Alors! I start with a French saying because that is what part of my brain has been activated since I have arrived in Costa Rica. The part of my brain I associate with travel lust, overwhelming sensations of joy and discovery. I feel like a ripe fruit ready to burst taking in the cultural exchange. There’s even a new word for everything, which I like to repeat after I hear Susannah or someone say it in conversation. The funny thing is that this is an entirely new space, country, language for me to be immersed in but since I have arrived I have felt extremely connected with not only the space, but myself. The part of myself that I was yearning all winter to find — where everyday provides an opportunity to discover what surrounds me and invigoration is present.
Our journey to the Garden Village was daunting at first as I read through the list of transportation stops that lay ahead of us. I wondered if we would be able to follow Susannah’s directions and tried to envision the roads and bus stops as I sat on the plane ride. Once Devon and I commenced, starting with the bus from the airport to San Jose, it was non-stop flow. At every transition there were folks willing to point us in the right direction and they seemed to smile with a secret boost of energy that pushed us forward.
Devon’s first, and proud, banana harvest
I can’t help but think back to “The Alchemist” as I reflect on my journey to the Garden Village and my hopes for this adventure in general. It is an opportunity for me to let go and trust the flow of life to bring me to a lovely place. It just started raining, and the sound is beautiful.
The last bus we were on from Siquirres to the Garden Village exemplified the necessary trust that I am talking about. It was full of kids getting out of school and I was about to faint I was so hot, the bus was ready to go and then it stalled. Everyone got off and Devon and I looked at each other, unaware of what to do now. Luckily it started up again and we were off on a local bus. All I could think about was how much I wanted to see Susannah and David and their home because then I could feel at home.
I watched as each person got off the bus and the majority of them were greeted by children, families, sisters, brothers, friends…waiting to see their loved one with much anticipation. Pretty soon there were only four of us left on the bus, and I asked the lady next to me, Va a Lecheria Las Lapas? and her eyes lit up and she smiled and indicated that was the next stop. The sun at just set at about 6:00 and there was Susannah, running up with her amazing smile and I was so happy to see her. We embraced and threw our packs in the pack of her sister’s car.
Susannah drove the car with such confidence like a lady from the Wild West as we came across treacherous holes, steep hills and ravines in the dirt road. I thought to myself thank goodness we didn’t try to rent a car. Such a preposterous idea once I have arrived. But that’s the thing you have no idea what to expect until you are there, in the present, living out the ideas you have dreamed and that’s when it becomes real. We sat our packs down into the large tent David showed us we would be staying in. It’s all open air here except the cabin that Susannah and David stay in now. “You’re in the jungle now,” they told us. That means you bring a light with you when you’re going to fertilize the plants at night.
They have delicious mountain spring water here that comes right into their sink. The kitchen is immediately where we shared our first moments all being together which felt appropriate seeing that my motivation and love to be here is growing and preparing food to share with those I love. Caring for the land is another thing I feel so strongly about. There is no way not to feel that we are all in this together, the plants, animals, and elements –living in an ever changing balance of energy, here in the Garden Village. It is an apparent way of life and it is remarkable how those that have helped build the Garden Village to this point have made that seem so attainable. David had cooked up some breadfruit and yuca prior to our arrival. Everything was from the garden that was on the table, so elegantly set, and a centerpiece with all sorts of rocks, crystals, and trinkets made me feel like I wanted to cry. It was all so peaceful and felt so right. We held hands in silence and it brought back many memories of other times in my life where I have experience the overriding warm emotion of knowing I was safe and comfortable in a new space.
We put fresh homemade guava jam on the slices of breadfruit for desert. The guavas are falling like crazy right now. Frijoles Negras, Mansana de Agua (water apple), cucumbers from the garden, broccoli greens and kale that were picked minutes before dinner, also accompanied us at the table. We dipped the greens in balsamic/olive oil- which brought me back to France where that is the dressing for so many of the salads I ate.
Caring for the Little Ones
We talked about how much dogs are part of our human experience and how they understand us in ways we can’t even start to understand. Barley here is half American Stanford half Catahoula Leopard. Initially right when we got here Susannah and David warned us that he is a little protective when you first arrive but now he sits underneath the table as sweet as can be. He is a year and a half old and takes care of night watch duties. His thought-to-be-daughter, Little Luna, (4 weeks old) is here, who we met this morning. She’s just a little thing and melts your heart at first sight. Barley was ripping apart a coconut when I came out of our tent this morning; it’s the perfect dog toy. J
Preparing garden vegetables for dinner
We are at 900 feet here at the Garden Village. Susannah says that is a great elevation to grow crops. They are situated between the mountainous foothills of Volcan Turrialba and the Caribbean low land region—providing absolutely awesome volcanic loam for their permaculture gardens. From the kitchen table we look out to the North towards the ocean. That’s where all the weather comes from so this morning we could tell that it was going to be a cloudy day. I woke up to the birds and the smell of smoke from the kitchen stove fire which is comforting to me. We shared green tea, scrambled eggs, (such bright yellow-orange yolks from their eleven pasture-happy chickens) and a roasted corn meal polenta together. After breakfast Susannah took us down to meet Barbara as she loaded up her car for a ice cream delivery. Susannah’s family bought about 100 acres back in 2001 and that is where Barbara runs Lecheria Las Lapas just down the road from the Garden Village.
Golden Butter
Talk about being spoiled in the jungle, there were all sorts of flavors when we opened up Barbara’s ice cream freezer as well as a fridge full of cheese, sour cream (natilla), and butter. I love the dairy. The fabulous kitchen they have designed to make their product is astounding. I look forward to going back down there to learn more. Susannah pulled down a couple perfect coconuts for us, reaching high to twist them off a cluster hanging from the tree. Using the machete we cracked them open to experience pure bliss as we brought the water to the lips. The juice stains so you just have to tilt your head back and pour it in your mouth. We scraped out the meat with a spoon and headed over to check out the neighbors banana plants. After you harvest the bananas from the plant you cut the whole thing down. Devon cut down a banana plant at the Garden Village shortly afterwards. I got a great shot of her exuberance post machete chop with Susannah and Barley in it. I need to work on my machete skills, I’m a little off the mark so far.
We are shaking butter right now. It’s right at that stage where it’s turning yellow and about to turn over. It looks like gold now that it is done.
Bread baking lessons with Susannah
The sensation of feeling things here is very apparent. You feel when the butter is about to turn over. You feel when it’s about a liter and a half of milk. You feel when it’s about to rain. Observation is essential to take advantage of what is available—and there is so much available. It’s starting to rain again now. It’s very welcome because we have been told they have had a drought the past weeks. It feels so good to take time to reflect on the experiences I am having. I feel my heart growing, like by taking the time for this experience I am taking a cutting off an old piece of my spirit/heart and allowing it to start to regenerate. It’s not that I have had a lack of love. So many people showed me they cared and were excited for me to take this trip. But I feel as though the love and confidence of myself has perhaps been lacking during the winter because of the noticeable happiness I have experienced here already. Taking time to care feels good.
OHHHH wow, just had a really good slice of papaya! I didn’t think I liked papaya, I guess I just haven’t ever had delicious Costa Rican papaya.
By Diane Beck, March 29th, 2014