We walked farther up the hill and crossed once again a barbwire fence. The uncles would hold it open with there hands and there feet, so that we could crawl through the space safely. As we crossed this time I saw a small field of celantro growing, actually I could smell it first. I reached down picked it and ate it. I showed it to Arya and she tried it too. Tony questions who it belonged to but they did not respond. Then they cut to the right of the mountain, and on the edge was a steep pathway down ward, to the right again was the river rushing now and at a higher level. It was becoming strong and big. We walked down the muddy path me with a big stick in my right hand and Tony helping me with the left. We saw the River. The rest went forward as Tony and I walked toward it and just stared and never said a word to each other.
I felt extremely emotional, but I didn't know why, maybe it was the fact that I was seeing something that was a part of his growing up his past, his life. Somethig that was ingrained in him and now I got to share and see this place of beauty. Maybe it was because I was in awe and was so happy to be in such a beautiful place that all you could hear were the sounds of nature at your feet. Or it could have been that it was truly a very spiritual place, untouched by human hands, and still in a state of purity.
All I know is that my eyes welled up, my spirit inside me was leaping out of my skin, and my heart was pounding very fast. We stood for the longest moments just watching the water fall in the dark shaded area of the jungle.
Then we caught up with the other's
Tony questioned me, asked if I was happy and wanted to know what I was thinking. I tried to explain but my vocabulary in spanish is so limited that I barely could share what I really thought. I was very excited and happy to share this precious moment with him and my friends.
Further we went, when The uncle found this bug that was making all the noise in the jungle. He picked one up, it looked like a peice of jewerly, so brightly colors and huge and wings of clear sheer colorfull spun fabric. The body was bright teal and aqua blue with touches of lime green and little spots of gold. He held it out and gave it to me, I was not afraid I picked up the way he handed it and held it for a while watching it rub its wings fast and making the noise I heard. Then I let it walk on my hand and my fingers. Tony video taped it for us and he watched it crawl up my arm.
It then flew away...
Farther up the hill now my emotions were higher, then the men said that the rocks we were seeing were indian burual grounds, he showed us a tomb,I could not contain my feelings then. It was like my breath was being taken away. I have felt this before but not quite this strong.
onward we went, then into a field out of the jungle and onto a rock, a huge rock, it had carvings on ancient indian carvings as if it was a whole family. They believe it is a tomb it had marks were it could have been open, with divits in particular areas as if maybe they put huge sticks and pryed it open to insert another body one by one. The markings were very primative crude almost. I thought it was a tomb. They tapped on it and in some places you could hear it was hollow. They said that robbers have tried to open it, yet the rock will not move and nor can you crack it to get it open. on the sides of this very large rock were other rocks similar but smaller as if to mark territory of the area. Wow this was cool, I understood at that point why I was feeling the way I was. It became stronger as we hiked higher up the mountain to where they said Indians lived in this one area. An old house in the middle of very remote part of the jungle no paths no roads no ways to get to it but they built it in the knowl of a mountain side next to the river. Only parts of it was left but you could tell that the basic struture. They said that tigers or leopards now live in that area.
Maybe panthers... at that point I was getting exhausted it was a very long steep grade barely a foot path to walk, I was wanting to stop but they lead us up another hill, then We didn't see Eric , Arya was doing fine having some trouble climbing but not bad. Eric rolled down the hill and I hope he didn't hurt himself much? he was covered in mud and his video camera got muddy too. He finnally caught up with us.
We once again crossed barbwire, into a grassy hillside field, only to over look the incredible mountian sides in the distants, now it was about 3:45 the evening was coming on and the shawdows were growing dark and in the distance you could see it was deep.
We All stood and stared and photographed and talked. It was incredible.
Then we hiked all the way up to the top of the hill and got to a dirt road, a big dirt road where the land was completely clear of any vegetation. Wow! Looking now over the whole area was astounding!! Wow what view of the whole place. We sat the guys smoked, I watched and Arya stared. It was beautiful we sat and rested then walked slowing but carefully down the road. At some points it was dangerous the mud was slick and deep, the road was steep. So in the grass I walked so I would not fall and slip and hurt my foot or any other part of me. Arya almost fell once.
Tony and I walked together alone for a few moments and talked. It was nice. Then We joined the rest. They were eating some fruit from a tree there that was like a pod.
A green curled up pod that you split open and chew on these furry seeds. Sweet slippery and almost sensual.
Arya loved them Arya loves fruit and she wanted more, I love Arya, I am going to miss them when they leave this coming week. I know I will meet other people from this blog as I did with them, but they are extremely special people, TONY AND I BOTH HAVE FALLEN IN LOVE WITH THEM.. Tony is going to be very sad when they leave Eric is like a father to him and Arya is a great care taker. She makes me laugh.
We walked for more than and hour down the road, then came to a huge Tree I mean a huge tree in the middle of the road. It was a giant guancaste, a silk tree majestic and staturesque. It made me think of this adventure as a movie, with the tree as a focus, since the area is called Guanacaste. I stood and just stared and thought peacefully alone while the others were way behind me. Arya aproached me and asked what I was thinking? I shared and told her how incredible this was to me.
Rain was begining to pour, a soft rain, I was wearing shorts Arya a light jacket me too, but neither one of us was complaining about the rain and she said it. Look she said, were walking enjoying seeing all this and not one minute complaining about the rain. If we were in Portland we would be complaining.
Tony and Eric were smoking cigars and walking way behind us we came to a fork in the road and didn't see the uncles anywhere when one just popped out of no where and there he was! we went to the left and down the hill again now the jungle was next to us? I was confused I did not understand the direction but followed it. Then I saw them carring big bundles of bejuco. Its the roots the feeder roots and vines from the trees. You know like the ones that Tarzan swung from??? I asked for this for decorations for one of the houses I am doing.
You see long time ago, I used this product, In California I found it in a wholesale house, I bought it and made myself a wreath with it. I did not know what it was, all I knew is that I liked it and other people in the industry didn't know what to do with it or what it was. This was years ago, then In Portland one day in the Flower market I saw it again it was very expensive. Thirty dollars for five stems of it. I bought it and used it at the HEATHMAN LODGE. I used it in many ways... Now I saw it first hand I felt it and tried to cut it, Its very strong and interesting, and I had them cut me enough to resemble a dead body when it was all wrapped in plastic ready to carry on the top of my car back to Jaco.
They held it over there heads as we all walked back to Grandmas house in the rain. We stoped for a moment as an old international tried to make it up the mountain and got stuck in the mud. All the guys stopped and help push this thing up the hill, but it would not go. Then they pushed and pushed and finally in the rain and mud they managed to get it up an going. I watched in laughter, thinking this is something! in the middle of no where we were at the right point at the right time, who would have thought that we would be there to help them?
Then to house, Mama had made this simple soup with some bones that had little meat on it. She used celantro,a nd some sort of herb that tastes like lemon. Maybe lemon mint. She made rice, yucca, chayote sqaush and homade torrtillas. It was simple but the cool weather and rain combined made it the perfect food for the long hike we took. I was chilled being all wet, So that soup was the perfect gesture. She did not eat with us, she said she had eaten earlier. I asked Tony to bless the food, we all held hands Tony prayed as he prayed he got choked and cried asking god to bless his mother/ grand mother. IT touched me too, as well as Arya and Eric. Eric finished the prayer. Simple food simple settings but precious moments n memories.
After the men wrapped all the bejuco up in a blue tarp. Grandma said what i was thinking that is looked like a dead body and we all laughed. Then Eric spotted the small child coloring on the sofas and noticed that he had only nubs to draw with. The child draws very well, then Eric said he needed new ones, Told Arya, I asked if there was a store close? And suggested they take him to get the ones Eric wanted to buy for him. So Tony and Eric and the boy went to the little store in the town and bought him the gifts. Thrilled with gifts of new pencils! He began coloring and organizing all his supplies.
We packed up and left for Jaco, it was bout 8 at that time and took us two hours to get home. Most of the way we were quiet I was thinking about the whole day what a great memory for me, as the next day I take a flight to Portland to see my son for his birthday! It was a surprise...
No comments:
Post a Comment