Here is the link to photos on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2056466&id=1395797881&l=bae23b99be
The last few weeks have been like a dream. I have felt at times that I wanted to wake up from it, and at times I felt that I wanted it to keep going on. I developed a fast bond with another woman named Letitia, also living at Los Almendros. We both feel that we must have known eachother in a past life, sharing a passion for shamanism and women's spirituality/paganism. She is a dynamic, ambitious, entrepreneurial, enthusiastic and empowered person, similar to Danielle. Letitia has a really strong mastery of money, and runs her own businesses-- a horse ranch and an alternative school for children in Vermont.
She eventually introduced me to NonViolent Communication, or NVC, or some call it and I prefer to call it, Compassionate Communication. It is a way to express oneself, make sure everyone is heard, and make sure everyone's needs are being met ongoingly-- without alienation but instead maintaining deep connection to eachother and oneself. My deep desire to find help for Loic and I during this trip had manifested!
Ironically, the tension between Loic and I escalated during the time that we were spending time with Danielle and Letitia, and later I realized that a lot of it had to do with him feeling unconnected to "girl stuff" and feeling left out and bored, and as a result restless and wanting to move on to other places. We had a blow up where he left in the night and I had no idea where he was going or if I would see him again.
Before this happened, the four of us took a road trip to a town about 30 miles away-- which means a 4 to 5 hour trip in Costa Rica unless you're lucky and get a paved road. Danielle and Letitia had appointments with a world famous healer in Playa Samara, a popular beach town like Montezuma. We drove up into the hills, into farm and ranching country, and far away from other tourists, at 5:45 a.m., just as the sun rose, sparkling, over the ocean. We prayed that the Four Wheel Drive rental would make it through the rocks and up steep inclines and down, through the rivers--gratefully low in the dry season.
Whenever we passed a vista we would sigh, and whenever we passed a rancher or farmer we made sure we were going in the right direction. Roads and towns are not always listed on the maps, and there are often no signs. Loic, the most fluent in Spanish, was gracious enough to get out and ask for directions when we needed it.
Coming home, we passed a beach just South of the town, called Playa Carillo. This long stretch of beach had absolutely no one on it until the very end, where one hotel had been erected. As yet a nearly undeveloped piece of paradise-- like a dream. We continued home on the coastal route, and made it safely back, full of road dust.
Letitia and Danielle left for the States the day after Loic left, and I spent three and a half days alone at Los Almendros. I missed Loic badly, and missed him sleeping in the bed with me, but the alone time was good and I enjoyed it. When he returned he had stories for me of his travels to a town South on the coast, and I felt an even stronger bond with him than ever. Another woman who arrived at Los Almendros is a Couples Counselor, and she told me that it is so important how well a couple fights, and how well they make up. The "fight" could have been better, but the making up was excellent, and we both were able to create a lot of peace for eachother.
Despite my resistance, I am still speaking Spanish. I continue to watch sunrises and sunsets on the beach that I have almost entirely to myself. Gumercindo, one of the groundskeepers, brought me manzanas de agua, or water apple, which are like a cross between an apple and a pear. I watched a treetrimmer named Octavio climb the very high coconut palms and bring down young coconuts (they will fall and cause damage to humans and structures, otherwise). He showed me his handmade treeclimbing boots and machete, with leather case, and cut open a number of coconuts to pour me a pitcherful of agua de pipa.
Dona Marina, the owner's mother, introduced me to the Ylang Ylang tree near her house. The smell of the fresh Ylang Ylang flower is heavenly, and the essential oils of this flower I have smelled absolutely pale in comparison. Nurea, the other groundskeeper, brought us homemade Sopa Verdura, and it was amazing. I tried to emulate it, and we will all eat it tonite. We'll see if it is as good!
Hasta Luego!
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