Only two weeks am I here? It feels like I have never been away. Nothing has changed. Nothing except the weather. The sun shines constantly and every day. Hardly any rain. Since the streets, uh pardon, because the only road is not paved here, it is now pretty dusty when a car drives by. And there are many cars passing by. It’s peak season and all the tourists want to go to Cloudbridge. And some also venture to hike the highest peak in Costa Rica, the Mt Chirripó (which are rather eco-tourists, who arrive by bus and not with the rental car).
In any case, I hope that my laptop survives – it is buried under a thick cloud of dust every day. Although I blow strongly to get rid of it, but without any success.
Last week, there was coffee harvest. Phew. Not so easy. I was briefly ambitious to help my family with the harvest.
But once arrived at the hill, where the coffee lives, I am just glad to keep the balance. But with more than five kilograms of coffee beans tied around the waist? No chance. I think they would have toppled downhill. And with a bit of bad luck I would have tumbled after them.
No, no. They have done the harvest for years without me – so I’m sure they will manage without me! I confine myself to take pictures.
But not only the coffee harvest requires a certain fitness. Also this lady here (yes, lady) has to haul some stuff uphill. .
I haul too. Every day I haul myself up and down the mountain. Hiking is it called in technical jargon. Last time I was here in Costa Rica all of my muscles were sore – this time only one muscle hurts. The most important muscle of all – if you want your shape to be looked sporty: My shin muscle!
Are you kidding me? The shin muscle hurts me ??? Well, I’m happy that it finaly gets some training, the shin muscle. I always had an uneasy feeling, that this one comes too short in my life…
And since the sun shines so nicely, it is also quite warm. At least during the day. At night it is as always clinking cold and I’m glad to have not only longsleeved pajamas but also a thick fleece vest and a scarf. I need this if I don’t want to end up as an ice block.
San Gerardo, Costa Rica – in the morning:
San Gerardo, Costa Rica – in the evening:
But during the day, you might want to cool down in the river!
Water and sun bathing with my amigos Siviany & Eric
Plinky cold is the Río Chirripó Pacifico, but I am kind of used to cold water, as we don’t have hot water in the house – cold showers in the morning yeah 🙂
And when I’m not hiking or swimming, I enjoy writing on my book – even though I’m sure there’s still a lot of work to do …
In a few days, the President of Costa Rica comes here, in our 300 souls village San Gerardo de Rivas! Because here will be THE most important race of the country.
Every year there are several hundreds of people found who would run up and down the Mt. Chirripó. Start is at 1.350 m, (4,429 feet), then it goes uphill for 17 kilometers (10.5 miles) to 3,400 m (11,155 feet) and back down. Who has ever hiked in his live knows how damn steep it is !!!
The fastest needs only 3 hours and 5 minutes (of course up AND down – meaning for 34 kilometers)! Incredible! The oldest participant is 68 years old – and has won this race 16 times! Let’s see how he performs this year.
In any case they will walk, no, run, along here:
I will report the result!
Meanwhile Ski Heil to Austria and spring greetings to California. And best regards to my readers in Japan, Canada, Sweden, Costa Rica, England, Russia, Germany, Italy, China, Hungary, Spain, Mexico, Switzerland, France, Brazil and the Czech Republic …
So nice that you are always here with me!
