Mother Nature Goes a Little Crazy – and so does Sky Blue Vickie – in Costa Rica

By Sky Blue Vickie

To say it’s a rude awakening, would be something of an understatement.

I mean, really… I drag my lazy carcass on the red eye from Vancouver to Toronto. And then I drag it on a five-hour flight from Toronto to Liberia, Costa Rica. And then I drag it to a beach party with 136 lively travel agents.

I smile at strangers. I make small talk. I am even charming, for goodness sake.

But I am absolutely exhausted: beat, done-for, bushed and plum-tuckered. There is no denying it; I am positively pooped, my friend.

So, having been awake for 35 hours or so, I finally drop into my deliriously welcoming king size bed at Dreams Las Mareas. I can hardly keep my eyes open and I barely have the energy to notice the sumptuous décor, the spacious bathroom, the luxurious amenities and—my oh my—the swim-out pool right outside the French windows. All of that wonderfulness will all have to wait until morning.

I need to make some zzz’ds.

But it would seem that Mother Nature has other plans… What’s this? What is this? A smoke alarm?

I stagger across the room like a new-born deer, squinting with shock and I start rumbling around for my sparkly silver flip-flops.

What is this? Where am I? What’s my name? Oh yes, that’s a smoke alarm; I’m in Costa Rica; and I’m Sky Blue Vickie. I think. And it’s time to make good by escape.

And I’m out of the door and into the night air. But what’s this? Mother Nature is having a good laugh at my expense. The noise ringing in my ears is not a smoke alarm: it’s the cicadas in the trees going absolutely bonkers.

Why? I have no idea.

I stagger back into the room, somewhat relieved that the building isn’t on fire, but still a little cheesed-off at the unreasonably rambunctious squawking of the cicadas.

Man, the jungle can be a noisy place.

In a matter of seconds I’m back in my deliriously welcoming king size bed. My head hits the pillow and I’m almost gone… But a full 10 seconds later something spectacular fills the air with a surge of paralyzing electric tension: a peal of thunder so utterly deafening that I sit sit bolt upright in my deliriously welcoming king size bed.

Those clever little cicadas KNEW!

Me? I’m rattled to my core. But I kind of like it. And I have to admit, it’s a little bit sexy…

And I’m up, and I’m pulling back the floor-length curtains like I’m Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind and I’m letting hot flashes of lightning illuminate my room with all of their electric speed and stereophonic sound, as a deluge of raindrops slash against the heavy jungle canopy outside my room.

I may be exhausted, but I have an irresistible urge to dance because Mother Nature’s gone totally bonkers. But that’s what she seems to do in Costa Rica.

The country is known as the home of ‘Pura Vida’, which means ‘Pure Life’—and that name suits it down to the ground. Life is bursting and blooming everywhere you look in Costa Rica—there’s no escaping it—from the monkeys howling in the trees and the iguanas sauntering down forest paths to the smiling faces of the vibrant, friendly people. The country is hot and steamy and overflowing with vitality—everywhere you look.

You can read (and watch video) about my trip to Costa Rica as part of the Air Canada Vacations Dream Makers Mega Fam at openjaw.com in January.  I’ll keep you posted when it’s going live.

Until then, keep travelling my lovelies. And trust me: dance in the rain whenever you get the chance. Mother Nature approves.

Sky Blue Vickie x

 

Image: flickr.com/photos/aiari/