Rafting on San Carlos

Yesterday evening, Justin and I explored some of the night life of Costa Rica. Our hostel is very close to a popular bar area, so we didn’t need to take a taxi. The hostel recommend several different bars, so we decided to check out one that looked interesting. We chose a bar called Oktober. We didn’t realized until after ordering that everyone else ordered beers, and we soon discovered why. The drinks were not very good at all, but the food was decent. We ordered a hamburger to split. There was lots of action outside the bar, with lots of police officers gathered at the coner. Our theory is that they were preparing for the night, as we were in the heart of the dance clubs. 

Selfie at the bar

We soon retreated back to our hostel, skipping the clubs for the comfort of our beds. We both feel the culture shock, but Justin especially. His appetite has been very low, but not because of the quality of food. Everything so far has been delicious, but the hunger is not there. It has been so long sense I experienced that part of culture shock that I didn’t even make the connection until last night. Luckily we have found some familiar foods, like granola bars, fruit, and instant noodles to help keep our energy up. And of course, we are staying hydrated. 

Today we enjoyed rafting on the San Carlos river, hoping to see wildlife and an increase in appetite. Our driver Luis picked us up at 8 am, nearly on the dot. From there he drove us about an hour east, to a small town called Orosi. It is nestled at the base of one of the many volcanos of the country, near Reservoir Cachi and the Tapanti National Park. The full name of the park is Tapanti Macizo de la Muerte, meaning massif of death or a-group-of-mountains-that-form-a-range of death. I thought this was funny, as the only thing intimidating about the mountains was their steepness. 

A photo from the drive, San Jose is surrounded by steep mountains like these. In person they are much larger than in photos. 

Luis stoped just before a one lane bridge, and lead us under it. For our safety, we were not allowed to bring our phones or bags. Our driver took lots of photos of us on the river in his Nikon, so that made up for everything. 

Waiting for us at the rocky boat launch was the raft, a kayak, and two tour guides, Julian and Alejandro. Julian took the kayak, and gave us the rundown on what to do is one of us fell out of the raft. The majority of his job was to stay ahead of us and find a safe route for the raft. Alejandro was the raft guide, very similar to a caller for dragon boats. He taught us the commands, and soon we were off. 

It was a little cloudy, with a chill on the air. I expected to be cold, but once we got moving I didn’t even notice the cool water washing over us and into the raft. The sounds of my own excited screams mixed with the commands, yippies and “Pura Vida!!”’s of Alejandro nearly drowned to the sound of the rushing water. My dragon boat experience came in handy, and he even commented on my good form. 

The rapids were a class 3, but very manageable. Before we got to the first rest stop I was already sweating, and Justin was grinning ear to ear. I have had some river experiences, mainly life jacket floats. This was our first time rafting, and it was a total blast! 

Alejandro and Julian made both of us feel very safe despite the raft jostling us around. Alejandro especially like to joke, for example slapping the water and yelling alligator. The made us feel at ease and win control. 

We made three stops in total, quick breaks to catch out breath and regain strength. the second half of the rapids were rated at 2, but didn’t mean they were any less dangerous. Julian decided to ditch the kayak, and join us on the raft. I think he saw how much fun we were having and wanted to join in. 

About 100 feet from our pull out, things started to get hairy. Our boat T-boned with a huge bolder in the water, and the rapids soon overtook Justin’s side of the raft, water flowing in over the sides. It was soon obvious that getting out of the raft was a smart idea, as it started to flip. I bailed from the raft, and out guides were able to climb on the rock. Justin tried grabbing me, but I floated out of reach. Because the rapids were only a 2, the water after the bolder was much smoother, and much weaker. I thanked my swimming knowledge, and I quickly saw that Justin was also very much in control of his movements. 

The bolder we ran into was very close to the shore, so with a few quick strokes the two of us were soon in knee deep water. Alejandro chased after me after quickly correcting the raft. Julian followed Justin, making sure that he was also safe. Two of our paddle were swept away with the current, and once we were safe Julian tore after them. Justin got left on shore as Alejandro and I followed Julian and the paddles. In the end, one paddle was lost but we were all safe and sound. It was quite the adrenaline rush. The water felt much colder once were were neck deep in it. 

Once safety was insured and most paddles retrieved, Alejandro let us know that we were done in between more cries of “Pura Vida!”. Despite the sudden dunk, both Justin and I were smiling and so happy we got to go rafting. It wasn’t until after we all hoisted the raft to the top of the bank that the exhaustion set in. 

Our tour included lunch, and Justin and I both chose chicken. A quick drive later and Luis arrived at the restaurant. Fruit juice (a mix of pineapple and apple is my best guess) was waiting for us. After changing into dry cloths, we enjoyed grilled chicken with rice, beans, a salad, and some sort of spiced squash hash. My appetite finally returned to normal, and I did my best to not wolf it down. Justin’s appetite returned, but it was soon ruined with queasiness. 

Our chicken lunch. It was very tasty.

The resturant was very cute.

Translated, the resturant is called The House of Flavor

After finishing lunch, we enjoyed a very sleepy and quiet ride back to our hostel. The afternoon was spent relaxing by the pool, and letting ourselves recover. Later that night we went back to the bar area, and checked out another restaurant. We kept it familiar, with a chicken quesadilla. Here, the most popular condiment is mayonnaise, so it was shocking to see a drizzle of mayo on our quesadilla. It didn’t change the flavor too much, but it was definitely not expected. No queasy-ness happened afterward, despite the green/sour beer and very sour cocktail. I think it is safe to say that I am not impressed with the drinks here for far. 

Tomorrow we are getting up bright and early to catch a bus to Jaco, a small beach town on the pacific side of Costa Rica. I see surfing in our future, as well as lots of hours lounging on the beach. Wish us luck that we don’t turn into lobsters while catching some rays. I have lots of sunscreen, so hopefully we will come away with a nice tan and not swollen red skin.

Wishing for the best on your adventures, 

Cienna