So it has been a little while since I wrote - I seem to have been swept up by life here in a beautiful way. I am meeting some of the local people as well as hanging with some of the people from the poi workshop who are still around.

Hmm. Where to start?

This week did not include that much work. Astrology readings at the local organic restaurant. Philosophical discussions. Spiritual conversations. Silliness. Tree climbing. Late night poi jams on a deck in the jungle under the stars with video projections on the cabin wall. Tarantula spottings. Bug bites. Serenades by old Costa Rican men on the steps in the middle of town, while eating fried fish with lime. Rides home on scooters. Rides to town in the back seat with the dog drooling all over me. As they say here - 'Pura Vida!'

Yesterday was the opening of 'el centro cultural' - a small outdoor area just off the street where artist folk can hang out. Sell their wares more legally (there are many street vendors here and everyone once in a while the police come and shut them down) It's a place for people to share their art, have a coffee. It's a very cool little spot.

So I volunteered myself to do face-painting for the grand day and discovered a new talent. Later on the drumming began and I danced around flamenco and belly-dancing style on the street and accumulated a captive audience. It was very gypsy and very liberating. Then there was fire dancing into the night. And more silliness at the local bar, where we hung out in the back lawn making human pyramids.

Eve - a taurus sister from North Carolina who was living alone in a treehouse before she came here:
Taurus reflection

Friends off the street :

The lovely Frederica - a huge-hearted italian woman who does tarot readings among other things:

Joseph - graphic designer and staff dancer:

Bene - the lovely Bene, poi spinner extra-ordinaire:

Cello (for lack of the correct spelling) - argentinian sweet-heart:

Danny (who is helping to open the centro cultural), ?, and Miguel (aka 'gypsy boy') - fire-juggler extra-ordinaire who sleeps on the beach - a true gypsy

Life in paradise - I have to say, it's pretty good...

Paradise:
The group checking out ancient poi-geometry

Poi class on tortuga island

Isn't poi fun?!

Erika on the water

Erika spinning in the ocean:


Part of the crew:


Pirates on our trip to Tortuga Island:

This week is poi workshop week - photos to come!

What a change of pace from the jungle and mi casa tranquilo to fire-spinning world! And a big party overlooking the whole area and miles of ocean from the swimming pool on the cliff with a woman on the silks (trapeze like aparatus) in the living room and video projections on the ceiling!

I have been walking to the workshop often and even walked home last night. It is about a 35 minute walk along a dirt jungle road next to the sea... Quite beautiful albeit a little dusty.

In the mornings we do a couple hours of poi class over-looking the ocean and then we climb down the hill a bit and jump into a pool under waterfalls. We then break till the afternoon, have another couple hours of class in different beautiful locations and then break again till our evening activity.

I'm starting to settle in to the whole thing and the last couple nights have been more mellow.

Tonight we are supposed to have a bonfire on the beach - And I am supposed to be working, except that I'm blogging and the rain is pouring out of the sky...

Tomorrow we will go to the Isla Tortuga by boat.

I am feeling more settled here in general and although I am really enjoying learning new poi moves, I am looking forward to going back to my much more subdued retreat.

Full moon dinner -






Yes - there was a big earthquake near the capital, San Jose - Everything is fine here with me, not to worry :)

So as I wait for my project to update (for those who don't know, I do web marketing/Search Engine Optimiztion for my brother's company - http://www.mastermynde.com and will be working while I am down here) I'll tell you a little about how it's going here.

Ninoska - who is the owner/caretaker/founder of this center for movement research - is a wonderfully crazy, firey, eccentric, Leo of a woman. Last night we did some authentic movement exchange - each of witnessing the other's improvised movement. Eyes closed and tuning into exactly how the body wants to move and express itself in the moment. It was very grounding and allowed me to express some of what is going on. I think that also it was a wonderful way for me to introduce myself to Ninoska. We had an inspiring talk afterwards about the potential of the place and of my stay here and even possible future stays (who knows!) After our talk I felt a lot more tuned into my reasons for coming here.

The place here is quite beautiful and very well kept. We have lime trees (the Costa Rican Variety), bananas, monkeys, lizards of all shapes and sizes, iguanas, beautiful flowers, crazy looking birds, there is even a little stream passes by my cabin. I am only just starting to take it in. We are also across the road from the beach - which is totally gorgeous except that the water is cloudy, to my slight dissappointment. I'm not sure where that comes from... Perhaps rivers and rainy season just past. But the beach itself is quite beautiful. And very few people hang out there as we are some ways away from the town.

It's taking me a while to recover from the extreme change - but things are now starting to settle.

Okay - an abrupt ending - but more soon!

A little view of my home for the next little while

Mi Casa:






































The view:

The long journey

Well, it has been quite the journey getting here.

After spending the night in the Baltimore airport, one of my four flights was delayed because the airplane was having mechanical problems. I guess it's a good thing we didn't get on it.

I met Stephanie, who is doing an internship at Costa Rican clinics for her med degree - we helped each other through the airport hoops and then the guy picking her up dropped me at the bus station for 'Puntarenas', the port where I had to take the ferry.

Marisol, an ex-patriot costa rican who lives in Florida, appeared magically at the sketchy bus station and whisked me under her wing. She was going to her uncle's funeral. She invited me to stay with her at her mother's home since there wouldn't be another bus going from Paquera - the port on the other side of the ferry - and Montezuma - my destination.


The following morning we got on the 5am ferry and watched the sunrise over the ocean and distant jungle, Marisol coaching me all the way with my spanish. On the other side we waited for the ferry workers to manually change the height of the dock to meet the boat with pulleys and big chains. Ah yes, I am in latin america! Things are different here!

Since the bus didn't leave until later, Marisol's cousin (with wife and son) offered to give me a ride to Tambor and then I could take a taxi from there. We stopped at another relative's on the way and I got a glimpse inside the lives of these people - the woman came to our car crying (the uncle's death still fresh - suicide...) We finally came to Marisol's sister's house, where we dropped Marisol and her cousin offered to drive me all the way to Montezuma (another 18 kilometers on bumpy road) They decided to take a short-cut and the road turned out to be crazilly washed out. I have never seen such enormous rivets carved into a road!

'Coche muy Fuerte!' the cousin (whose name I forget) assured me. After which we proceeded to get stuck...

We all gathered clumps of dried mud and branches and filled the holes under the tires. I think it could have been much worse, but we finally managed to extract ourselves and continue on our way.


So now I am here - still quite disoriented...