Mudslide + Fútbol, Costa Rica

Monday, July 13 was the day in Costa Rica in which I did the least. There were still activities, but I personally did not participate in them but rather sat on the sidelines and took pictures. It was day six of our journey, and I was exhausted from all of our activities. Besides that, I do not like mud in my orifices, and that would have been unavoidable given that day’s activities.

Margaret, Sara and I ate breakfast that morning and then walked downtown to meet up with the students. Here are some pictures of our walk along the shore of Golfo Dulce in Puerto Jiménez.

Of course, I also took a couple pictures of birds.

We applied sunscreen while waiting for our ride to the mudslide.

You see Yessenia’s uncle Efraín owns a farm on which he built a mudslide. I guess it would be more appropriate to say that he carved it into the hillside instead of building it. Everyone donned old clothes that they would never want to wear again, and we gathered at his house on the top of the hill to talk about the first night at the home stays. I kept getting distracted by the view. Is this not gorgeous?

Finally, everyone was ready to slide. They met at the top and took turns getting wet in the tub. It is important to be completely wet before starting to slide or it hurts a lot more.

Jonathan and Giovanni took turns hosing down the slide. Even with the water, the first couple of slides were difficult.

 

Some people created chains.

Once the earth turned to mud and everyone was covered in it the sliding was much easier.

Soon everyone was slipping and falling even when not on the slide.

Mud was everywhere, and the hose had to be used to clean out mouths, eyes and ears.

 

Even the dog got mud smeared on her head.

Here is a video of the slide that Yorens took with a GoPro.

Eric, Margaret and Sara all got in on the action. I was the only one that did not participate.

By the end, everyone was unrecognizable but happy.

From there they went down to the river to wash the mud off, and I went up to Efraín’s house to chat with Jonathan, Efraín and his partner, Naomi, who were making lunch for everyone. Like many kitchens in the Osa Peninsula, it is outside.

I also asked if I could take some pictures around the property, because everything is so unique. Efraín is an artist, who makes things from recycled materials. His farm is a special place. This is the path up the hill to his house. Along the way, he built a tunnel. At the top of the hill is the house. I forgot to take a picture of the house this year, but here is a picture from 2013.

In front of the house there is a wide porch and a deck that juts out over the hilltop. On the deck is a chair that he built with the wheel of a bicycle, a stick, a tire and some bungee cords. It is the best spot from which to view Golfo Dulce. Here Giovanni and I model it for you.

On the porch is a long table and bench. The bench is positioned so that you can see the magnificent view. It is a simple style built by Efraín as well.

Can you tell what the barbecue is made of? That is one way to use an old appliance.

There is another chair in the house that was build from logs, wooden slats and a large pillow.

This is the bathroom. I really wanted to take a shower from the conch shell. Maybe I should have tried the mudslide.

Before leaving the farm, I snapped a couple pics of cows. It just would not be a complete post without at least one photo of a few bovines.

From Efraín’s we went to play a little fútbol, as they call soccer in the rest of the world. Well, Margaret and I did not play, but everyone else did. The kids all got really into it, as did Sara, Jonathan, Gustavo and Eric. I was most impressed by little Svia. She was an amazon out there on the field – not scared of the big boys one bit.

Everyone played in turns. Those that were not playing sat on the sidelines and cheered. We also had a conversation about the noise that roosters make in Spanish. Jonathan communicates well with the roosters.

That evening Jonathan and Yessenia prepared chicken cordon bleu. I must have been so hungry when dinner was finished because I forgot to take a picture of the finished dish.

I hope that you have enjoyed reading about our day at the mudslide. On a more serious note, I would like to ask for your prayers for my father. This morning at 11:30 he will undergo a triple bypass. I will be a nervous wreck until I know that he is alright and appreciate all the positive vibes you could send our way.

Happy Travels!