring, the way everyone looked out for each other in that regard. The last thing I had expected was for our guide to open up his home so generously.

I will always keep the excitement of each activity firmly in my memory, however, the concept of family that I saw through the eyes of the people we spent our time with while in La Fortuna will always resonate for me the most.