Gaaserud Family travel fieldnotes and impressions
By Siri
10/1/2019
HELLO, today I will share my experience with ziplining. Not just the short one at home, but the longest zipline in Latin America. First, we had to drive to the Monteverde cloud forest because, well, that is where the ziplining is. We went to sleep to the windiest night, but we woke up to the beautiful sun. In morning the bus picked us up at seven fifteen, sharp. I got on that bus and a rush of excitement woke me. After a short ride I stepped off the bus and someone told the group, including my family, about the place. We used the bathroom before getting our harnesses on. Then I looked to my left and saw a big screen TV Showing people doing the canopy tour. That is what we were doing. Then I saw the Tarzan swing, people dropping 100 feet. Seeing that made me want to do it so badly.
One of about ten guides told us what to do while we were in motion on the zipline. The first two lines were short just to get us warmed up. The shock of being in the air was different. Next we walked across a rope bridge or a hanging ladder bridge to get to the repel spot where we would repel 35 feet before touching ground. My mom’s face looked so funny; you should have seen it. Now after warming up, the ziplines started to get long. So, we hopped on the 600-meter-long zipline to the next platform that led us to the ATV ride, which I’d say was pretty smooth. An ATV can’t bring you up a narrow path, so we had to walk that part to, well, outside of my comfort zone. I got a small glass of water that they had waiting for us. Oh, I forgot we had to change our pulleys for some reason. So, I got on to the platform when it was my turn. Sadly, Haakon and I had to go with a guide because we were not heavy enough to go alone. In order not to get stuck 200 meters up in the air, in the middle of the longest zipline in Latin America; you have to be at least 120 pounds. So, for the last two ziplines I had a guide go with.
Now we had reached the Tarzan swing. One of the guides asked me if I was going on the Tarzan swing and I said, “I will check it out”. I got to it and I overheard some adults say they did not think we could do it. But that motivated me to go, even more. I walked onto the plank; all I could think of is the Tarzan swing. It was my turn and I thought they would push me off the platform, but then they told me that I had to jump off – so I did. I felt my stomach go to my head and my brain thought I was going to die. But then I was swinging wildly and felt great. Around me were trees and big blue Morpho butterflies.
That afternoon we had to head back to Samara. I did not want to leave but was looking forward to getting home. Just getting an opportunity like this was awesome and was more than a gift.
By Haakon
9/30/2019
This week I got to go to the Monteverde 100% Aventura Canopy Tour way up in the jungle tree tops. We drove four hours to Monteverde from Samara and most of it was dirt road with huge rocks, potholes, on a ridgeline not to mention we were in the middle of a lighting storm most of the way there. I ended up waking up at 5:45am due the noise from the wind outside. When I finally got up from bed and stepped outside, I was glad to see that the weather had cleared up, that wind blew away the clouds and rain. Next I had the best mango at breakfast – the day was looking good.
We were picked up at 7:15 by a tour bus to go to the top of the mountain where the start of the ziplines are. Once we got there the guides gave us a tutorial on how to safely break when going 35mph (according to the guides). Finally I got to go ziplining; the first 7 stretches were from 50-600 ft long then we finally got to the longest zipline in Latin America! It was 1,590m long and our guide said it was about 600ft above the forest floor. I got on and went across – it was crazy high. When I got to the other side I was instructed to either go back to the main area, or do the Tarzan Swing. I obviously chose to take the the Tarzan Swing. You walk out to a suspended platform 148ft above a clearing where you jump off and lose all your guts for 5 seconds while dropping 100 ft into a really fun swing up to the trees. If you ever get the chance you should definitely go.
9/27/2019
It means something when a tropical country calls this time of year the “green season”.
A street can become a stream in five minutes. Thunderstorms may start at 5pm and continue until 5am. One of the local folks intown told us that a 14” bucket set out during early morning filled in 3 hours. The rain pummels the roof and the thunder shakes your bed some nights; just as the pace tappers off in the dawn the howler monkeys, crickets and birds celebrate the pause. Though I am a well-practiced insomniac, this takes some getting used to. Rolling such a morning over into the warm humidity of the day – I have been feeling rather like a sloth.
I think the trick will be to get up with the monkeys and birds around 5:30. It is the best time to get exercise in, and figure out what I can remember from the previous lessons of Spanish vocab and verb conjugation.
Our place here has a lovely balcony for yoga and working out the stiffness that sets in from sitting in class of attempting to surf and hiking. As for hiking, one morning this week I managed to find the path to the hidden beach just north of Samara. Passing loose grazing horses, the trail takes you to lovely lookout points of the coast. At one point I thought I was off trail but then realized that the rain felled a tree and created rivulets and gouges of the trail making it look overgrown. The hardest part was putting aside my old nightmare about spiders when bush-whacking and walking through the scrub.
The reward though was sweet – a quiet beach all to myself. During this year of being together it will be nice to have some moments alone
By Siri Gaaserud
I did not get struck lighting, but I did get soaked in the warm torrential thunderstorms.
I did not get bitten by a shark surfing, but I did get bitten by fire ants and mosquitos while playing.
I did not yet see a monkey, but I do hear them in the morning.
I do not walk to school, I BEACH BIKE to school
I do not just play and surf the waves, I boogie on the waves
I did not fall into the river, but I did swing over it on a rope swing.
I did not just drink coconut water from a bottle, I drank it straight from a fresh coconut.
I did not think that a papaya tasted good, but it looked very pretty, dark orange flesh with a star of shiny black seeds
I did not get a sunburn, but I did get a heat rash – a very itchy heat rash.
I did not speak Spanish before, but now I do – un poco.
Haakon Gaaserud
Well this week I am going to write about my first two days on a surfboard. I am starting off on a 10-foot board and it is really hard to turn on but is for learning balance more that turning. I am going to move on to turning tomorrow on a smaller board, hopefully. The waves are 5 feet tops when we ride them at low tide in Samara Bay. Our surf instructor at Pato’s surf school is good, his name is Elder and we have lessons with him once a week. Elder coaches the national adaptive Costa Rican surf team, which is cool. We get to surf for five days for free after each lesson so I will get to go surfing pretty much every day for five weeks – Pura Vida! I had fun this week learning Spanish, surfing, and soaking up the sun.
Annelise
9/18/19
My experience is what I agree to attend to. William James
We arrived in San Jose after an overnight flight via LAX. The airport is small, people are friendly and in no time, with red eyes and broken Spanish we had rented a car to drive out to Samara.
The main Inter-American highway maximum speed of 80km is hardly ever achieved as you share mostly a single lane with all the trucks and small vehicles in various stages of age and repair and occasional cyclist (whom even Mark thought was crazy). The roadsides are narrow with enough space for the multitude of pop-up fruit stands before transitioning to agriculture and jungle. With the turnoff to the secondary road heading to the coast there is a transition to pastureland. Gradually we wended our way down into the little town of Samara with its protected bay and to our lovely retreat at Villas Espavel (www.villasespavel.com). We were eager to ease into a deeper relaxation knowing we are not returning to work in 2 weeks, and because we were a bit worn from the previous 2 weeks.
We walked through the garden of every green, butterflies, bird calls and washed away our weariness in the sparkling pool and wisked away our worries with the ceiling fans (both a cure for all that ails you in the tropics). We were ready to settle into la Pura Vida life
For me that would have to come after some groceries and the rental car return. The closest supermarket is, get this grammar, “Super New China Samara”. I had 35 minutes to buy groceries and get them home before the rental agency closed. We zipped through the store for the basics and necessities and at the check out I noted the glaring empty slot were my debit card should be! The airport and rental folks had directed us to obtain a local SIM card at Walmart of all places. We went ahead and picked up some rolls and coffee, the SIM card and then a bit of cash at the ATM….
The Pura Vida vibe would have to wait even more, as it is not compatible with the frustration of making such a basic, basic, basic traveler’s mistake as losing your debit card on the very first day – good grief! When I called my bank to cancel and order and new card, I realized that the Pura Vida way was insistent. The banker questioned when I gave the address as 400 meters north of the Banco Nationale, no street name, house number, zip code. Right.
I was advised to ask our language school to receive this mail for me so today I asked the address and it is 200 meters south of Hostel El Dorado, on the beach. The postal folks here just hand over the mail if you’re around, someone is always around at the school.
To speak with my bank, I managed to get my SIM card activated and loaded with the help of no less than 6 different people, as there is no English option for directions. This has been great motivation for me to practice my Spanish, as well as learn the location of the grocery stores, internet and various shops in town.
For certain, I ought to have agreed to attend to my documents to avoid a disagreeable experience, yet the experience helped me rely on my simple Spanish, meet people and enjoy the pura vida way of life in my new home.
Welcome to our blog site where we aim to collect and share our impressions day-to-day, or week-to-week as we travel the world together as a family.
This year I am fortunate to have the opportunity to take a one year sabbatical from my work and will spend the time traveling in Central and South America, New Zealand, East Africa, the Mediterranean and Europe.
Mark and I both were born overseas and spent our younger childhood in different countries before our parents returned the US. Our growing up was colored by hosting guests from other countries whether friends, family, au pairs, exchange students or work related visitors and also visiting family overseas; so that traveling the world felt natural, exciting and completely doable from a very young age.
We studied abroad in college, worked abroad afterwards; and I for one spent most of my medical school in a culture and country not my own, Israel. Then with residency, babies and starting our careers, our travels melted to a halt for the most part. We enjoyed exploring and getting to know our new home in Washington state this past decade for sure. I have continued to miss moving, blending into other patterns or life and learning new perspectives that comes with foreign travel.
I deeply wish my children to know and trust this feeling; of being out of place, opening up for connection and finding a new way in. I also am seeking less distraction to be present with my family, to learn and experience new things together as a whole. Extended travel demands energy and is not a holiday, yet I am happy and grateful to take a change of pace and priorities.
