2/24/2009
Today began with what I hope is one of the greatest challenges of the trip. After picking up our rental car, we procured a map and directions and confidently embarked on a journey out of San Jose. However, we soon found that every main road will eventually come to a two way split (both ways looking almost exactly the same.) Unfortunately, they are not the same. On more than one occasion what was once a main road would wind into very narrow little road through a bunch of worn down houses. As soon as we got directions that took us back to a main road, we would find another perplexing split, and all to often we made the incorrect choice. We were two stupid gringos hopelessly lost in the middle of San Jose anxious to find a representative of the Costa Rican government and suggest that in the United States we have something called street signs! Fortunately, if you wander around long enough and get enough conflicting sets of directions you are bound to eventually find your highway. Thankfully, we made it out safe and sound but not before turning a 15 minute drive into a 2 hour journey!
The rest of our trip was uneventful and by late afternoon we arrived at the house of Timoteo Jackson. Timoteo is an influential member of the Bribri tribe. He greeted us warmly, and he was happy to see Chris because they both worked with the EM teams last summer. Timoteo is 64 years old, but he is muscular and strong for his age and moves around like a man much younger. He informed us that his father is still living and doing well at 108 years old! He told me that he has 12 sons and daughters, and we met many of his family members this evening. He has a beautiful family, and I am looking forward to getting to know them over the next couple of weeks.
I met Timoteo’s son Carlos tonight, and I was successful in starting a conversation with my broken Spanish. I asked him if his house was nearby, and he said yes and proceeded to take me to it. By now it was so dark that I had difficulty following him up the semi-steep winding path. We arrived without me killing myself, and he took me into his house and even brought me into his bedroom to show me pictures of his family, local wildlife, and the last chief of the Bribri tribe who died in 1910. We talked as best as we could, and he taught be some Bribri words based on the Spanish equivalents. As we were leaving, I tried to thank him for showing me his house, but I couldn’t think of how to say it. He understood and finished my sentence for me. I in turn was able to understand enough to realize that he had accurately finished my thought. I am pleased that I made a new friend, and our time with the Jackson family was well was worth the long hours of driving.
After saying goodbye to Timoteo, we returned to Puerto Veijo where we found an economical hotel room, which is actually the upstairs in the house of the owner of some rental cabins. It is very basic and has a community bathroom, but it costs less than half as much as typical hotel room. I am writing this from the deck, and I can hear the sounds of the nearby tide. It is a beautiful night in Costa Rica.
Josh G.
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