The plan was solid: Cristina wanted to spend some time at the botanical gardens just a kilometer up the road. Since I'm the only registered driver for our rental, I would run her up there and drop her off, then come back and get her in a hour or two. That way she gets to have some alone time with the plants, and I get to blog. And the kids can either go with her or veg out with the wifi.
But plans rarely go as planned with this family, especially in this country.
First, all three kids wanted to come. We got way up the road, which was small and steep and curvy. We got to the little town that I had researched when I thought Alex and I were going to hike to the summit of Chirripo. This town, San Gerardo de Rivas, is the town closest to the trail head to Chirripo, the tallest peak in Costa Rica. So lots of hikers pass through this town, either coming or going. We passed through the town, continued up the road, and eventually passed the trail head. Cristina had asked some girls what was up ahead, and they had mentioned some kind of Sky Bridge. We kept seeing signs for that, and Cristina kept wanting to go farther. The road got more narrow, more steep, more rustic. We finally turned around and headed back down when it seemed like Sky Bridge was going to be a bit expensive and too remote for my liking. Plus, time was burning. This was supposed to be a quick drop off and it was turning into an hour-long mountain road tour.
On the way back down, we stopped at a hotel near the Chirripo trail head. Cristina wanted to ask the guy there a question. I don't even remember what. Cristina asking a question in Costa Rica generally turns into a 30 minute conversation. I mean, it's her super power, but it doesn't help blogs get written.
While talking to the hotel guy, she met a hiker who was having some kind of trouble with his pass to hike to the summit. He had arrived late due to protests (we feel you, bro). So he needed to get back down to the office where you check-in with your permit to hike. He asked us if we would be so kind as to drive him down, which was a kilometer down the hill or so. He had a big heavy pack, but he left it at the hotel since he would be back up here to start the hike. Since we didn't have luggage in the back, we told him we could do it, but he'd have to sit int the back-back.
Worth mentioning the general procedure for hiking Chirripo, so this isn't as confusing. Many months ahead of time, you purchase a permit for the day you want to hike. You have to check in at the office in the town (San Gerardo de Rivas) the afternoon before you start your hike. Then you have a specific time you have to begin the hike the next day. If you don't start early enough, you're out of luck. You hike the 14 km or so to the base camp, called Crestones. There you can get a meal, have a cold shower if you really want, and rest. You can spend the night there and set out for the summit the next day, which is about 4 miles from Crestones. (Sorry to mix km and miles. Google it.) Or you can get up at 2am and hike the last bit in the dark so that you can watch the sun rise at the summit. Then you spend that day hiking back, and you're done. So, it's a multi-day thing.
Our hiker's name was Clemens, from Austria. He was 21 years old. He worked as a personal trainer in Austria. We got him to the office, and Cristina went in with him to help with the Spanish.
An hour later, they come out to explain that the woman in charge was in a meeting, so it took forever, but basically he now needed to go back up the road to a different office and do something with something. Permit, money, bureaucracy. Whatever.
All this time, Clemens was willing to just walk up the road, but now we were kind of vested. It was much easier for us to drive him back up. So we went back up the road to the little town, to the place where you check in the day before the hike. I could be wrong on these details, as I just sat in the car with the kids.
Half an hour later, they came out and said that he would not be allowed to start the hike today, due to the date on this permit blah blah blah. Long story short, he could set off on the hike close to midnight, and he'd be at Crestones on the proper day that he was permitted for. That sounds contrary to everything the supposedly strict procedures outlined, but... Costa Rica.
So he needed his backpack from the hotel, and then he needed to kill about 8 hours before starting his hike. So we offered to go get some food, and then bring him to our house, let him take a nap and freshen up, and then we'd drive him back up to the trail head around 11pm. I know, it sounds kinda crazy, but we were already tight with Clemens by now. The kids dug the adventure of it. In a way, we were climbing Chirripo vicariously through Clemens. We needed him to succeed!
After he retrieved his backpack, we drove down to a little restaurant at the botanical gardens. The original botanical gardens that I had planned on dropping Cristina off at. We got drinks and empanadas and had a relaxing chat with Clemens.
Then we went down to the house and showed off the House of Crafts. Alex's room had a bed that hadn't been slept in yet, so Clemens took that one for his nap. First he showered in the stone shower.
While Clemens napped, I worked on my blog (finally.) Cristina and the kids and Ramon went down to a nearby "gastropub" for some dinner. I was still full from the empanadas (I finished off some of the kids), plus we had gallo pinto to finish from the previous night.
Around 9, we woke Clemens up. We asked Andrey to come by and go over any last minute recommendations for hiking Chirripo while I served Clemens some gallo pinto and coffee. So, with a meal and coffee and several hours of rest, he was ready to tackle the trail. As an added bonus, Andrey offered him his second house (the Ramon house) for the following night for $15, so he could have a safe place to leave his backpack and a bed to rest in after his hike.
We drove Clemens up the dark mountain road through Rivas to the trail head. Along the way, we blasted Eye of the Tiger to set the mood. When that song ended we switched the ACDC's Thunderstruck. As we approached the trail, we saw another hiker situating his backpack, ready to start the hike. We pulled up beside him, rolled the window down (ACDC still blasting) and asked him if he wanted a hiking partner. He said sure. We squeezed him (I think his name was Adrian) into the back of the Rush with Clemens and headed up. The trail was just 20 feet more up the road, to it was comical that we put him in our car when the trail was so close. But we didn't know we were that close (though Alex suspected).
We took a picture of them, wished them good luck, and they began their hike.
We drove back to the House of Crafts and went to bed.
After he retrieved his backpack, we drove down to a little restaurant at the botanical gardens. The original botanical gardens that I had planned on dropping Cristina off at. We got drinks and empanadas and had a relaxing chat with Clemens.
Then we went down to the house and showed off the House of Crafts. Alex's room had a bed that hadn't been slept in yet, so Clemens took that one for his nap. First he showered in the stone shower.
While Clemens napped, I worked on my blog (finally.) Cristina and the kids and Ramon went down to a nearby "gastropub" for some dinner. I was still full from the empanadas (I finished off some of the kids), plus we had gallo pinto to finish from the previous night.
Around 9, we woke Clemens up. We asked Andrey to come by and go over any last minute recommendations for hiking Chirripo while I served Clemens some gallo pinto and coffee. So, with a meal and coffee and several hours of rest, he was ready to tackle the trail. As an added bonus, Andrey offered him his second house (the Ramon house) for the following night for $15, so he could have a safe place to leave his backpack and a bed to rest in after his hike.
We drove Clemens up the dark mountain road through Rivas to the trail head. Along the way, we blasted Eye of the Tiger to set the mood. When that song ended we switched the ACDC's Thunderstruck. As we approached the trail, we saw another hiker situating his backpack, ready to start the hike. We pulled up beside him, rolled the window down (ACDC still blasting) and asked him if he wanted a hiking partner. He said sure. We squeezed him (I think his name was Adrian) into the back of the Rush with Clemens and headed up. The trail was just 20 feet more up the road, to it was comical that we put him in our car when the trail was so close. But we didn't know we were that close (though Alex suspected).
We took a picture of them, wished them good luck, and they began their hike.
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| Clemens is the one crouching, the new kid is on the right |
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