Hey everybody,
I'm on a streak of Central American countries the last few years. Dawn again couldn't join me so I had to pick somewhere relatively closeby. I was trying to figure out where to go when my buddy Julian said "Why don't you look for a Wim Hof method class?" I'd been practicing the WHM for a couple of years before all this life business happened with the new job and the house which someday I will write about and yes I will call that post "The Money Pit." Anyhow, the timing was that there was a WHM retreat in Costa Rica in early August. So I signed up and immediately got a phone call from the trainer telling me to start taking daily cold showers and hiking 3x/week for at least 45 minutes. Oh, and bring a headlamp and boots (for snakes).
I was on the fence about whether or not to rent a car given that I was traveling alone. It turned out to be a good decision because it's the rainy season and I'd have the autonomy to travel on my own schedule. When picked up my Suzuki Jimny 4x4, the rental guy had four pieces of advice: Drive defensively, don't offer the cops a bribe if they pull you over, don't try to drive through a river, and use Waze because there are no addresses in Costa Rica (!).
I spent my first few days in Uvita, a small village in the southwest corner of CR right on the Pacific coast. The area around Uvita is known for whale watching and surfing, although there are much better waves for the latter farther north. Given that it was rainy season, the town was relatively desolate which suited me just fine. The only time I ever saw people was at restaurants or when I went on a whale watching boat tour. The Marino Ballena national park is an aquatic area off the shore of Uvita that is known as a migration stop for Humpback whales. We saw several whales and their calves swimming a few dozen feet from our boat. The boat dropped me off on a small offshore island named Whale's Tail which is connected by a sand bridge to the mainland during low tide.
It rained during most of my stay in Uvita which suited me just fine. The best time to be on a beach is during a rainstorm because you get it all to yourself. It's magical. Besides, tropical rain isn't really rain anyway. It's showering with your clothes on. I will also take a brief interlude to dispense unsolicited travel advice: If you're going to bring board shorts/swim trunks on your trip, make sure to try them on before you go. Apparently I've put on a few pounds in the last 5 years, so I was sporting a wicked muffin top while fighting to keep the velcro fly from flying open every time I hit a wave. The sun finally decided to make an appearance on my last morning in Uvita, giving me a glimpse of the entirety of the gorgeous coastline and beach bookended by cliffs. I can imagine what it's like in high season, but on this day there were only a few folks out for a stroll and a small surfing class in the whitewash.
Costa Ricans are known as "ticos" and their national slogan is "Pura Vida" which, as far as slogans go, is quite good. You hear it announced over the airplane loudspeaker as you land and it's plastered on advertisements all over the airport. I wasn't sure if it was some kind of marketing, although folks did occasionally use it as a greeting. Especially surfers.
After Uvita it was a couple hours drive south nearly on the border with Panama to the location of the WHM retreat; a sustainable treehouse community called Finca Bellavista. I had zero idea what to expect either from the location or from the retreat itself. It took about 15 minutes of offroad 4-wheeling to get to the site of the Finca in the midst of the southern jungle of Costa Rica, and it was more beautifult than I imagined. Finca Bellavista sits on 600 acres of rainforest with a river, waterfall, organic garden, hiking trails, monkeys, sloths, tropical birds and snakes. And bugs. The base camp is a large wooden building where folks hang out and meals are served, and there is a little rancho on the side with a large deck and a covered space for yoga and happy hour drinks. The treehouses themselves are all privately owned but centrally managed, and our particular treehouse was owned by Ian, the WHM instructor leading the retreat.
It turns out only three of us signed up for the retreat: me, a Bulgarian/Israeli guy named Yati who's been living in Costa Rica for 14 years, and Wallace, a 71-year old retiree from Beaufort, South Carolina. Quite an eclectic mix. The retreat itself was a fantastic experience. We had a regular routine of waking up at 5AM, which is really fucking early, except that's when the sun comes out in Costa Rica and the entire jungle around you wakes up. Maybe someone can explain to me why, if Costa Rica is parallel with Florida, it is two hours behind the eastern time zone. Anyhow, it was a 45 minute hike down from the treehouse to the base camp, where we'd start off the day with intense breath work. We did five cycles of deep breathing and retention, each day with a different focus. The breath work is what got me hooked into the WHM in the first place, because I discovered I can use these techniques for relaxation, for energy, or to simply connect with your body. After the breath work, Ian would take us through a very relaxing guided meditation, and lastly, the ice bath. When I mention ice baths and cold showers that's usually when people tune out anything I have to say about the WHM. If you've never been in an ice bath, you should try it. The key is to learn to relax and breathe normally when your body is telling you to get the fuck out. If you can learn to go with it, the feeling can become quite pleasant. It will give you more energy than 10 cups of coffee. There's quite a bit of information on the web on the benefits of ice baths (cardiovascular health, reduced inflammation, brown fat production) but it's the internet so take it with a grain of salt. All I know is that it feels great... usually when it's over but still! An ice bath in Costa Rica, however, requires one of the Finca employees to drive to a nearby town and pick up over 200 lbs of ice each day. Every day after this cycle had been completed I felt amazing. I learned quite a few new breath techniques that I'd love to share. If you're interested I'd be happy to talk you through them next time I see you.
In the mornings and afternoons we'd go on hikes up the river to the waterfall, where you could lie on a rock and let the water rush over you. We'd try more breathing exercises with pushups, including once where we performed breath work in a downpour on a deck overlooking the canopy of the jungle. One day we drove up into the hills because Yati insisted that he could find magic mushrooms if we could get to a cow pasture (no luck). I forgot to mention that Yati is also a natural medicine specialist. He showed us a natural coagulant called Dragon's Blood made out of tree sap that you can use to form a pellicle over cuts and bites. He also somehow talked me into putting some kind of local honey in my eyes after insisting it would clear up my vision. The ensuing 10 minutes of nonstop crying could broadly be described as "clearing my vision" so technically he was correct.
There were a few other tourists staying at the Finca, although we mostly talked to the staff and volunteers who worked there. The volunteers are mostly backpackers who exchange work (clerical, manual, teaching yoga, etc.) for a place to stay. The intersection of people who are willing to travel to Costa Rica for a WHM retreat and backpackery volunteers produces interesting topics of conversation, including (but not limited to):
I've been in a pretty square routine the last few years and it's nice to be reminded that there are multiple ways you can choose to live your life. I didn't agree with (or even understand) some of the subjects that folks were talking about, but I enjoyed listening to the different perspectives. That being said, if someone had mentioned "flat earth" I would have lost my shit.
I needed that retreat. After four days in the jungle I felt more relaxed and energized than I have in a very long time. My retreat companions were wonderful company, and I especially connected with Yati. Some folks just have a good vibe about them. After saying goodbye to my new friends, I had one more day before needing to head home so I decided to stay in Dominical, a small surf town a bit north of Uvita. While this little town is easily walkable in less than 20 minutes, it contains many shops, restaurant and bars on the way to its renowned surf beach. It even has its own microbrewery, Fuego Brew Co, that produces fairly decent beers. I spent a couple of afternoon hours on the beach watching the surfers, and decided screw it I'm surfing too. That excursion lasted approximately 30 minutes and mostly consisted of me popping up and then flying off a surfboard into the whitewash. I got up once, and that's enough to say I've surfed in Costa Rica.
Overall, I loved Costa Rica and would be happy to return. People are friendly, it's easy to get around, the food is good, I ate a lot of ceviche, the landscape is beautiful, the beaches are beautiful, the Pacific is surprisingly warm, and there are a ton of things to do. I'd like to come back with Dawn someday and see more of this country.
Coming back home was a bit of a culture shock after I was able to detach so completely, and I thought I should try to get my thoughts into words quickly before I lost them. I'm no longer on Facebook so this story may not make it out to all the folks that might be interested. Feel free to share this with whomever you think would enjoy it on your preferred social media platform.
Without further ado, to view the photos click on this link:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/w3XGUHf2uvD974628
Take 'er easy,
Dave
I'm on a streak of Central American countries the last few years. Dawn again couldn't join me so I had to pick somewhere relatively closeby. I was trying to figure out where to go when my buddy Julian said "Why don't you look for a Wim Hof method class?" I'd been practicing the WHM for a couple of years before all this life business happened with the new job and the house which someday I will write about and yes I will call that post "The Money Pit." Anyhow, the timing was that there was a WHM retreat in Costa Rica in early August. So I signed up and immediately got a phone call from the trainer telling me to start taking daily cold showers and hiking 3x/week for at least 45 minutes. Oh, and bring a headlamp and boots (for snakes).
I was on the fence about whether or not to rent a car given that I was traveling alone. It turned out to be a good decision because it's the rainy season and I'd have the autonomy to travel on my own schedule. When picked up my Suzuki Jimny 4x4, the rental guy had four pieces of advice: Drive defensively, don't offer the cops a bribe if they pull you over, don't try to drive through a river, and use Waze because there are no addresses in Costa Rica (!).
I spent my first few days in Uvita, a small village in the southwest corner of CR right on the Pacific coast. The area around Uvita is known for whale watching and surfing, although there are much better waves for the latter farther north. Given that it was rainy season, the town was relatively desolate which suited me just fine. The only time I ever saw people was at restaurants or when I went on a whale watching boat tour. The Marino Ballena national park is an aquatic area off the shore of Uvita that is known as a migration stop for Humpback whales. We saw several whales and their calves swimming a few dozen feet from our boat. The boat dropped me off on a small offshore island named Whale's Tail which is connected by a sand bridge to the mainland during low tide.
It rained during most of my stay in Uvita which suited me just fine. The best time to be on a beach is during a rainstorm because you get it all to yourself. It's magical. Besides, tropical rain isn't really rain anyway. It's showering with your clothes on. I will also take a brief interlude to dispense unsolicited travel advice: If you're going to bring board shorts/swim trunks on your trip, make sure to try them on before you go. Apparently I've put on a few pounds in the last 5 years, so I was sporting a wicked muffin top while fighting to keep the velcro fly from flying open every time I hit a wave. The sun finally decided to make an appearance on my last morning in Uvita, giving me a glimpse of the entirety of the gorgeous coastline and beach bookended by cliffs. I can imagine what it's like in high season, but on this day there were only a few folks out for a stroll and a small surfing class in the whitewash.
Costa Ricans are known as "ticos" and their national slogan is "Pura Vida" which, as far as slogans go, is quite good. You hear it announced over the airplane loudspeaker as you land and it's plastered on advertisements all over the airport. I wasn't sure if it was some kind of marketing, although folks did occasionally use it as a greeting. Especially surfers.
After Uvita it was a couple hours drive south nearly on the border with Panama to the location of the WHM retreat; a sustainable treehouse community called Finca Bellavista. I had zero idea what to expect either from the location or from the retreat itself. It took about 15 minutes of offroad 4-wheeling to get to the site of the Finca in the midst of the southern jungle of Costa Rica, and it was more beautifult than I imagined. Finca Bellavista sits on 600 acres of rainforest with a river, waterfall, organic garden, hiking trails, monkeys, sloths, tropical birds and snakes. And bugs. The base camp is a large wooden building where folks hang out and meals are served, and there is a little rancho on the side with a large deck and a covered space for yoga and happy hour drinks. The treehouses themselves are all privately owned but centrally managed, and our particular treehouse was owned by Ian, the WHM instructor leading the retreat.
It turns out only three of us signed up for the retreat: me, a Bulgarian/Israeli guy named Yati who's been living in Costa Rica for 14 years, and Wallace, a 71-year old retiree from Beaufort, South Carolina. Quite an eclectic mix. The retreat itself was a fantastic experience. We had a regular routine of waking up at 5AM, which is really fucking early, except that's when the sun comes out in Costa Rica and the entire jungle around you wakes up. Maybe someone can explain to me why, if Costa Rica is parallel with Florida, it is two hours behind the eastern time zone. Anyhow, it was a 45 minute hike down from the treehouse to the base camp, where we'd start off the day with intense breath work. We did five cycles of deep breathing and retention, each day with a different focus. The breath work is what got me hooked into the WHM in the first place, because I discovered I can use these techniques for relaxation, for energy, or to simply connect with your body. After the breath work, Ian would take us through a very relaxing guided meditation, and lastly, the ice bath. When I mention ice baths and cold showers that's usually when people tune out anything I have to say about the WHM. If you've never been in an ice bath, you should try it. The key is to learn to relax and breathe normally when your body is telling you to get the fuck out. If you can learn to go with it, the feeling can become quite pleasant. It will give you more energy than 10 cups of coffee. There's quite a bit of information on the web on the benefits of ice baths (cardiovascular health, reduced inflammation, brown fat production) but it's the internet so take it with a grain of salt. All I know is that it feels great... usually when it's over but still! An ice bath in Costa Rica, however, requires one of the Finca employees to drive to a nearby town and pick up over 200 lbs of ice each day. Every day after this cycle had been completed I felt amazing. I learned quite a few new breath techniques that I'd love to share. If you're interested I'd be happy to talk you through them next time I see you.
In the mornings and afternoons we'd go on hikes up the river to the waterfall, where you could lie on a rock and let the water rush over you. We'd try more breathing exercises with pushups, including once where we performed breath work in a downpour on a deck overlooking the canopy of the jungle. One day we drove up into the hills because Yati insisted that he could find magic mushrooms if we could get to a cow pasture (no luck). I forgot to mention that Yati is also a natural medicine specialist. He showed us a natural coagulant called Dragon's Blood made out of tree sap that you can use to form a pellicle over cuts and bites. He also somehow talked me into putting some kind of local honey in my eyes after insisting it would clear up my vision. The ensuing 10 minutes of nonstop crying could broadly be described as "clearing my vision" so technically he was correct.
There were a few other tourists staying at the Finca, although we mostly talked to the staff and volunteers who worked there. The volunteers are mostly backpackers who exchange work (clerical, manual, teaching yoga, etc.) for a place to stay. The intersection of people who are willing to travel to Costa Rica for a WHM retreat and backpackery volunteers produces interesting topics of conversation, including (but not limited to):
- Nutrition
- Physical and Mental health
- Natural medicine and remedies
- GMOs
- Microdosing psilocybin
- Mass hypnosis
- Vibration levels
- Mind control
- Vaccines being used for pacification
- Fluoride being used for pacification
- Tooth fillings being used for pacification
- Alien abductions
- Reptilians
I've been in a pretty square routine the last few years and it's nice to be reminded that there are multiple ways you can choose to live your life. I didn't agree with (or even understand) some of the subjects that folks were talking about, but I enjoyed listening to the different perspectives. That being said, if someone had mentioned "flat earth" I would have lost my shit.
I needed that retreat. After four days in the jungle I felt more relaxed and energized than I have in a very long time. My retreat companions were wonderful company, and I especially connected with Yati. Some folks just have a good vibe about them. After saying goodbye to my new friends, I had one more day before needing to head home so I decided to stay in Dominical, a small surf town a bit north of Uvita. While this little town is easily walkable in less than 20 minutes, it contains many shops, restaurant and bars on the way to its renowned surf beach. It even has its own microbrewery, Fuego Brew Co, that produces fairly decent beers. I spent a couple of afternoon hours on the beach watching the surfers, and decided screw it I'm surfing too. That excursion lasted approximately 30 minutes and mostly consisted of me popping up and then flying off a surfboard into the whitewash. I got up once, and that's enough to say I've surfed in Costa Rica.
Overall, I loved Costa Rica and would be happy to return. People are friendly, it's easy to get around, the food is good, I ate a lot of ceviche, the landscape is beautiful, the beaches are beautiful, the Pacific is surprisingly warm, and there are a ton of things to do. I'd like to come back with Dawn someday and see more of this country.
Coming back home was a bit of a culture shock after I was able to detach so completely, and I thought I should try to get my thoughts into words quickly before I lost them. I'm no longer on Facebook so this story may not make it out to all the folks that might be interested. Feel free to share this with whomever you think would enjoy it on your preferred social media platform.
Without further ado, to view the photos click on this link:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/w3XGUHf2uvD974628
Take 'er easy,
Dave
