Writing in my journal with only lamp-light and the
pitter-patter of rain on the tin roof was a perfect Saturday night. When Sunday
morning arrived the rain was still falling and I decided to sleep in late (6:30
am – I guess I’m officially on farm time). But we had much to do, and I got off
it and on ‘em soon thereafter. Today, Alan and I hiked up a stream to one of
the waterfalls on the property. Water flowing over rocks is always beautiful,
but in the rainforest it’s simply magical; the sort of magic that cannot be
captured on film despite our efforts. A good 40 minute hike up boulders and
slippery, moss covered rocks with deep pools and dense vegetation all around
us, we finally came to a fork. Alan went left and I choose the right – neither
of us knowing that when our paths met again we would be at the base of a 40
foot waterfall! “We didn’t hike all this way just to look at it,” Alan said as we
took off our boots and socks and headed for the pool at the base of the fall. Cool,
crisp water fell like hard rain and generated an incredible flow of air in the
secluded retreat. We took a quick swim and had a whim of an idea to climb up
the pile of rocks across from the fall. About 40 feet up the climb turned to 80
or 85 degrees vertical over crumbling, loose rocks. We braved a little way, but
gave up for fear of plummeting to our doom.
With legs already somewhat sore from an intense upward
climb in the morning, in the afternoon I took an old rusted bike from the house
and headed for Jímenez: a
neighboring “town” across the river high up in the hills where my friend Pedro
and two girls that work for Phil and Ginnee live. Amidst the coffee and banana
trees is a small cancha de fútbol
(soccer field), mostly mud and goals made of tree branches. One side of the
field is a 25 foot wall of earth, and 6 foot gates guard behind the goal.
However, any ball that is kicked too hard goes sailing downhill with its kicker
not far behind to retrieve it. Truth is, I was awful, but I’m sure the guys
(about 16 in total) got a huge kick out of the gringo attempting to play
soccer. With the standard afternoon rain, we were all quickly covered in mud –
from head to toe. My face and hair smeared with the stuff, my legs and shoes
caked with hardening earth. And, a true bonus, I just found some more grit in
my right ear.
