January flew by

I am finally getting back to you. So much has happened in the past 5 weeks. I would even say that January has been the best month so far. Not only was I in good company, but I also discovered various places in the Caribbean.

In the first two weeks of January, I did a lot with the other volunteers, Jennifer and Evar, at the station. Since there were three of us, there was overall less work at the station. So we had more time to explore the area. For example, we went on a tour of a cocoa farm. There, we were shown how cocoa beans are grown and processed into chocolate. In the end, we got to taste the warm dark chocolate mass made from pressed cocoa beans and caramelized sugar. An indescribable taste experience!

We also waded through a stream in the jungle wearing rubber boots. We saw many hummingbirds and huge trees with buttress roots. In hindsight, I liked this tour better than walking through some overcrowded national park, where we passed tame monkeys and sloths on a path trampled by tourist masses. Instead, we wandered through the 'real' jungle.

I will also remember the long evenings at the station for a long time. Evar showed us how to prepare typical Costa Rican food. It mostly consists of rice and beans. The ratio of rice to beans and whether they are served separately or mixed determines whether it is called Casado, Gallo Pinto, or Arroz con Frijoles (Rice and Beans). The locals also eat it for breakfast.

When Evar left, I did a lot with Marlene, Marie, and Jennifer. We visited two different national parks and sometimes went out for breakfast in the mornings. I also did a beautiful kayak tour with Marlene on a river.

Unfortunately, the tasks at the station became more exhausting and boring. Although I still got to climb trees occasionally, most of the time we were busy painting and scrubbing the entire station. So I'm not that sad to have moved on.

But my absolute highlight of January was definitely surfing in Punta Uva. In January, winter storms on the Atlantic trigger especially big waves in the Caribbean, so I could go surfing almost every day during the week at my favorite spot. The small beach in Punta Uva is by far the most beautiful one I have ever seen, as a 300-meter-long land tongue covered in dense jungle leads into the sea next to the beach. At the tip of this land tongue is a rock from which you can see the entire coast all the way to Puerto Viejo. But the best is yet to come: I paddled with a longboard for 300 meters to the end of the land tongue and could then ride the endless waves above a reef at sunset. Longboarding is so beautiful because you can walk back and forth on the board or just stand on the tip of the board. That's called a noseride. I also learned that in Punta Uva. All in all, Punta Uva is a magical place that I already miss.

Next, I will tell you about my journey to the Arenal Volcano.