nature – Postcards and shenanigans

I have been at Finca Pachamama for 3 days, a wonderful corner of peace and nature in the Eje Cafetero, Colombia’s famed coffee axis. I wanted to visit this area because it is different from the other places I’ve seen and experienced in Colombia, namely cities.

I am a city gal, born in a capital city, living in a (different) capital city. Every time I explore outside of cities it feels almost exotic. My friends can attest how giddy I get when we go apple picking, and don’t even get me started on farm animals, especially chickens.

I don’t know that I have a deep connection to Pachamama or Mother Earth, and that is something I am always curious about and willing to explore. When I saw the AirBnB listing for a charming coffee farm about 45 minutes away from the closest city, Pereira, I just had to come and see what it’s about.

Learning on the farm

What I found is kindness, wisdom, patience, love, and generosity from Rubi and Gabriel, the wonderful people who created this oasis. They took over what was a typical coffee farm 14 years ago and poured all their energy into creating a biodiverse heaven to encourage regeneration and give back to Mother Earth. They keep growing coffee, but have turned the land from a commercial operation into an artisanal one, and generously share their knowledge about the artisanal coffee process with guests.

Simplicity and Harmony: Embracing a New Rhythm at Finca Pachamama

I didn’t quite know what to expect going there. My best friend asked me if I was working on the farm or what. I didn’t think I signed up to work on a farm but as we’ve all seen from my recent Cali adventure I can never be too sure of what exactly I’ve agreed to. I was a bit taken aback when Gabriel asked me, on my first evening, what I was hoping to get out of my stay at the farm. I hadn’t really thought about it, I had booked it because it was something I wanted to do.

I was telling Rubi and Gabriel about my sabbatical year and how I felt I needed to get off the proverbial hamster wheel, in my world where everything is moving at a frenetic pace, where my stress levels are through the roof (and even scarier, that I consider that level of stress “normal”), where the rhythm is so intense that I can’t seem to be able to make space to just be.

And Rubi hit me with a surprising truth: the only rhythm you need to have is in salsa.

Searching for a simpler life

I am still digesting that, days later. I believe her and I know to my core that she is right, and yet I still struggle to get out of the ‘be productive’ mindset. Even at the farm, where I could technically sit in a hammock and read all day, I had to get involved in the activities. I couldn’t just watch Rubi and Gabriel and others milling around taking care of it and just… sit.

Top row: Luis (one of the helpers), me, and Rubi. Middle row: Luis (yep! Another one of the helpers), and Gabriel. Bottom row: Morocho and Fresa, helpers in their own rights.

I guess the biggest difference is that I wanted to help out, I didn’t have to help out. Back to what my best friend asked me, it turns out that while I didn’t sign up to work on the farm, I did it anyways, but out of desire instead of obligation. And that made it fun, and easy, and it didn’t feel like work.

So I’ll continue to search for how to live a simpler life, where I can do mostly what I want to do, not what I have to do. I know I have to eat and to have a roof over my head, but maybe there’s room to find how to accomplish these while doing something that doesn’t feel like a terrible obligation or burden. I am looking for a new rhythm that I set, not one where I feel trapped and unable to change without doing something drastic, like taking a year off to disconnect.

I really enjoyed my stay at the farm and was able to see just how rich nature is, especially when you give it all the love and care that Rubi and Gabriel give it. I saw dozens of hummingbirds, ate many fruits directly off the trees (like a really, really fresh supermarket. Highly recommend), thoroughly enjoyed talking to the roaming chickens (which I named Sven and Maria), picked and roasted my own coffee (there may be a future for me in coffee roasting), and even got some hammock reading time in. I also started turning into my dad, taking pictures of the flowers. In a small way, I connected with Pachamama, and I am grateful for it and for what I’ll take back as I continue my city adventures. And I will schedule more trips to places that help me reconnect with nature and help me find my rhythm.

Sven and Maria living their best life

When is the last time you experienced a first? Most of us don’t remember our first steps or words, but the adults around us who witnessed them remember them with awe. You probably remember your first heartbreak or the first time you did your taxes and felt very grown up (well, I felt utter terror). Firsts don’t have to be huge to be remarkable and memorable, but I think the joy they bring is priceless.

Today I want to share with you a few firsts I experienced over the last weeks in Costa Rica – I’m still smiling when I think about them.

The first first: cold

My cousin really likes cold plunges and scheduled to do one in one of the only places offering them in Guanacaste, a holistic wellness spot in Tamarindo, about 30 minutes away from where I’m staying. Curious about what a cold plunge entails, I asked him for details. It turns out that you (voluntarily) immerse yourself in very cold water for 5 to 10 minutes. Whether this has any extraordinary health benefits or not remains to be seen, but since the average temperature here has been 35 degrees Celsius, an ice bath sounded freaking great! I signed up because I had never done one before (save the 12 seconds I plunged in an Icelandic lake or 25.5 seconds I go in the cold pools at the spa) so… why not?

Once at the wellness centre I asked the kind owners how I should go about it. They offered some breathing tips, said it’s best to immerse yourself as quickly as possible, and assured me it’s ok if I only make it to a minute or 2. Armed with the bravery of one who doesn’t quite know what they’re getting into, I plunged. And then I stayed. The 12 degree water feels like… well, being encased in ice, if I’m being honest. But I somehow got used to it, focusing on making conversation with the owners as opposed to focusing on my thoughts, which were basically a loop of ermygawedthisisfreakingfreezing for 5 minutes. I learned that if you stay absolutely still you don’t feel it as much anymore, but as soon as you move different parts get exposed to the icy water and you feel it all over again. I wasn’t sure my legs would work well enough to be able to get out of the bathtub but I was pleasantly surprised. I got out and towelled off, feeling incredibly refreshed.

As I was paying up and getting ready to leave, I thought it was a great first cold plunge and something I would definitely try again, if only as a way to cool off from the tropical heat. Not sure if the poor guy who went after me would – they realized when he kept asking how much longer that they forgot to turn the timer on.

Woman laying in a bathtub — I am fine, I am totally fine chilling in this 12 degrees ice water

The second first: bulls

I was lucky enough to visit Guayabo, a charming town at the base of the Miravalles volcano, during the weekend of the annual festejo, i.e. traditional festival. After having a delicious meal in one of the local sodas (a family-owned restaurant that serves traditional Costa Rican food), my cousin asked if I had ever seen bull riding shows. As a staunch city dweller, I have not.

We paid our 3,ooo colones ($8.50 CAD) entrance fee and found a seat to watch the 14 bulls and their riders put on a show, equal in entertainment to the very animated announcer. I’m not entirely sure of the etiquette for bull riding but I for one was rooting for the bulls. I was fascinated watching the folks hanging out at the edges of the ring, taunting the bulls, and jumping up the sides when an understandably pissed off bull would charge at them. I am very glad I caught a snippet of a bull who was much more interested in grazing the grass than anything else (ahem, giving decidedly Ferdinand vibes).

I am glad I got to see this show, I would likely watch another one – if only to root for the docile bull in the gang.

Channeling Ferdinand

The third first: community

On the second night of checking out the Guayabo festival, I had the immense pleasure of watching a tope, which is a horse parade. Imagine the town’s main street lined up on both sides with all dwellers from the area, young and old, bringing their own chairs, food, and drinks to watch an impressive array of horses and riders show off their skills, often accompanied by live bands. I honestly could not stop grinning. I was mesmerized by what I dubbed ‘the dancing horses’ and actually burst out crying with joy, wondering how this is my life.

I had never seen something like this before, I share it here with you hoping that you feel even a spark of the wonder I experienced. The dancing horses, the proud riders, the live bands, the people dressed in cowboy gear talking and laughing in the streets – it was abundantly clear how this festival brings everyone together. It was a community event in the best sense of the word, and I feel like we need community more than ever.

Dancing horse in the Guayabo tope (might be a better cumbia dancer than me)

The fourth first: nature

This one happened purely by chance and I am so grateful it did. My cousin’s farm in Miravalles is at the base of a dormant volcano, with a gorgeous valley spreading out across the street. Its distance from cities and light pollution sources make it great for watching the night sky – imagine my surprise when I looked up at the full moon to see a perfect circle around it. I tapped my cousin on the shoulder and asked him to look up at the moon. His ‘whoa, what is that?’ reaction reassured me that I wasn’t hallucinating.

While hoping for aliens (that would be a super cool first!) I later found out it is a phenomenon called a moon halo. It was my first time seeing this and while not as grand as seeing the Milky Way in the Sahara it was definitely memorable. I am incredibly humbled every time I glimpse something Mother Nature shows us – humbled by how perfect it is, how small we are, and how much we should work to protect it.

Full moon surrounded by 2 haloes — Moon halo

The next first?

I look forward to a next first, whether it is an experience I sign up for or a natural wonder that reveals itself to me. This planet and its inhabitants have so much to offer, all we have to do is be open, be curious, and say yes to things. I won’t chase these first experiences but I welcome the joy they bring. They make my heart full and I can’t stop grinning, like a kid experiencing cotton candy or a roller coaster for the first time (sometimes the order matters). Remember,we are never too old to try something for the first time, never too old to be joyful.

How about you, reader? What brings you joy? Share a first that delighted you recently, or how you make sure you’re open to these experiences.

Tag: nature