After the dancing and singing was over, people gathered outside and began the Desfilas de Faroles (the parade, remember?). There was no order - people just began walking and carrying their faroles! No drums (thank goodness), only threatening lightening and thunder. (Sidenote: I've learned that it can threaten to storm here and never actually storm, unlike at home where it comes in whether you like it or not!). We walked down the main road past the supermarket and shops, and people slowly branched off to go home as we passed their streets. We walked all the way down to the soccer field, where it pretty much ended.
Then, we were off to the bar with some of the volunteers from the forest camp...Underwhelming....they weren't so friendly, and the dancing was reggaeton and discoteca instead of salsa and latin. There were tons of people, and I did witness an all out, hair-pulling girl fight, but overall a fairly uneventful evening for it to be such a celebration earlier!
Sunday morning, I was up earlllyyyyy - we had to be at an Acto Civico Obligatario (mandatory community event). The people gathered in the same auditorium at 7:30am to sing national anthems, pledge, and watch more traditional dancing. I people watched more than anything, but of course, the dancing was again, fantastic.
After the ceremony, before the parade, I escaped to go pack. I was supposed to go to Matapalo for a little getaway. I could hear those same drums leading the parade all the way around town (that's how small town is, and how loud those obnoxious drums were!!).
Okay so many of you probably think I am crazy for going to the jungle by myself. I just needed some time to myself! It gets hard when you live in a full house when someone is ALWAYS home....I just wanted to blast MY music, wear what I wanted, DO what I wanted, WHENEVER I wanted to do it! I'm a little independent I guess. Let's preface this by saying I asked around first - everyone I talked to said I'd be fine, and I now that I have a phone, I have a few friends in Matapalo that I could call if I needed anything. So while traveling alone is always a risk, this one was a calculated, planned, prepared for risk. I've been there before, stayed in the exact same place, and I feel comfortable there because really there's no one there to hurt you. You only have to worry about animals and snakes, and if you take precautions and be smart about your food and bring lights, you're fine. Plus, Coneha, the hostel dog, follows me around and guards my porch at night (I heard her chase away a few critters this weekend, so she does her job!).
I arrived Sunday, midday, and got settled in my cozy, familiar, little platform. I headed straight to the beach to relax while the weather was nice. Ahhhhhh relaxation at last. The waves were small again - this season is apparently all messed up due to climate change. The waves are supposed to be huge now, but they are flat, and the locals are predicting less rain than usual in October (YES!) and the swells to roll in around December. I hope I get to see the big waves before I leave!
A relaxing afternoon led to a chill evening cooking. And guess what, I cooked for ME and I only had to clean up after ME. I didn't have to ask anyone else when they were hungry - I ate when I was hungry. It got dark while I was in the kitchen, and there were only sounds from the frogs, birds, and crashing waves. I'll admit I was a little nervous walking back to my platform in the dark, but a little fear keeps your heightened senses aware of your surroundings, which is healthy. Once at my platform though, I was able to light some candles, play some Jack Johnson, watch the lightening coming in, and listen to the sounds of the untouched jungle. I now knew my "neighbors" that live on two sides of my hostel, and I knew they were close, so that was comforting, and if Coneha was relaxed, then I knew there was nothing to be worried about. This time to myself was so peaceful. Then, early, I climbed into those comfy beds with the cleanest sheets known to man. Ahhhhhh. This is what I needed.
Sunday night brought a torrential downpour! The lightening was bright through the canopy, and since my platform tent is mostly mesh, I could see it well. Being the weather nerd that I am, I tried to stay up and watch it, but I kept falling asleep. Here, the storms take their time, lingering where they want, unlike the relentlessly fast storms that blow through at home. Then the rain came, and I felt as if I was trapped in a tiny metal box while people threw rocks at my box. It was so loud on my tin roof!! Exciting! This is when I could hear Coneha chasing critters every once in a while - they were probably just trying to find shelter from the storm too.
An exciting night made for a late morning - by late I mean I slept until 8:00! Ha! Here, I usually rise with the sun. And guess what?! I got dressed, made breakfast, and headed to the beach, ALL in MY time. I didn't have to wait on anyone to wake up or get dressed (I usually have to wait because when it comes to the beach, I don't waste time!). I ate what I wanted, when I wanted, and laid on the beach. Walked where and when I wanted too. I didn't have to do anything but exactly what I wanted, and I'm definitely NOT used to that. Come to find, it's VERY nice, and I look forward to practicing this type of decision making more in the future since I am young and free with a whole life ahead of me!
My friend Pollo showed up a little later - I had asked to borrow a surfboard to practice, but he told me it was too flat, even for me. Instead, he offered to teach me and take me paddle boarding! SURE! I had what I needed with me, so we hopped on his quad and just left. And I could, because it was just me! We picked up some boards and paddles and headed to the beach by his house. The wind had picked up pretty quick, which made my first time a little challenging, but I'm at least athletic and love sports. The new exercise was welcome too, since I've been unable to find any volleyball worth playing. I got on the board, on my knees, and he pushed me out as I began to paddle. When I was far enough out, he showed me how to stand. He had already been standing, and of course made it look sooooo easy. I hopped up in paddleboard stance....Yeah, not as easy as he made it look of course! I wobbled and teetered for a while, attempting to catch my balance in the wind, and I managed a few strokes. The wind was pushing us in the opposite direction we were trying to go, so I paddled as hard as I could without loosing balance. Before too long, I was starting to get the hang of it! I could feel that I'd be sore in my torso tomorrow too...Just as I was getting used to it, here comes a wave! Out of nowhere, a pretty decent sized one for being off the shore. I took it head on, and lost by balance forward. I didn't want to fall forward on the board, so I fell instead to the side. SPLASH. I was in the cool, quite-refreshing, green water. Actually this was kind of a nice break! I hopped back on though, and finished paddling to the little protected cove we had been aiming for. Once there, we were able to get off and float around and swim in the beautiful green waters. We had wanted to go far out to try to see whales, but when the winds picked up, we headed for the cove instead.
After a short swim, we headed back. Going back, I almost didn't even have to paddle! The wind pushed me almost the whole way! Of course, Pollo caught some of the small waves on the paddle board, but I wasn't brave enough for that yet. Maybe next time.
I was starving after this, so lunch time it was! After lunch, I headed back to the beach, and took an unplanned, impromptu nap on the sand. Paddleboarding had made me sleepier than I thought! When I woke up, the surfers were attempting to catch some of the waves, so I watched and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon.
Before long, it was time to catch the good ole collectivo, or as my mother refers to it, the immigration bus. I was surprised to see only one other person on there, who was white, when the collectivo is usually packed with people from all over, all walks of life, and sometimes there are even animals or motorbikes on there! It had just began to rain, so the ride back was GORGEOUS. The road passes by a bunch of farmland backed by jungle-covered mountains. The rainclouds hung low in the treetops. I felt like I was driving through a scene of Jurassic Park! I was able to just take it all in - what a nice way to end a relaxing solo retreat.
And there you have it. I went on a trip by myself. GASP. Unheard of you say?! Dangerous you say?! I know that I have to be very careful as a solo traveler in a foreign place, but its empowering to know that you CAN do something by yourself. As a female traveler, so many people think you can't do ANYTHING alone, that you are somehow incapable of doing anything by yourself because the whole world is out to get you just because you are perceived as weaker or less aware, just because you are a girl. All of that is bologna. Again, YES you have to be smart about where you go alone and how you go there, but females CAN arm themselves with the knowledge and street smarts that they need to be able to do things like this. There are some limits, like traveling to the Middle East as a single gal, but you just have to KNOW those limits.
It's not solo travel that get you - people, and yes even women, go at it alone, safely, all the time. It's being stupid that gets you. And that can get you whether you are traveling in a group OR by yourself. Here's an example - if I had decided to have too many beers alone, I could have gotten disoriented and lost in the jungle. On the other hand, I could have had too many beers in a group situation and left with a stranger. Either way, it's knowing your limits and being smart that keeps you safe.
That being said, baby steps. I was only gone one night, and the jungle was only 30 minutes away. Plus, I had friends there and was familiar with the topography and landscape. AND, my weekend ended up being a wonderful escape, so it just might happen again soon. :)
Moral of the story, keep your wits about you, be smart, and go for it. You never know where the path of life will lead you.
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