Road Trip in Costa Rica's Paradise

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The last few days, we’ve been on the road and I have managed to have a few relaxing moments without work ;) We rented a 4-wheel drive in San Jose and headed south on the west coast, towards a small beach village called Uvita. The guidebooks happily refer to this part of the country as “the real Costa Rica”, meaning this is what Costa looked like before tourism created beach towns with hotels, restaurants and roads. I’d say that statement is exaggerated as the main highway runs all the way down to Panama and is a proper, good road to drive on. Sure, there are no towns to be seen (and obviously the further south you get the more national parks and less people there are) but there are plenty of hotels and you need a car to get around. The tourism here is rather for the ones who have money.

Uvita and its surroundings are amazingly beautiful, remote and tranquil. Even though we are traveling in the backwash of high season, we found empty beaches and quiet waterfalls. The Uvita beach and the ones following south are all part of the Marino Ballena National Park and, thus, are protected and preserved with the help of an entrance fee, certified guides and the like. Needless to say, that makes the area clean and home to many interesting animals such as dolphins, whales, turtles and colorful fish. We went for a boat and snorkeling tour to swim in the warm ocean and say hello to the playful dolphins in the bay.

After a few days of spectacular beaches, ocean, animals, waterfalls and yoga on a wooden deck in the jungle we jumped back in the car and headed towards Jacó. I have earlier tried to explain Jaco, but it has to be experienced and that is precisely why I took my sister here last year, and now Ola. It is intense though and I can only stand it for a couple days in a row. One morning I did my practice on a hard concrete floor, among the fumes of last night’s beer. Challenges make you grow.

The Famous Jacó Sunset

After Jaco, we headed north and today we made a road trip from Tamarindo to Nosara. All of Nicoya Peninsula requires a 4-wheel drive, patient and a lot of time. Just this short trip took longer than expected due to gravel roads, roadwork and car accidents. We had a great day tho, and shot a short video for you. My first vlog haha Enjoy! And comment below if you do=)


Today, I'm starting my next project; the Yoga Teacher Training here in Guanacaste. I look forward to 3 weeks of deep asana practice and further self-exploration! See you in a few weeks=)

Pura Vida

Work Weekend in San José

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Every time I visit the capital of Costa Rica I have a list of things I need to get done and buy and people to visit. It is busy, but I like it! This last time, I went to buy yarn for Made By Magie’s famous Yoga Socks and material for the MBM jewelry. Thanks to having done some research on where to shop for these rather specific things during my first year in Costa I crossed of the list fairly fast and had time to visit a friend in Ciudad Colon for a cooking gathering Friday night! In addition to bulk up with even more stuff to carry around (hrm), I was gonna try selling some products at the organic market Feria Verde where my friend sells his raw food. This is the place where you find vegan ice cream, raw food, the coming week's veggies, handicrafts, incense, and organic and local everything. In addition, it is a good hang out with amazing people and a tranquil oasis in down town San Jose.

Vegan CocoChoco ice cream YUM! At Feria Verde de Aranjuéz, San José Costa Rica

Vegan CocoChoco ice cream YUM! At Feria Verde de Aranjuéz, San José Costa Rica

From 7 am to 1 pm Saturday I was eating yumminess, catching up with friends, meeting new ones, selling some tinctures and buying a great deal of good-to-have things.

As I’ve mentioned before, Saturday is when people in San Jose hang out in the parks all day, doing all kinds of fun stuff together. Needless to say, we went straight from the market to chill in Parque Morazan where we listened to bongo drums and watched some kind of silent operetta.

Barrio Escalante, Feria Verde

Barrio Escalante, Feria Verde

Hula-hoops is the new thing here, are they popular in Sweden and other places too?

Parque Morazán, San José Costa Rica. Enamorate de tu ciudad.

How Lonely Planet can claim this city to be grey, dirty and boring is to me a great mystery. Backpackers are happy to sign their statement and on their website LP has a list over the world’s worst cities, where San José comes as number 10. Why? 

By singing, dancing and playing music together, your heart frequencies become the same and, thus, you are spreading good vibrations to the world where they bounce on to other people, sharing the love. Too me, that's the opposite of grey and boring!

What is your least favorite city?

How To Get Rid of a Jungle Bug (or Parasite)

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What To Do When You Get Sick In The Jungle

Sometimes when travelling you get sick. I’d say almost always when you’re visiting the countryside or more remote areas in a country. Like here, in the Costa Rican jungle. Costa Rica is a clean and healthy country. Puerto Viejo also has amazing food and the overall cleanliness is high. Yet, coming here you will experience some stomach troubles: diarrhea, vomiting, pain, fever, or all of it. There is a little jungle bug that wants to clean your inside. I say: let her do it! Don’t fight it or you will feel worse. However, there are things you can do to ease the process and get well again. I’ve listed some of them here. First off, in this article I talk about parasites/stomach problems and not for instance dengue fever, which also is somewhat common around these areas.

The Jungle Behind Town, Puerto Viejo Costa Rica

The Jungle Behind Town, Puerto Viejo Costa Rica

1.     Find a medicine woman/man or Shaman of the area who knows about the local plants and treatments. If you plan to stay for a while, I recommend doing this straight away so that in case of illness you know who to call for bush medicine. 

2.  Make sure you drink plenty or you will have to go to the hospital due to dehydration (if you’re the travel mate: make sure your friend drinks a lot)! I am talking about water, tea and coconut water- not coke! (this is nothing like the stomach problems you grew up with in Europe). The carbonic acid in sodas makes the stomach problems worse by adding a lot of air/gas to it, which you really don’t need more of. If you want sweet, I suggest making some sort of ice tea/warm herbal tea instead, or drink coconut water which also helps you stay hydrated. Chamomile is an acknowledged and widely used herb to treat various stomach/digestive problems and fever, among other things. You can find it in regular food stores all over the world. Make it a habit to always carry some with you. 

3. Let it all come out. In the Caribbean tradition as well as for instance Ayurveda, the body and digestive system are to be kept clean or disease will occur. And in case of illnes, a washout or cleanse is necessary to heal. 

Pills such as ibuprofen or Dimor only stop the symptoms- they don’t treat the problem. Avoid these as much as you can, unless you want it to get worse (or are on a bus). 

4. When you want to start eating again, try some stomach stabilizing fruits like papaya and banana with cinnamon before moving on to rice. Papaya is a digestive agent and banana is a well-used plant to treat diarrhea. In addition, cinnamon is a wonderful herb used for many things, including digestive problems, nausea and vomiting.

Last night a banana three fell outside the cabin, let's hope the platains are ready to eat soon!

Last night a banana three fell outside the cabin, let's hope the platains are ready to eat soon!

5. If you’re sick for a long time and the bug doesn’t want to go away, consider seeing a doctor to get antibiotics. Chances are that your belly won’t be happy taking a lot of pills though. Antibiotics can cause fungal infections for instance. Furthermore, you might end up not getting rid of the bug at all but carry it with you back home and having to go through several rounds of antibiotics. No fun :/

And yes, this post came into existence due to some vomiting around the house. We are now eating again and I have received clear messages that I should stick to the purest food possible from now on. Like this bowl of brown rice boiled with turmeric and culantro, carrots, broccoli, avocado, lettuce and pejibaye. 

Organic veggies from local farmers in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica & Chamomile tea

Organic veggies from local farmers in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica & Chamomile tea

Do you have any Being Sick On The Road stories? Or more suggestions on what to do when you are sick with a parasite? Please share in the comments below!

Pura Vida

Ceremonies and Connections in Costa Rica

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Time is moving fast my friends. You know how everything flows when you’re on “the right track”? You know, everything just works and happens and the right people enter your life. That is how Costa Rica is to me. It’s been crazy busy here with catching up with friends and meeting new, attending practices and ceremonies and work. Puerto Viejo is post-peaking High Season and, thus, still filled with people and tourists so town is buzzing and Hidden Garden is constantly filled up. Garbage is filling the streets. As a reminder to all of us: please take care of your trash!

Puerto Viejo Town during High Season

Puerto Viejo Town during High Season

Besides from camping in the mountains, I haven’t slept more than one night in the same place but moved around to fit everybody in. Gypsyin’ it right now; sleeping in tents, hammocks or on someone’s floor. Teeth brushing on the road. We are playing drums, eating plants and experiencing life’s medicine.

There is so much love.

Sat waiting for pick-up at the highway in Guápiles, Costa Rica. Post-ceremony.

Sat waiting for pick-up at the highway in Guápiles, Costa Rica. Post-ceremony.

Ola is visiting from Sweden and so far I haven’t had much time showing him around. But we are living in the vibrant connections and the world is showing us beauty.

Time is an illusion anyway

I have finished my second year of Shamanic trainings and feel stronger than ever. Dance life! This week means getting back to routines with Yoga mornings, followed by work, study and beachin’ it in the afternoon. Hidden Garden is still on a busy schedule and this afternoon a Sweat Lodge is being held by a visiting Shaman from the North. We also have an Ashtanga teacher from the states staying in the house and giving classes. Yes, flow is the word right now.

The colors are all vibrating.

Ayawaska bracelet. Gift from my beautiful sister and goddess Jerusha.

Ayawaska bracelet. Gift from my beautiful sister and goddess Jerusha.

If you follow your truth path you will see the colors- are you? Please leave a comment with a update from your life!

Also, are there any special requests as to what you want me to write about? 

Pura Vida

Things I don’t Like About Costa Rica

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or 6 Things I Forgot Exist In Paradise

We have a tendency to only remember the good things about a place, person or other memory that has faded to a smiling grey veil in the back of our head. And it is in fact hard to come up with a list of things I don’t like about Costa Rica - or things I had forgotten that I don’t like maybe. I have let this stew boil in my head for the last two days and I have not yet managed to come up with something that is easily digestible. However, I can tell you about the things I managed to forget during the time I was away. 

Here goes:

1. Ants. Ants in the bed. Ants in the computer. And, of course, ants in the kitchen. Scorpions inside when it’s raining. Maybe boa constrictors should go on here as well. Even though I like reptiles, I don’t want a snake to fall onto my mosquito net and down in to my bed when I’m sleeping. Basically, any animal I don’t like to have in my home but get to host any way qualifies here. I still love them, and the jungle, but you get my point.

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2. Con permiso. When entering someone’s house, this is what you have to remember saying, at least if you want to be polite and be part of the culture. I never remember. I want to remember. I really do. I know it is a significant cultural feature. I just NEVER remember. Nor answering propio in those cases I should (like after someone saying con permiso).

3. Toilet paper in basket and unreliable showers. The bathroom annoyance. Actually, I have never been annoyed with having to throw the paper in the basket instead of in the toilet; but it takes me a couple days to remember doing it. Not having a working shower (or a promised to be warm water shower that is freezing) on the other hand…. Yes, I admit it: it is annoying!

4. Being able to drink the tap water in Costa Rica. Just not in Puerto Viejo. It is such a blessing to be able to drink the tap water! It makes me both sad and annoyed that we don’t have that privilege on the Caribbean coast. I don’t like buying a lot of plastic, but I have to if I want to drink water. And if I forget buying water, then I don’t have anything to drink and remember this first when dinner is ready and the grocery store is closed. Always.

5. Mosquito nets. I usually don’t use one but depending on the house and how it is built, sometimes I have to. However, a net is not needed (depending on how you nervous you are about dengue that is) because of the mosquitos; there aren’t that many mosquitos here (if you think it is: go visit Northern Sweden during summer!). No, I want a net because of the rats and the mice and the gecko poo (that suddenly falls down from nowhere) and the huge grasshoppers or maybe some other flying creature that is lost. In some sleeping settings I simply prefer a net. But nets make me feel trapped so I don’t like it.

6. How you’re always out of lighters (or stuck with a bunch of non working lighters). You need a lighter for a lot of stuff around here, the most frequently situation is happening in the kitchen.

Reading this list, I realize it is a perfectly weird mix of nature/environment and language related issues. Seeing that those are some of my favorite fields, I understand I still have work to do. Great news in other words! I continue to be a humble student of the fascinating subjects that constitute life.

Speaking of, I will be offline and not reachable for the coming week or so. I will go to study indigenous traditions under the moon, and together with my sisters learn about the healing art of dance.

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Where in the world are you reading this? And what healing arts are your favorites to journeying with? Contribute in the comments below :)

Pura Vida

Highlights of 2013

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According to the linear time made up by humans, the year of 2013 is coming to an end. As many do around this time of year, I am going to sum up some of the amazing experiences I’ve had during 2013. It has been a tumultuous year in many ways and my within-journeys deriving from my travels around the world have been great and profound. My intentions for 2014 are to continue deeper into my spiritual journey, wherever in the world it may take me.

Ok, so let’s sum up some extra good times!

 

1.    San José in February and March: This is festival time in Costa Rica and its capital. The classic Latin American Carnaval is being centered around Puntarenas, whereas the capital holds festivals like Transitarte. I especially enjoy these kinds of events, with street art and free concerts around Down Town San José and its city parks. The streets are buzzing with happy people and the bars are full even at daytime! Of course, February is also the month when the Moon Dance is held but that topic requires its own post. Some day I might tell you about it.

2.    Puerto Viejo January to May: The tiny village Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is the place in Costa Rica I call “home”. Sure, we have had our differences: humidity, unwanted animals in the house and cold- to mention a few. But it is impossible not to love this place. I get to wake up, in the jungle, to the sound of howler monkeys and have breakfast with hummingbirds and to do yoga while resting my eyes on the ocean waves rolling in to shore. Puerto Viejo is also the place to visit for a culinary experience and I’m sure you know that I love food! Organic, fresh from the garden, hand made chocolate, you name it Puerto got it!

I also had my sister staying with me for 4 whole months in this paradise, which is a true blessing! 

3.    The United States in May and June: I know some of you will smile reading this- having said I never wanted to go to the states. Of course, the reason it ends up on this list is the exact same reason I went there in the first place: visiting one of the most important persons in my life. What really made this trip special was to get to travel with my partner and him introducing me to his life in this culture that is so far away and yet so close to “my own” (what ever that is). Who would have known I’d go camping with a bunch of motorbikes in the Nevadan desert for instance? I love that life takes me to unexpected places.

Golden Gate Bridge San Francisco 

4.    Sweden in July: I went from north to south this year basically. I have never before been to Österlen in the south east of Sweden and its spectacular nature and breath taking sceneries stuck to my heart. Summer is when Sweden shines in all her glory. Such a beautiful country! Sometimes I find Sweden and Costa Rica very much alike. For instance, the fact that nature varies greatly from place to place within both the two (small) countries.

One of the finest memories from the Österlen trip is when mom and me went to Kivik and ate for hours at the raw food restaurant. (Again: food!)

Norrland (Photo Credit: Ola Danielsson)

Norrland, Sweden (Photo Credit: Ola Danielsson)

Yes, it's a rain deer

Ale Stenar at Österlen

5.    Festivals in August: For August there is no better place to be than Småland. Heaps of stuff is going on all over: festivals, markets, harvest parties and what not. This year, I packed a car and went to a music festival in the forest. Mundekulla is about song, dance and love, created by and through the people attending. It will always warm my heart to think about it and I hope I get the chance to return every year.

My partner in crime (at least when it comes to yoga) and I grabbed our mats and jumped on a train bounded for Copenhagen a weekend in late August. The Copenhagen Yoga Festival is an outdoor event where you can try a variety of yoga styles, listen to lectures, snack yummy raw food, meet people from all over the world and even go into the ocean if you want to! It was a great weekend with, maybe, the last hot sun rays of summer. 

Las Salvajes

So, there you have it: my Highlights of 2013 -list! Now, I’m curious about what you enjoyed most this year. Tell me all about it in the comments below :)

 

Happy New Years and Pura Vida