One Last Dip: Costa Rica’s Farewell Gift

There are so many amazing things that Costa Rica is known for. Lush tropical jungles. Bright (and loud!) colorful birds. Exotic animals of all types. And waterfalls. While I see the first three on the regular here in Sámara, I hardly ever hunt down any waterfalls. I think one of the main reasons is that I don’t have a car. Instead, I would have to pay for a tour… or trespass to get there and I’m not willing to do that.

Let’s get to it!

I’m also a bit waterfall shy after my first tour I took while in Playas del Coco, CR. There was some concern that I was being kidnapped and transported to Nicaragua. Completely unfounded, but it did put a damper on the day. That waterfall was gorgeous with people lining up to get pictures for the Instas. Plus, the tour guide only mentioned that I might get a bit wet, while never once mentioning swimming. It would have been nice to have worn a swimsuit (and brought a towel!) for that adventure. I’ve learned so much since then!

Then when friends came to visit me here, I was so excited to go on a hike with a waterfall at the end. Unfortunately, it was so rainy and muddy that the waterfall was too dangerous for swimming. So now I’m currently sitting at oh for two for actually enjoying swimming at the base of a waterfall in gorgeous Costa Rica. My loss. But then my hotel’s manager texted to invite me and the hotel’s cleaner out for lunch with a side hike to a waterfall. I’m in!

How nice is that!?! She’s such a sweet lady to invite me! She promptly told me to wear hiking shoes. Um… I don’t have any. I left my running shoes in Seattle (what was I thinking!?!). I think my water shoes will work. They have more traction than my cheap flip-flops (aka thongs to my Aussie friends). The problem with the water shoes is that they have drain holes in the bottoms, so if I step in mud, it comes right up through those holes. And it’s muddy here!

Can I swim here?

So the last time I went to a waterfall with friends, there was no possibility of swimming because during the rainy season, it’s too dangerous. The water is running too high. But this is a different waterfall. I texted her to ask if I should bring a swimsuit. Swimming at the base of a waterfall. That’s a thing, right? She said that it wouldn’t hurt.

Unfortunately, on the day of, my property manager’s housekeeper got sick so she couldn’t come. No worries. I’m still in. So here’s the thing about Costa Rica. They have something called “Tico Time”. It’s a more relaxed attitude toward punctuality than in other countries. It’s a bit like “Island Time” with times being mere suggestions rather than actual times.

So I was very surprised when she stopped by to pick me up exactly at 9am. Unfortunately, one of her units had a plumbing problem that required her to use the power of the internet to research how to fix the issue. That took a bit, but she managed to get it fixed. Go her! Then off we went. It was actually only about 20 minutes away. La Cascada de la Roca. I wish I had known about this waterfall when my friends came for a visit.

Hiking time!

The hike down to the river was gorgeous, with amazing vistas and a few monkeys. One male kept trying to climb into the trees directly above my head. Nope! Do not pee on me! Keep moving. It was a bit slippery and my old mosquito spray was not up to the challenge. Ugh. Stupid mozzies. I spotted a few massive owl butterflies, which are a much better type of insect. Biggest butterflies I have ever seen!

We finally made it down to the waterfall, and it was well worth the hike. It was a bit schmutzy due to all the recent rain runoff. I couldn’t see the bottom, but it only looked about half a meter deep. Obviously not deep enough for swimming, but nice to cool off from the excessive heat and humidity. My hotel manager forgot her swimsuit but was willing to make do with what she had on. I wore mine, but was skeptical that it was deep enough to swim.

Turns out, it was actually very deep! The water was delightfully cool and refreshing after the hike. With the water gushing down from the falls, it created quite the current. You could swim in one place for hours and go nowhere. She bravely stuck her head under the waterfall, but I was too worried about the undertow. No dying!

Food!

After, we trudged back up the slippery trail to a lovely restaurant with this absolutely stunning view of the rain forest with a smattering of grassy hills with white cows wandering around. I spotted the top of the waterfall we had just come from. It’s a lot bigger than I thought! I took the opportunity to change out of my wet swimsuit in the bathroom and was truly surprised at how much sand I had stuck to myself. Sorry, restaurant staff!

Lunch was amazing. Yes, I had another casado. I can’t get enough. You just have to while in Costa Rica! I was smart to remember a leftover container because it was a lot of food. While eating, we spotted a toucan. A toucan!!! I tried so hard to get a picture for you all, but no luck. The whole restaurant came over to look. So cool! Toucans make the cutest noise, which is very distinctive. My local cousin has a good ear for them, but this is the first time I’ve heard one. Trust me when I say that you can’t go to CR without becoming a birder.

We headed home after that. What a great day. I really appreciate my property manager driving me out there for that wonderful adventure. She had never gone to that waterfall either, so she got to use me as an excuse to go some place new. Glad I could help! I leave soon for Utah, USA, which will be dramatically different from here. Stay tuned for that adventure!