Kiwiland

I made it to New Zealand!  

After some ups and downs and a two-week mellow by the ocean in Costa Rica, I packed my gear up in San Jose.  I hopped a plane on the morning of the 4th, and got a “cheat day” to glide over the US.  I hit Dallas, Denver, and LA in the fastest day EVER.  I couldn’t leave the airport, but it was nice to see that the US is still in one peice and buzzing along nicely.  I met some interesting people, including a crew heading to the Anarctica and the South Pole.  They were way excited for their snowy mission working at the bases down there.  I never even really though about how many people live in Antarctica??  (I am going to have to spell check this beast later.)

I landed in Auckland on the 6th, losing the 5th all together.  I’m a day ahead of home, so if you’re worried about tomorrow send me a message and I’ll let you know how it’s going.  Things are still good now.

I’ve been searching for a van to live in.  Though some seredipitous introductions and the kindness of Kiwi Boaters, I I ended up at a theme party dressed as a belly dancer within two days of my arrival.  Then I joined the Auckland University Canoe Club on a weekend jaunt to three BEAUTIFUL and amazing rivers, the Kaituna, the Waiere,  and the Wairo… I know I butchered those spellings, but I will edit this later!

I’m now staying with some new kayaker pals in One Tree Hill, Auckland and searching like mad for a van to travel and live in.    I can’t believe my luck to have found such wonderful new friends and paddling group!  I can’t BELIEVE how incredible the country is, and I haven’t even been to too many places yet!!!

So, everything is going great.  I would like to make a big, sweeping conclusion of my Costa Rican adventure. It is in the works as I’m sifting through my experiences and making sense of my whirlwind tico adventure from the other side of the globe.  As the plantains leave my blood stream and are replaced with kiwi fruit and little sheep, I’m having a good head space to process and evaluate my Tico experiences.

Chasin' waterfalls, and Adventures around Sarapiqui

I’ve been hanging around the beautiful Sarapiqui River. It’s a great spot with a few fun tributaries, too. The river is carving itself back out after an earthquake a couple years back, and the town of La Virgen is rumbling to get its rafting up and running again after the earthquake took out the main road to the town and caused the sides of the river to cave into themselves. Especially the Sarapiqui Outdoor Center, with tico kayaking legend David “Sombrilla” Duarte letting me tag along on trips down the Chirripo and Sarapiqui.  I’ve been really lucky to meet and paddle with Sombrillo and his partners Paul and Travis… also met another dirtbag travling kayaker that goes by Townsend.

I got to run my biggest waterfall! Posa Azul, or “blue pool.” Ok, so it doesn’t sound super intimidating… but the thing is tall! I’m guessing 33 ft. We ran it in playboats, with some great photo and video op’s.
There is a beautiful creek in the runout of the pool that leads back into the Sarapiqui River and carries us right back down to the Sarapiqui Outdoor outpost. SWEET.

There’s a play wave right out from the outpost as well. It’s pretty fun and changes a lot with the level. I’ve seen it completely flushed out when I ran the lower Sarapiqui section at higher water. The player’s left side of the hole is right up against a rock wall, though. It’s easy to get pushed over that way, resulting in some hang-out time before you can book it back to the eddy on river left… I had to hike back up the a couple times after flushing too far down!

Today, I spent a little time riverside with the people that live near the Sarapiqui.  People were extreme intertubing, practicing their roll in a rainbow sherbet-colored Necky Gliss, playboating, and swimming around.  It somehow didn’t rain last night, which is rare for the rainy season, so the water was clear blue and low.  This is a beautiful place, and I’m staying with Sombrilla’s parents Dona Meche and Don Carlos, who treat me like a confused gringo daughter – wonderful people with lots of patience with my cultural and language learning curve.

Chirripo, Sarapiqui, and living in the jungle.

I have moved from Turrialba to near Guapiles, on the Rio Corinto, in la selva baby!  No electricity, hunting for bananas with machetes, cooking together and eating a TON of platanos and arroz y pinto…  pura vida.


In the past five days, I’ve run the Pacuare again, the Chirripo a couple times, and the San Miguel section of the Sarapiqui River in the fine company of the fellas at the Sarapiqui Outdoor Center, and Joni and Charlie, too.  Got some great video of the San Miguel section of the Sarapiqui, which is the creeky-est run I’ve done so far.  All the rivers here are very young, and you can tell by the constantly moving boulders in the river.  After floods or landslides or earthquakes or just a big rain, the river changes channels.  The San Miguel section changed a couple years ago after the river caved in on itself during an earthquake.  David “Sombrillo” Duarte says, “It’s digging” a new channel for itself.  The whole thing at the medium/low level was read and run boulder garden.  I bet with more water, the holes would get a lot more intimidating.

The Chirripo is located below the Rio Sucio section from the confluence called “Rio Frio,” there is a bus station there, too.  Anyway, the Chirripo is very new as well.  The channels of the river run over unstable round boulders ranging from car sized to sand.  It reminds me of how water rushing down the beach from a puddle makes rivulets in the sand, and similarly the Chirripo splits and confluences many times into different channels as it drops.  The channels and turns change to the water’s whim.


Pacuare Trip – With a stroke of luck and the wonder that pulls kayakers together, I have met David, Paul, and Travis of the Sarapiqui Outdoor Center, where I’m staying at their new Chirripo Outpost that is a little slice of paradise.  Joni and Charlie, my gringo kayaker buddies from Turrialba came along, and it appears that Charlie will stick there, too!  We all went on a Pacuare trip yesterday with premier guide trainee, Parrini, Patrick the Oso Peninsula surf chaser, and Geraldo in a kayak from here in Costa Rica.  Water level was nice and fluffy, and we ate a ton of food as usual.  I will not go hungry in the jungle.

Loading Up and Getting There

What a DAY!!  I got all my gear packed up for the whole year into a paddle bag, a rolling duffel bag, and two carry-ons… which have all landed safely in Turrialba, Costa Rica – along with their owner. Whew.  I flew out of Atlanta and into Miami, then to San Jose.  I opted to take an overpriced taxi to Turrialba, 1.5 – 2 hours away, instead of trying to navigate the bus station with all my luggage and gear… good call.  Nice drive through a couple towns and coffee and sugar can plantations to land in this little town surrounded by mountains.  Going to the Paucare in the morning!  Pura Vida!

My first hostel room, Hotel Americano, Turrialba, CR

Packing

Whew - Departure date is July 27th... it's on. Getting all my gear together and developing creative packing techniques. Went to the Green a couple times to get my game face on.

Pre-Departure

Hi all!

Getting the blog up and moving for the trip starting in July. I'll keep you posted!

Also, starting out in Costa Rica at the end of July before heading to Chile for the start of the season in Pucon!

Allie