Visiting Pavones Costa Rica

What a sweet visit with Mel, Jake and friends Tu (sp?), Christy and Colin! All their enthusiasm gave me a “shot in the arm” (where did that expression come from?). It was wet and just dark when i anchored off Pavones. As it turned out, Akimbo and i were in front of the beach in front of what doubles as their home and the school at which they teach local kids. Their home/school is a cinderblock construction with tin roof. The windows are large and without glass. For security purposes a pattern of welded iron railing fills the window frame – bugs and small birds and animals can enter and exit at will - in the background of the photo of Mel napping in the hammock.


If it weren't for friends, i wouldn't have stopped here. Unless i was a surfer. What puts the place on the map is one of the longest known left breaking waves.

Jake and Mel paddled surfboards out to greet me in the morning, while i was prepping “sea cow” to dinghy back and forth to shore in anticipation of guests. Mel and i got some beach time – thank you for the conversation – and we all ate like royalty that evening (i contributed the fish i caught the day before, blackened and with slaw and rice, Mel made a great salad and incredible tortillas, Jake roasted sweet potatoes and zucchini and made cocktails…Tu and Christy took care of the dishes). Yum! The company was best of all of it. The next day i took them all for a sail, highlighted by a variety of winds, whales launching, a sea turtle, swimming during the calm, and snacks and conversation. Turns out they may be in Panama City when i am, so they may be welcome crew thru the canal and then up to Boca del Toro? As if we had planned it. Shall see. In any case, thank you dears! I appreciated your company more than you know.

There is no way a swell could ever reach all the way up Golfo Dulce and into Bahia Rincon, and a guidebook said i might see some big bright birds there. So that is where Akimbo and i went. Turns out that quiet, remote Rincon has a road running along the shore, and there must be some big projects going on on the Osa Peninsula because i heard big trucks goin’ back and forth until “time to go home” and then starting early in the morning. On the way in we passed some sort of compound or resort, with several rooftops, coiffed. That behind us, there were a few houses on the shore around the bay. In the evening i watched one of my “neighbors” fishing from shore while i sat on the foredeck and worked on the windlass control again. Indeed the anchorage itself is guaranteed calm, so i slept well. Now it was my dreams that woke me. I finally turned a light on at about 3 to write one down.

The thing about bright green birds, big or not, in bright green foliage… Yeah, they’re really hard to see. I saw four, or maybe two twice, and only when they flew from some trees to other trees. If they weren’t moving, they were invisible. Still, i felt rewarded. I tho’t about getting in the kayak to paddle around, but it started to rain and where we were anchored was quite close to shore anyway. Lazy me.

In the morning, with only 12 or so miles to go to Golfito, i indulged in reading and a big breakfast and listening to a lecture by David Whyte at a business conference. My favorite part of visiting the bay was our departure. Whenever i leave an anchorage i turn and gesture my thanks to the place. As i did so this time, i saw the “neighbor” i had watched the evening before, waving his goodbye to me and Akimbo, outstretched arms flapping like wings. I almost turned Akimbo around to re-anchor and go meet him. That i didn’t is indicative of my own failing to harvest all that i can. Still, i felt his company and he had apparently felt mine. In the Whyte lecture, i remembered he warned of feeling invisible. It got my tho’ts going about being so and my surprise to find that i hadn’t been after all. It was a moment, a brief moment, to be present to and thankful for.