Got up around 0600, no wind, no rain, sun rising, another day in Rio Claro de PAVONES.

Surf wasn’t good and since yesterday PP and I didn’t manage to take any photos on the Indigenous Reserve while trekking up to come down the river on the buoy we decided to drive with the car until where we could and walk the rest until we reached the river.

On the way we picked up an elder and who I think to be his grandson and gave them a ride up the reserve. The new car was way better, the brakes were working and it was doing great doing on the dirt roads since the tires were not the best for the terrain conditions around Pavones and it had rained last night.

We left the elder and boy where they asked us to be dropped and followed the road until the school we had seen yesterday, and after which we thought the car couldn’t go further. This is a school for the Guaymí Indigenous children of the reserve, they were happy to be photographed jumping around and acting as children would. Good big smile that brought to my face.

We proceeded on foot from there, with no one to be seen until we reached the river, a thrilling scenario with a thick rainforest and patches of field where cattle was being raised, no waste lands with no trees and bare ground as we have seen on the way to Pavones. We sighted a few animals on the way. This is so different from what I’ve seen so far that almost 90% of what we see daily is new to me and I cannot name correctly (some photos embedded).

After about 30 minutes walking we reached the river and were close to the heart of the Guaymí reserve. There was a hanging bridge there leading to a place that seemed not to have any paths of trails, but it was actually where many of the Guaymí had their homes, pure wilderness!

The earliest inhabitants of Costa Rica far southern corner were the Guaymí, or Ngöbe, who migrated over generations from neighboring Panama. The Guaymí inhabit indigenous reserves in the Valle de Coto Brus, on the Osa peninsula in the southern Golfo Dulce, though they retain semi-nomadic ways and are allowed to pass freely over the border into Panama. This occurs frequently during the coffee harvesting season, when many Guaymí travel to work on plantations.

The Guaymí have been able to preserve – to some degree – their customs and culture, and it is not unusual to see women wearing traditional dress. These vibrant, solid-colour pollera dresses hang to the ankles, often trimmed in contrasting colours and patterns. Unlike other indigenous groups, the Guaymí still speak their native language and teach it in local schools.

The Guaymí traditionally live in wooden hut with palm roofs and dirty floors, although most families have now upgraded to wooden houses on stilts. However, they still live off the land, cultivating corn, rice and tubers, while fruit and palmitos grow in the wild.

The Guaymí reserves are largely inaccessible, which may be one reason why culture persists. However as tourism filters into the farthest corners of the country, there is growing interest in the indigenous traditions and handicrafts, and this demand may actually encourage their preservation. But, the reserves are also at a precipitous point – without proper managemenr and community participation, an influx of tourists (and tourist dollars) can also lead to cultural dilution and ultimately leave the younger generations to be engulfed in the process of globalization and loose what makes them unique… their traditions, customs, ethnicity and ways of life.

We took some time to take photos on the hanging bridge, around the river and to some point at the house that was built right on the riverside. I wandered around the hut, looking and approaching the horse grazing on the tropical pasture; he had a big hump on his column, I guess from the friction of the saddle, it wasn’t looking good, it wasn’t even being treated and I guess animal welfare around here is a minor issue.

I then decided to go up to the house and try to reach out to the Guaymí culture. I asked for permission to enter the field closer to the house. A few days ago a Guaymí visited us at the Riviera, Teoro is name was, and I noticed he never stepped into the balcony even we was sitting there talking to PP and Tourita, until I told him not be stay sitting there, and use one of the chairs. He had walked 6 hours to reach Pavones and take provisions to his family. He was selling 2 items, sombreros (hats) and bags (traditional style ones). I bought him one bag, it was 5000 colones (around US$6) and it was a good way of in a way help him out and to have something to take a gift to my girlfriend. He also asked for some food and I readily prepared him a sandwich. When people ask me for money I don’t really like to give it away I rather buy something of theirs, or a similar way of helping them out; but when I’m asked for food I cannot refuse, never, it happened in Uruguay a couple of times, in Argentina and like on those place here I cannot say no…

But back to the house by the river; I as granted permission to enter the grounds with a “por favor, pase” (please pass). I greeted the old man and introduced myself as Francisco, he replied with “mucho gusto, Alberto” (a pleasure, Alberto). I then asked about the region, what was that he was doing and other things. This 83 year old elder was an artesano (artisan) making sombreros (like Teoro) and he also worked with wood. His lovely wife Cecilia was making bags. PP was looking for a sombrero so it was a good opportunity for him to get one. And he did; by chance Don Alberto (as I called him with respect) had one prepared and fitted the big headed PP! A sombrero takes about a week to be made, as described by Don Alberto, working a little, and then taking a walk to do other things around the house, smoking a pipe, and then continue the sombrero making. He sold the sombrero for 15,000 colones (approx. US$25).

Don Alberto lived in a traditional hut built by him, he was telling us that it took around 3 months to build the roof but with palm tree leaves but then it lasts for a few years, he added. Inside the hut it was fish being smoked, and it would be there for another 3 or 4 hours he told us. With permission I took a few photos, told a little about where we came from, he was pleased his sombrero was to the taken “muy, muy lejos” (very, very faraway).

After some more talking we said goodbye and leaving that magical place, with Don Alberto waving at us while we were going back uphill is something that will be in my mind forever.

The took the journey back, the kids at the school still waved, jumped and smiled at us, and the car did well on the way back into Pavones. The lunch was at Cafe de la Suerte, eating a Sabijh “an iraqui vegeratian burrito”, and we went to check the surf at Punta Banco since Pavones was still pretty small. The guys stayed out of the water but I went for a surf, the swell was rising and there were some better size waves, since we had only really small surf up to now, and it was very fun, everyday I’m more happy with my small 5’5’’ Fatum Surfboard, even on faster and hollow waves it pumps and has a great drive, also recovering from manoeuvres, great feel!

After that, I was stoked! The best day so far, and behind doubt it would be one of the best in the whole trip! I was thankful, still don’t know to who or what, maybe to nature …

After eating this now is bedtime, it is 1900 :-)

PURA VIDA!