Rio Pacuare

I am sorry that I have taken so long to post, but up until now I have been using my precious internet time to follow the Virginia Tech Massacre. What a horrible thing. The news coverage in Costa Rica´s papers and TV has been outstanding. We have known everything that has developed from a Costa Rican Newsperson who is now in Blacksburg. Everyone hear has told us hour sorry they are that this has happened to our country.
This past weekend I spent the whole weekend on or around the Rio Pacuare. It was fantastic and the most beautiful place I have been. We spent around 8 hours white water rafting through the jungly rain forest. We hiked and swam in the rivers and natural pools. And all of you would be proud to know that I climbed a waterfall and dove off of the top. My two companions on the trip said ¨no thanks¨. we also jumped off of boulders in the river, and I was smart enough to body surf a whitewater rapid. I swallowed a lot of water and was briefly concerned that the parasites that I am now sure permanenetly reside within me had taken over my entire digestive system. I also need to point out that yes in fact I did not open my mouth in the rapids. Maybe some of you out there will court me or better yet correct me (I think that was Freudian and meant to be left in) but I am pretty sure that there is a G Force in that rapid that penetrated the water tight seal that was my pursed lips and my nostrils. Or maybe not. Maybe I screamed when a whirlpool caught me (this is almost exactly what happened, except it was less of a scream and more of a gurgle).
The overnight lodge was one of the most fantastic places I have ever stayed. My room was in a treehouse of sorts and was surrounded by waterfalls. It was open air (with screens). I saw tons of animals, most notabley Toucans, the blue jean frog (very cool, google it for those of you that are sitting at desks needing a nonwork'related task), and these amazing bright green and black frogs. Toucans are such fantastic birds. They are very loud and I think that they would be very bossy people. There was also another bird that looked like a toucan swimming backwards, and this plant that wilts one leaf at a time when you touch it.
I also met the Costan Rican Justin Steen. ¨Hey guys hold on to this paddle and all get on the same side and lean back. I promise that the raft will spin around.¨ Don´t fall for that one. I also got tricked into eating a leaf that tasted like the worst stamp you have ever licked times a billion. Don´t fall for that one either. I don´t know when I became so easily tricked. Coincidently this is the same guy who convinced me to dive off of the waterfall and used to ride down the Pacuare as a child in boats he made himself out of bolsa wood. I hung out with the guides all weekend and worked on my Spanish. My parents are lucky that I decided to come back to San Jose and I am currently resisting the temptation to move to the Rio Pacuare. I can´t deny that I briefly considered staying.
All of the fun and adventure was capped off by multiple gourmet camping meals and lots of fantastic people.
I also tried the native liquor this weekend. I feel like everyone has their own version of turpentine that they pass of as a drinkable beverage. And every rural area has something that they call ¨jungle juice¨or some variation.
This was one of the best weekends of my life. I can´t wait to go back. This place defies description. I hope you are all doing well. Buenos Noches!