La Marta; or Our Town

I just got back from what may have been my last trip to the rainforest...I'd like to think I'll come back and revisit, but who knows? We wound through the mountains southeast of San José for two to three hours before reaching La Marta Wildlife Refuge. The protected area was built around the remains of a coffee plantation/factory which was decomposed and mossed over enough after 100 years or so that everyone thought at first it was an ancient Mayan ruin. We did some hiking, built a campfire, visited with local environmental activists: the usual.

I would, however, like to take this opportunity to salute all the small mountain towns across the Costa Rican countryside. Though I've really liked my experience in San José, every time I leave the city I wish more and more that I could have studied in one of the countless pristine rural villages of Costa Rica. They are surrounded by the perfect setting: rainforests, rivers and mountains. And toucans. Pejivalle, the town near La Marta, was one of those towns. It had the typical scattering of well-kept homes (compared to the nasty barrios in San José, anyway) and an architecturally new-age church overlooking the town plaza (often a field where local clubs play soccer on Sunday afternoons). The people are friendly, the vibe is relaxed and the ambience is breathtaking. Here's to all the Pejivalles, Bijaguas, Tucurriques, Orosis, Barvas and Tierra Blancas of Ticolandia!

Pura vida,
Eric