PURA VIDA:

Dreams and Adventure in Costa Rica

rust your horse and stay in my tracks," said Jose, our Costa Rican horsemaster and multi-lingual guide, adding, "These horses are bred to navigate this country." With that, he headed up a steep hill, along a 180-degree switchback trail that was no wider than three feet. Following Jose, I had little time to hesitate. I took slow even breaths as my horse walked up the long, narrow rock-strewn trail, a steep slope to our right, a steep drop off to our left.

Whenever Jose turned his horse up the next switchback, I did the same. I relaxed after the second switchback. Head down, alert, calm, the horse carried me to the top of the hill with grace and ease. At the top, we were treated to a breathtaking 360-degree panorama of the mountains and terrain that make up the Central Valley of Costa Rica where most of the population lives. We watched transfixed as the sun set in the west, splashing orange, salmon and pale yellow across the evening sky, the glistening Pacific Ocean beyond. Pura Vida.

My husband Elliot and I were vacationing in this lush country on an EcoSafari Riding Expedition. I had come on a personal journey, one of discovery and dreams. We had arrived in San Jose on a balmy Sunday evening, and our guide whisked us away to the beautiful Hotel Bougainvillea, a wonderful European-style place with magnificent formal gardens that were in full bloom.

Touching the Hand of Nature
After a restful night, Jose picked us up and transported us to CienFuegos EcoRanch, one of Costa Rica's most prestigious riding centers, located on the grounds of La Trinidad Hacienda.

There, we rested in the shade of a huge Guanacasta tree, and sipped a refreshing glass of sour orange juice (which is not sour). We met Ademar, our Sabanero (cowboy) guide, who helped us choose our horses. An introductory ride around the ranch acquainted us with the horses, the tack, and the Costa Rican riding style. I was astride Estrella, a magnificent Costa Rican Crillo, who had an amazing temperament and endurance.

Costa Ricans, "Ticos" as they are called, love their horses, and their naturally calm gentle manner is imprinted on the horses they raise. The country, bound by the Pacific Ocean on its West Coast and the Caribbean off its East Coast, has been called the "Switzerland of Central America" for its strong emphasis on peace and education. It has escaped the civil and political upheaval of its Central American neighbors. In 1948, Costa Rica abolished its army and invested the money in teacher education. As a result, Costa Rica has a 98 percent literacy rate, a stable democratic government, and a strong healthcare system.

We left EcoRanch and headed for La Maravilla, a beautiful hacienda located on a 1,500-acre working farm that was to be our home for six days. It is situated in a remote rural community of Costa Rica's Central Pacific Region.

We had been riding for about an hour among rolling hills and meadows when we spotted the Gallery Forest ahead, spanning both sides of the Cuarros River. We were still on the ridge above when I saw the fires off in the distance, white smoke curling up to meet the perfect azure sky. "We're in the dry season, so fires are an everyday occurrence," Jose explained.

One of the results of the fires was the migration of the animals toward the river.

"Follow me," Jose said. I eased Estrella off the trail and into the underbrush of the forest. "Shhhh, look there," he whispered.

I looked up into the verdant treetops and saw four or five white-faced capuchin monkeys running along the top branches. One of the group was peering at me through the leaves.

"Look," I said to Jose.

"She wants to be with us. She's young and afraid of the fire," he said.

I sat on my horse for the longest time peering at her - her peering back at me. In that moment, a magic message passed between us. She was so curious and precious, and she may never see another human in her life again. I wanted the moment to last, and for her to know the joy that she had brought to me.

Savoring the Traditional Goodness
During our stay, we were completely isolated from the activities of the outside world, and we found the diversity and natural beauty of Costa Rica truly extraordinary.

Every day was an adventure on horseback. The places we rode ranged from rain forests to rolling meadows, from dry savannas to tropical mangrove swamps, across sparkling rivers and streams, through quaint rural villages, and along pristine ocean beaches. Sometimes, there was no trail at all, and Ademar would get out his machete and hack a path through the jungle.

Getting up in the morning is not on my list of favorite things to do. But Tuesday was beach day, and I did not want to miss galloping on Bajamar Beach. We had to be on the trail by 6:00 a.m. in order to catch the tide and cross the estuary. Stumbling out of bed in the dark, we were treated to the morning sounds of La Maravilla - roosters crowing and cattle lowing as they were being milked before being driven out to pasture for the day.

"Riding is what you do in between meals," my husband observed as we finished a traditional breakfast of "gallo pinto" (black beans and rice), scrambled eggs, tortillas, coffee, and fresh fruit juice.

The food at Maravilla is fabulous, and the cook is a master of turning simple native food into a taste sensation. The wide variety of available fruits and vegetables when combined with the interplay of native and European ingredients translates into a unique Costa Rican flavor. The cuisine is characterized by its mildness, which comes as a surprise to most visitors.

Fresh ingredients used by cooks include chayote squash, avocados, sweet potatoes, and cassava, as well as potatoes. Fruit is abundant, and appears at every meal. Lunch, typically known as "Casado" (married), includes rice and beans; a choice of meat, chicken, fish or pork; salad; and plantain, a type of sweet banana that is often fried, boiled, mashed, or stuffed with cheese. Of course, there's also coffee, since Costa Rica produces some of the finest coffee in the world.

Riding on the Wind
On the second day, a three-hour ride through the ever-changing countryside brought us to the Pacific Coast. Catching the sunrise was breathtaking, making the early morning awakening worthwhile. We rode along an old ranch trail that leads to Tivives Crag, formerly known as Port Landecho. It was here that the Spanish first started their conquest of the Central Pacific region of Costa Rica. Splashing across the estuary, we rode into the Cascajalillo Mangrove Swamps, the horses in water up to their knees.

We then trotted toward Bajamar Beach. The tide was out, and the long stretch of damp sand looked perfect for a gallop. Estrella and I were communicating, and I felt wonderful. Something caught my eye to the left. Jose came prancing up on his fire-breathing steed, a grin spread across his face.

"This is unbelievable," I shouted to him.

"Let's pick up the pace," he shouted back.

The horses seemed to understand. Estrella shot down the stretch of sand, and I suddenly realized how powerful and surefooted this incredible animal was.

For a moment, my whole world centered on staying aboard Estrella as we accelerated. Adrenaline still pumping, I relaxed my shoulders and leaned into the gallop. Estrella's pace reflected my improved position, and her gait became smoother and faster. I was astride Pegasus, flying along the deserted tropical beach, the wind in my face. My childhood dream had come true.

Sailing Among the Treetops
In addition to riding, Costa Rica offers a multitude of other adventures to round out a great holiday. In fact, it is practically impossible to describe them in just a few lines.

Ocean kayaking, rain forest lagoon canoeing, mountain biking, white water rafting, rain forest canopy tours, and the best catch-and-return sailfishing in the world are at the top of people's adventure lists.

The country is home to more than 800 species of birds, 10 percent of the world's butterflies, including the spectacular blue morpho, 150 species of edible fruit, and 1,200 species of orchids.

I chose a rainforest canopy tour.

Perched on a platform 100 feet above the rainforest floor, I wondered if I would actually step off and fly across the jungle, hanging from a cable.

"Just sit down, cross your legs, and hold on to the handles," said Elliot, my naturalist guide, adjusting the bright helmet on my head and handing me thick, brown work gloves. In an instant, almost before I could take a breath, I was sailing through the treetops.

The canopy tour was a dream come true, a lesson in fear and trust. My fate was in the hands of my two young guides. My job was to trust that I would follow their instructions and not fall apart.

Strapped into a harness that hung from a two-inch thick cable, which my guides referred to as a "zip line," I found myself suddenly speeding through the treetops - and making a perfect landing on the next platform. Traveling through the air at that height and with that speed, I had to remind myself to keep breathing as I sailed from treetop to treetop over five zip lines, each taking less than 20 seconds to cross.

"This time, do it backwards," urged Adrian, my other naturalist guide, as he snapped a hook to the harness, attaching me to the zip line again.

I gulped, felt the fear lodge in my throat, and reminding myself to trust not only the equipment, but also my guides, I stepped backward into the air. Looking down from the rainforest canopy (the top layer of verdant leaves that reach for the sun), I saw a cluster of giant ferns on the forest floor. I had heard that wildlife sightings are rare on canopy tours, but, just then, a toucan whizzed by me, followed by an orange-chinned parakeet.

My view from that vantage point was not unlike that of the young white-faced capuchin monkey I had met earlier in our trip and, as I traversed the rainforest, moving from treetop to treetop, I found that I began to feel like a monkey, looking through the trees at the world that lay below me. The beauty of this place began to work its magic, assuaging my fears and calming my senses.

My final day, as I sat waiting in the idling plane, I realized that Costa Rica had cast its magic spell, and I didn't want to go home. It was as if I was in a trance from the beauty of the land and the peacefulness it had provided. As the plane rose, I glanced out the window for one more look at the awesome beauty of the countryside. I inhaled and closed my eyes, taking a small piece of this wonderful place with me as our plane rose in the skies, and we began our journey home.

Pura Vida!

JUDIE FRAMAN is senior editor of Enterprising Women magazine.

(This article is reprinted from the Winter 2003 edition of Enterprising Women magazine. Copyright 2002 Enterprising Women Inc. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited, except by permission of the publisher.)

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