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An earthy aroma enveloped my senses as the holy wood – palo santo – smoldered around us. I was lying prone in Shavasana pose as Jerelea lightly massaged my neck and shoulders, her fingers laced with soothing lavender oil. This comforting “yogassage” is how we concluded our hour of restorative Hatha each morning. The throaty bellows of howler monkeys occurred as if on cue, enhancing our immersion in the surrounding rainforest. Limbs supple and mind free of any clutter, I focused on my intent for the week at Hacienda del Sol.
This was my second pilgrimage …
Spans the northwestern part of Costa Rica, from the Nicaraguan border to Puntarenas, including the Nicoya Peninsula.
The central Pacific coast from Puntarenas south to the Baru River mouth, just north of Dominical.
Includes the southwest coast of Costa Rica and the southern part of the Puntarenas Province from Playa Dominical south to Panama.
Includes most of the border with Nicaragua, stretching south to Arenal Volcano and the northern parts of the Heredia and Alajuela Provinces.
Encompasses the Monteverde area, from the Santa Elena Cloud Forest in the north to the Monteverde Cloud Forest in the east.
Includes San Jose, the Juan Santamaria International Airport, and parts of Alajuela, Cartago and Heredia provinces.
I love experiencing Costa Rica through the eyes of first-time visitors. Life’s ordinary moments become new and exciting once more. Waking up to the call of howler monkeys, sleeping under mosquito nets, and daily encounters with multiple-legged creatures – all typical of Costa Rica – were novel to my fellow fasters. Our cabinas at Hacienda del Sol were comfortably rustic, with a simple screen separating us from the great outdoors.
We began every morning of our 7-day juice fast with a small glass of fresh-squeezed lemon juice topped with cayenne pepper. Immediately upon entering the body, …
We stepped over the threshold, passing from quaint gift shop into a colorful outdoor oasis. The blue sky was speckled with clouds and a bright, shining sun – a harbinger of the beautiful day ahead. My parents, ardent nature lovers, were visiting from the States, and we had decided on a day at the Botanical Orchid Garden in La Garita, a suburb of Alajuela.
We began at the garden’s small aviary, which houses rescued birds. All but one, a sulfur-crested cockatoo, was native to Costa Rica – and most had been kept illegally as pets. Here …
This morning I awoke to the burble of a mountain creek a few hundred feet below our cabin. The sun’s rays peeked over the horizon, their morning warmth already beating back the night’s chill. Cocooned under my cozy half-foot of fleece, I was struck by the serenity of the mountain’s so-called silence: here, quiet did not mean the absence of sound, but rather a gentle harmony of birdsong, trickling water, and leaves rustling in the breeze.
I snuggled under the blanket, relishing the dual treat of my beautiful surroundings and the time to leisurely enjoy them. …
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