In addition to being a fascinating country in its own right, Costa Rica was the journey that opened doors for me, that illuminated the way for me after several years of total darkness and confusion, of depression. It was the journey of redemption from some situations that I was carrying inside me and which now was the time to let go. I hadn’t taken a plane for three years and for someone like me who is used to living on the road it was something really strange.
It was November 2018 and I was 30 years old, fresh from a very long experience in Australia where I lived for almost 5 years, before leaving it definitively to dedicate myself to my first solo trips with a backpack on my shoulders and a simple compact camera.
I had made the decision to leave in June when I was still working in a pizzeria in Pescara, so I immediately bought the plane ticket and simultaneously my first reflex camera, a Nikon.
Not happy, however, I also purchased another one, still Nikon but with different technical characteristics, more suitable for my type of work, faster. Now I had decent equipment, something I had never had before, a plane ticket and a great desire to start my journey as a Wildlife Photographer.
The departure
Having landed at San Josè airport, I was picked up by a girl I had in my Facebook contacts (Raquel) who had responded to a post in which I published my departure a few weeks earlier. She had offered to pick me up and so she did, together with her brother.
They accompanied me to the hostel I had booked, right in the center, and we agreed on an excursion together for the following day.
Parque Nacional de Carara e Rio Tarcoles
The following morning I had breakfast in the hostel with Kiko who was shortly going to pick up a Spanish friend of his, Adriana, and meanwhile there was a squirrel jumping on the trees in front of us.
In the meantime, the appointment with Raquel was in front of the McDonald’s in the main square of the city at 10, from which we would then take a bus that would take us to the Carara National Parka very small park in the Puntarenas region just a few km away from the famous one crocodile bridge of Rio Tarcoles.
As soon as we arrived at the Parque Nacional de Carara car park, I immediately had the opportunity to capture the first images (even before entering the park). Iguanas and a species of rodent whose name in Spanish was “guatusa” roamed there. The park was home to many animal species including parrots, toucans, monkeys, hummingbirds, poisonous frogs and above all being close to the crocodile river, the presence of reptiles in their habitat was indicated.
The first astonishing photographs were not long in coming, in fact I immediately encountered two small species of poisonous frogs (the black-green arrow frog and the pygmy frog) which are known as “arrow poison frogs” as in the past the natives impregnated the arrows with this poison before throwing them.
They are amphibians as small as a human phalanx and the pygmy frog has the bizarre characteristic of mating with the first male it meets.
For amphibians of this size I had purchased a Sigma brand macro lens shortly before departure (the Sigma 105mm macro F2.8 which will later be used for my trip).
After a couple of hours of hiking in the park I had several photos of frogs, a green basilisk (famous for his unique and inexplicable ability to run on the surface of the water, earning him the name Jesus Christ Lizzard) but above all I manage to photograph the majestic Scarlet Macaw, thus crossing off the first objective from the list. This parrot is of incredible beauty, rich in colors and of a considerable size as it reaches one meter in height. That image would later be one of the best-selling in photographic exhibitions.
The entrance to the Carara is something like 2-3 km from the Rio Tarcoles bridge so we decide to venture on foot along the edge of the motorway (the Carretera Nacional Pacifico).
It was the first week of November and even though the summer was almost about to begin, it wasn’t difficult to catch some storms and in fact……. We walked that half hour walk under an impossible tropical downpour.
We arrive at the bridge and thank God it stops raining. We had dozens and dozens of American crocodile specimens before our eyes, lying on the banks of the Tarcoles river.
Subsequently Raquel and I took a bus that would drop us off in Orotina from which we would then get on yet another bus towards San Josè. Long story short it took us 3 and a half hours to get back to the city and I realized how difficult it could be to get around Costa Rica.
I ended the day having excellent photographic works but in exchange I had to face an unprecedented drudgery and as soon as I returned to the hostel I sank into my bed very satisfied, happy with the photographic results obtained which for me were a dream come true.
Downtown San Jose and transfer to “La Fortuna”
The next morning I woke up early, maybe it was 5.
In just two days I had changed my sleep/wake rhythm or perhaps I had prepared myself psychologically for the fact of having to keep up with the schedules of the fauna which is generally more active in the early hours of the day.
Breakfast with my squirrel who had now become my friend, I put my clothes in my backpack and leave the hostel.
I went to the station to buy the bus ticket that would take me from San Josè to the Arenal Volcano national park.
Having gotten off at the La Fortuna stop, I walked about a hundred meters following a couple of guys who looked like they were travelers and I was sure they would also be staying in a hostel. I wasn’t informed about the accommodation in the town, but in any case we are talking about a small and very touristy town, so it wasn’t difficult to find accommodation.
My eyes fall on a sign, Celina Hostel. I go, ask for availability at the reception and book a bed for two nights then, if I had decided to stay longer, I could still extend my stay.
I go back to reception and ask one of the guys there if they could know of any areas nearby where you could meet typical Costa Rican animals: “We have a group leaving in twenty minutes for the paths around the volcano and you can see a lot of things there, do you want to join?” “Sure,” I replied. On the other hand, I knew nothing about the area and any action would have been useful, in Costa Rica you really find animals everywhere.
They came to pick us up in a minibus in front of the hostel and we were a small group of about ten people, all Europeans.
Once we reach the entrance to the park, I make the biggest photographic mistake of my life, ruining an image that would have been beautiful. There was a keeled toucan resting on the trunk of a tree that was entering the den but remained with its head facing outwards and while I was trying to photograph it I saw that I couldn’t focus.
My first thought was that perhaps the camera or the lens had taken on too much water the previous day, then instead I realized that by mistake I had moved the focus from automatic to manual, thus resulting in a truly magnificent photo.
(I didn’t know it yet, but that tour, that day, in that very casual way, would have made me take a big leap forward in my wildlife photography career).
The guide showed us the names of many local plants and flowers but honestly I didn’t listen to him too much but not because I wasn’t interested, on the contrary, but because I was too taken by the place and was looking for fauna to photograph at all costs. In fact, a few minutes later, I took a beautiful portrait of a green hummingbird.
The turning point, however, came at dusk: there was a puddle of water with a sign indicating the presence of amphibians including the red-eyed tree frog, so I started looking. I saw one, lying on a large leaf but still sleeping (tree frogs are nocturnal animals and only start to open their eyes at dusk), so I decided to wait. I was afraid that it would get dark and that I would no longer have light available and that the guide would tell us we had to leave again since we were also at the end of the excursion.
After exactly 10 minutes she wakes up. I had photographed the red-eyed tree frog, one of the symbols of the country and my second personal target of the trip (this photo will become very famous in the future and in the meantime inside I thank the moment in which I decided to invest in a macro lens. This shot will be published from National Geographic a couple of months later, exactly on my birthday and indeed, there is something else to say about this animal; I have a tattoo done in Australia 6 years earlier which portrays the tree frog and almost in the same position and I interpreted the fact that it was published in National Geographic on my birthday in only one way: I was on my way. Since then I have had no more doubts).
La Fortuna (Danaus Ecocentre)
I had found, when I was still in Italy, a little place that seemed very special to me.
It was called the Danaus Ecocentre. It was land where years ago there was a farm which later fell into disuse and was left abandoned. Little by little the vegetation begins to grow lush so they made it a closed area, natural but closed. As if it were a fenced jungle grove with two streams, a couple of ponds and countless trees with two paths.
At dawn I was already there, I had walked about 4km from the hostel. Not that the taxi was expensive, but I had woken up really early and the walk was a great time-killer.
The first thing that caught my eye was a beautiful specimen of the “owl’s eye butterfly”.
It is a very large butterfly, almost the size of an adult man’s palm and with very bright colours.
A few tens of meters ahead I glimpse a green reptile. It was a basilisk, like the one I had met a few days earlier in Carara National Park, but this time it was closer and trying to blend in with the surrounding vegetation. This phenomenon is known as “cryptism” or the ability that animals have to confuse themselves with the surrounding environment (see photo).
Birds of all types and colors were flying above my head but I couldn’t photograph them well in flight so I just enjoyed the scene which was beautiful anyway.
Satisfied with the morning I decide to finish my activity. I call a taxi and go back to the city center and before going to the hostel I walk a few steps looking for a bar (I was craving coffee). Suddenly my eyes saw a bird, which was perched on a fence of a finca, I approached slowly and noticed that in any case it wasn’t fleeing so it was certainly used to human presence. I got to about 5 meters from him but he remained there: he lets himself be photographed without problems. It was a vulture, a black-necked vulture.
After this wonderful meeting, I decided to go to lunch in a nearby place, and subsequently I went to the “Sloth Park” (sloth stands for sloth in English, perhaps it derives from slow, I don’t know). The park was nothing more than a fenced area where several sloths lived and to give tourists some money.
I must say that it wasn’t difficult to spot them, in fact, I saw the first one immediately after entering. Luckily it was on a plant low enough to allow me to take close-up photos. I found them funny exactly as I expected them to be, with a truly unprecedented slowness (they are so slow that moss and lichens often grow on their coat of hair).
However, in just a few days I had crossed 3 animals off my list: the sloth, the tree frog and the scarlet macaw. Not bad, for my very first solo photographic trip dedicated exclusively to wildlife.
Danaus Ecocentre (Arenal National Park)
New day, new stage: that morning it was raining cats and dogs, but it was still early and in certain tropical areas the weather changes from one moment to the next so it didn’t bother me in the slightest, even a few hours of sunshine would have been enough for me to do some another photo. I still had many days of travel and I had already taken many satisfying photos.
I go back to Danaus by calling a taxi using the Uber platform (I paid very little) and asked for the driver’s contact details.
I entered the Danaus ecocenter at 9 in the morning and left there at midnight. A whole day wandering the paths of the former finca and many surprises that day too.
In addition to the fact that I took part in the night excursion to the centre, in the afternoon I had met a girl who worked there and during her hour break she told me to go with her for a tour on the opposite side where often in those central hours of the the toucan was often seen during the day. Just enough time to reach the end of the path and we see first the “chestnut toucan” and then also the other one, the one that I had missed on the first day due to my naivety, the keel – billed toucan .(keel – billed toucan).
This time I had checked all the camera settings before going on site so as not to repeat the mistake.
The evening outing also proved to be very profitable. There were many of us but I was the only photographer. The others were mostly visitors curious to meet the local fauna visible only at night.
We came across various amphibians, reptiles, insects, a poisonous snake and that baby caiman that I had glimpsed the first day that had approached the shore in search of prey to hunt.
That too was a beautiful day, full of beautiful and very emotional moments.
I called my taxi driver and had him take me to the hostel.
The cataract of the Rio Fortuna and transfer to Guanacaste
Up very early as always. By now, when a certain time came in the evening, I collapsed like never before.
I prepared my backpack well in view of the transfer with Kiko and Adriana who in the meantime warned me they would arrive in La Fortuna after lunch.
The Rio Fortuna cataract, with its 70 meter drop, wins the record for the highest waterfall in the country. From the lookout you can see a tiny strip of water that plunges straight into the deep jungle in the middle of the forest. “What a sight,” I thought. “I’ve never seen anything like this before in Australia.”
The path was well maintained, suitable for everyone and organized with stairways and supports where the road became slightly more difficult.
Just before reaching river level, I saw the waterfall in front of me but I saw it appear like a light at the end of a tunnel. The jet of water showed itself before my eyes only through the dense tropical jungle, a spectacle. “Strange that no one would think of taking a photo like that”, I thought to myself. Yet there were quite a few people.
I get out and enjoy one of the most beautiful nature shows I’ve ever seen, completely into the wild.
I return to the city center and Kiko arrives with Adriana. We had lunch together in a restaurant and before heading towards Guanacaste we stopped to do some shopping.
Shopping done, we can leave. Direction “Tenorio Volcano and Rio Celeste”.
During the journey there was beautiful sunshine but when we arrived on site it was raining like never before. So we book a facility and spend the night.
Arrival in Guanacaste and Playa del Coco
In the morning the weather was exactly as we had left it the previous evening but we don’t know why in certain tropical situations, rain being an intrinsic element of them, the sound alone makes you completely immerse yourself in the country you are visiting.
We start with destination Guanacaste, one of the 7 regions of Costa Rica which is located on the Pacific Coast, a large peninsula characterized by numerous beaches and jungles within it.
First, however, since the sun was coming out and the temperature was slowly rising, we decided to stop in a place that Adriana had found while leafing through some books. It was a waterfall in the middle of the tropical jungle, between the Alajuela region and Guanacaste.
The waterfall was little known and a little far from the tourist routes, perhaps because it was a little out of the way but nevertheless, like many other parts of Costa Rica it turned out to be a wonder of nature. A shallow pool in the heart of the tropical forest that felt like something out of a Disney cartoon.
We took our time since the Pacific coast wasn’t who knows how far away and apart from finding accommodation and something to eat we didn’t know what other things to do. I had literally fallen asleep on a fallen tree trunk, with the waterfall next to me whose sound perfectly induced sleep. It was one of the highlights of my life. I was carefree and had the feeling that life was favorable to me no matter what decision I made. I felt like I was accompanied by some unknown mysterious force that gave me a strong sense of confidence and would always bring me luck.
We head towards the car but before leaving we enjoy a very natural freshly harvested coconut juice served to us by another guy near the car park. “How effective they were” I thought, they had thought of all the needs of a traveler in those hot hours of the day.
We reach the Pacific coast by booking a beachfront property, Playa del Coco. There were all palm trees, hammocks and a swimming pool. We left the unnecessary things in the rooms and went to visit the beach which, compared to many others in the area, was quite large.
There was a fruit seller there with whom we had a chat and he informed us that a few kilometers away there was a little frequented and very particular beach, lost in the forest. The only thing is that we would have had to park and walk about 15 minutes.
We decide to go. The beach was called Playa Penca and before going down we found a beautiful panoramic point from which there was an immense, boundless view. We take some photos and go down to the beach where after less than 5 minutes, a family of howler monkeys visited us, but we kept our distance from them since the male leader of the pack seemed to be very annoyed by our presence.
Before getting back into the car we hear some light music coming from a dune not far from our vehicle. Intrigued, we climb over the dune and find ourselves before us a spectacular sunset that encompassed the entire Playa del Coco.
There I was, with complete strangers (now friends) enjoying one of the most impossible sunsets of my life. I didn’t know it, but that photo I took will turn out to be in great demand in the future.
We spend the evening there eating what was left over from the last shopping done.
One of the most beautiful days of the trip ended, with magnificent and unthinkable places. I was happy with how the trip was going and even with detailed planning it wouldn’t have gone that way.
The beaches of the Pacific
After a hearty breakfast in the company of hummingbirds and raccoons and some swinging in the hammock, we take our off-road vehicle to go around the most iconic beaches of the peninsula: that was the only day in which I didn’t take photographs but I just wanted to enjoy the place, the sun, the sea and the uncontaminated nature. We did hit and run to several beaches and coves, such as Playa Hermosa, Playa Conchal and Playa Blanca.
It was a relaxing day.
Towards the evening we headed towards the south of the Nicoya peninsula to prepare for the show that awaited us the following day (Kiko and Adriana were not informed about it, but I was and let’s say that the real mission of that trip was precisely to witness one of the most beautiful natural scenes in the world: the hatching of sea turtle eggs and the race towards the sea).
We found accommodation in Nosara, a town a little more remote than the place of the sea turtles and the time required to reach the beach was about 35 minutes by car.
We have dinner in the new structure and enjoy the evening among ourselves accompanied by the sound of the rain.
Playa Ostional and sea turtles
Wake up super early. At 4:30 we were up, but only Kiko and me. Adriana was tired and stayed in bed. We take the car and head towards Playa Ostional.
This beach overlooking the Pacific enjoys a unique reputation in the world for a phenomenon that occurs only and only on this beach in the world: the smallest sea turtle species in the world nests only in this place in the world.
We are talking about the Olive Ridley Turtle.
As soon as we arrive on the beach we find ourselves in front of one of the shows that felt like we were watching a National Geographic documentary.
The first thing we notice is the abnormal quantity of broken shells on the beach but which in reality were not shells hatched by small turtles, but broken by birds. There were an endless tide of profiteering birds feasting among the various broods.
I turned towards a palm tree next to it and on the same tree there were 5 vultures, a hawk and another scavenger bird the size of an eagle, all waiting their turn.
We didn’t know whether to rejoice at the spectacle of the birth or be sad for the scenes we were protagonists of but the most incredible thing is that there was also a stray dog taking advantage of the situation: how many predators are there waiting for births to be able to take advantage of this easy bite.
I did everything I could, together with Kiko, to defend as many nests as possible, accompanying the little turtles on their journey towards the ocean, but in any case the course of nature cannot be hindered.
Beautiful, touching experience.
From Guanacaste to Puntarenas
Another mixed day, between relaxing on the beach and hiking in the jungles.
We booked a ferry that would leave from Montezuma and take us to Puntarenas. In the surrounding area of the peninsula, in addition to Montezuma, there were various beaches, one of which was very particular and was teeming with a somewhat strange species of crab with a bright orange color and eyes detached from the body.
I remember that morning well for a very simple reason: that shot cost me a burn on my shoulders hahaha. The crabs were very sensitive to the vibrations of the ground and in fact even when I was a few meters away from them, with supersonic speed they were hiding in the holes in the sand that they themselves had created as a den.
I had spotted one at random (there were many) who in the meantime had hidden under the sand. I had positioned myself low to the ground and with my arm in tension holding the camera which, although it did not have such a heavy objective, the position I was maintaining made everything very difficult but I had put myself in such a position that if it came out, even just for a second, I would have taken a poetic photo.
10 minutes passed… I was still there, dressed up and under the scorching sun at 2pm on a Pacific beach waiting for a stupid crab (what is wildlife photography eh?).
Here it is….tac…..burst of photos taken! 15 photos in a couple of seconds (my Nikon D500 was nicknamed the machine gun, precisely for this reason and believe me, it wasn’t forgiving).
This will also ultimately be a much appreciated photo of this trip. A very particular subject and rarely seen in photos so close up. I was realizing that that trip was giving me very strong emotions, both in the photographic field and for the trip itself, for how it was unfolding.
From the beach, Kiko and I entered a reserve, the Cabo Blanco reserve which overlooked the sea and was like many other tropical forests in that area, very dense and very contained.
We were immediately surprised by a pack of howler monkeys (like those of Playa Penca) who annoyed us and urinated on us from above the branches of the trees and one in particular seemed quite pissed off. We lengthen our pace, leave them behind until we see another record from afar. I get closer and notice something: it was her… the capuchin monkey, another target on that famous list of mine, one of those that was missing.
The light was heavy at that time of day and although the distance was very close, the photo was nothing special. But, I had photographed it.
I had now completed my list. I had everything.
Afterwards Kiko and I board the ferry again to get to the other side of the gulf. Head towards Esterillos which is a small town on the Pacific, a stone’s throw from the beach and above all not too far from Manuel Antonio National Park, the most famous park in the country.
We spent the night in the hostel, preparing for the adventure that awaited us the next day.
Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio
We woke up and were on the beach, after the classic abundant hostel breakfast.
We take a walk on the beach, which was very quiet and wild. Above our heads the trees were swarming with squirrels, with bright orange fur who seemed to be in a courtship phase. We enjoyed the scene and I took some photographs.
After lunch we leave and reach Manuel Antonio park.
As guide service we choose a young girl whose name was Leslie. She seemed very prepared and reliable and had with her a gigantic telescope supported by a very heavy tripod.
The park, right from the entrance, was swarming with capuchin monkeys who fought among themselves in a very furious and aggressive manner (they are well known for not having a particularly docile character).
Among the many photos taken of the record, there was one that I too was amazed by: I saw one resting on the trunk of a tree and whose expression looked very much like that of a curious child wondering what was happening environment.
The park is not that big but it has the particularity that it is right on the sea and among the lush vegetation there is a beach that we decide to visit, very popular and well known for the color of the sand and the water in contrast with the green of the surrounding vegetation.
After the stop on the beach we walk along a path where the day before (Leslie shows us from her phone) there was a boa that had preyed on a green basilisk and she had taken a photo in which she could see the snake ingesting the prey. Lucky her.
However, another surprise happened to us: a beautiful specimen of sloth and this time I didn’t have it very close to me. The photo I take is a beautiful photo with the subject set.
After lunch, we returned to the national park again for the afternoon since the paid ticket could be used throughout the entire day.
In addition to the numerous capuchin monkeys which by now had also tired me, from the bridge I managed to see a caiman but the most beautiful thing was undoubtedly the photo I managed to take of a green macaw, a parrot of considerable size (same family as scarlet macaw) which was sitting there calmly on a tree trunk totally undisturbed and indifferent to the presence of people.
That afternoon was the last day of sharing the journey with the two boys, Kiko and Adri who would continue the journey towards Panama, to the south while I would slowly move towards the interior, first passing through other places.
Meanwhile I arrived in Esterillos. I was very tired, really exhausted, leaving behind another tiring but very very satisfying day.
From Esterillos to Jaco’
After breakfast, I took the bus: direction Jacò.
Jacò is a seaside town on the Pacific, very touristy. It doesn’t feel like Costa Rica at all, actually.
That day I decide to rest and organize the days ahead.
The mental tiredness was starting to make itself felt because I was having a wonderful trip.
I spent the afternoon by the pool in the hostel and in the evening I calmly had a dinner in the center and a bit of shopping for friends who had asked me for a little something from Costa Rica.
From Jaco’ towards the city
I wake up calmly and take a walk along the coast, losing a little time here and there to wait for midday.
At that time I collected the vehicle that I had rented the day before, which I would then easily return to the airport for a small extra fee.
Jacò is on the same highway that passes in front of the Carara national park and the crocodile bridge and so I took the opportunity to return to the park again.
That day, however, was not a satisfactory day on a photographic level, but there was a very expert guide who was holding a group and I took the opportunity to listen to what he was saying.
I finish the tour at the park, take the vehicle and head to the crocodile bridge.
From the bridge we could see about thirty crocodiles lying on the banks while someone, intrigued by our presence, headed right under us who were used to receiving food from passers-by.
Nearby there was the town of Tarcoles which to this day I can’t explain why I didn’t have the desire to visit it since it was very characteristic and I remember a scene that I don’t even know why I hadn’t decided to photograph. I was in the car and there was crazy traffic and I was practically still.
I finally arrive in the city and book a hostel that seemed anything but a hostel since it was a gigantic, new structure and it was impossible that they only asked for €10 for a bed with breakfast included.
The place was beautiful and I booked it for 6 nights, as I felt that my trip was almost over and I needed to rest and this was the perfect place: they had a swimming pool, gym, billiards and a yoga room.
That afternoon Krizia came to visit me and we spent the evening on the terrace of the hostel, chatting and having a few cold beers.
Then she comes home and we arranged to meet the next day to have an aperitif.
In a hostel in San Jose’
Breakfast was served in a large lounge on the ground floor and despite it being high season, the hostel was not particularly full.
While I was enjoying the crepes with honey with my eyes still sleepy, I heard a conversation in Italian not far from me: it was the receptionist and another boy with a northern accent.
I pretend nothing happened for a while, then when the boy sat down at the table I introduced myself. His name was Alessandro, he had been in Costa Rica for more or less a year and was a tattoo artist.
I immediately thought of getting a tattoo of something that reminded me of the trip and in the end what did I do? Do you know that famous tree frog tattoo done in Australia 6 years earlier? I had it reworked with lines that weren’t there before and I had the writing “Pura Vida” added which, translated into Italian, means Pure Life but in Costa Rica it is used for almost everything, even when you enter a shop and instead of saying thank you they reply with Pura Vida.
Happy with my revised tattoo I go to look for a pharmacy to buy some cream to apply on it.
In the afternoon I joined Krizia in a place in Heredia, the Kawah café and as soon as they realized that I wasn’t from the place they started asking me where I was from, what job I did etc… In the end they wanted me to stop there and work to introduce the pizza Italian in their restaurant (how easy it is to find work as a pizza chef anywhere in the world).
After the aperitif, we take a walk in a shopping center and we decide to go back together to the hostel terrace for the usual chat overlooking the sunset.
San Jose’
In the meantime, other people had joined my dormitory and when I wake up, trying not to make any noise, I see many beds that had been occupied.
I went down to have breakfast and in the meantime I agreed with Raquel to go and visit a place nearby which was an animal rescue centre. There were animals that were injured, or that had had problems of any kind and therefore could not have survived in the wild.
There was everything… Two things struck me: the anaconda skin displayed in a hall and the reticulated python inside a display case. I had only ever seen the anaconda in documentaries and until then I hadn’t been able to realize how big it was. It never ended, it was at least 7 meters long.
Beautiful experience.
I said goodbye to Raquel and in the meantime for the next day we had planned to go and visit the national park which was home to the Irazù volcano, another symbol of the country, in the Cartago region.
Irazu’ Volcano
Breakfast and off to the appointment with Raquel.
The volcano itself turns out to be a bit of a disappointment: nice, yes, but nothing special. The cost of entry was too high for what awaited us but it was still one more place I had visited.
During the return journey at a certain point we hear a loud noise coming from under the vehicle after hitting a pretty deep hole. Something had broken, the noise never stopped.
Luckily I had paid for extra insurance which would have covered any type of accident, thank goodness but the fear of making a bad impression upon return was already attacking me. What if they would then make me pay something? I was nervous, and quite a bit.
Raquel, however, had an idea: she told me to stop in a town that was on the way back because there was a consecrated and very famous church there. She came out of the church with some holy water which she poured on my car making the sign of the cross. At that moment I calmed down: the car still made that strange noise, but ultimately it was still moving.
I take Raquel home and say goodbye to her, thanking her for everything, for her help, for her availability on the first day when she came to pick me up and for the company. I was leaving that day and believe me, I couldn’t wait. I was tired and it shows by the fact that I wasn’t taking any photographs in the last few days.
I return to the hostel and guess what? I meet Kiko and Adri by pure chance, they too attracted by that structure found on booking… We hug each other as if we were lifelong friends.
When you travel and step out of the ordinary, everything becomes more intense and the mind suddenly seems to always be present and aware of what is happening. I am sure that years later, I will remember everything about my travels.
I go back home
The flight was in the afternoon and I decided to relax in view of the long journey that awaited me with a one-night stop in Madrid (my choice) to visit the city.
I felt sad and happy at the same time.
It was a beautiful adventure, full of emotions, photographic results, discovery, free initiative.
I went solo to a Central American country as a beginner photographer but with a hunger for victory (a characteristic that has always distinguished me a bit). It had all happened in the 5 months before departure: I had returned in May from a working season in Austria and I had put aside a nice nest egg which I decided to invest all on the same day, but for a simple reason: I had the money needed to bring my dreams to life. On the same day I bought my car, my first camera, the ticket to Costa Rica and the professional Tour Leader course that I was taking in the meantime and which I was supposed to take the exam for the following week.
It was the end of November and I only had a week to take two exams (one written and one oral) and then take the train back to Austria for a new winter season as a pizza chef.
Something magical happened that week: a friend called me and told me that in Pescara there was a photographic exhibition of a traveling boy who loved photographing people. I went there.
He was very good in his genre and that very evening, an idea came to mind. It was on a Monday.
I called Nicola, one of my best friends ever who was the owner of a cocktail bar in our city of Chieti and I proposed to him to have a photographic exhibition inside his place.
His response was “Yes, fine”.
Practically in just 5 remaining days I would have had to take the written and oral exams which I had not prepared at all.
Except that once I returned from the trip I felt like crying all the time, as if I felt the need to express that avalanche of emotion and adventure that I was carrying.
But I “let off steam” in a different way: I started selecting all the photos that I would print for the exhibition and which I would then glue onto black cards.
The written exam wasn’t difficult, it was all quizzes and some open questions.
For the oral exam I prepared a tourist itinerary for Costa Rica; I had just returned and I felt completely in control of my trip which I would have presented to any travel agency and which they would never have been able to refuse. The oral exam ended with a very long round of applause from the teachers, jury and classmates.
I was proud of myself, but more than anything I understood what my path was. As difficult as it was, it came naturally to me. Travel and photography encompass a bit of everything that is my person.
The same evening as the exam I had the exhibition at Nicola’s and I only had two hours to prepare the cards.
I call Maurizio, one of my best friends who comes to lend me a hand and who throughout the trip I had constantly updated on all my results.
Suddenly they all seemed to be rooting for me, which for me was further confirmation that I was on the right path.
In the evening at Nicola’s we were packed: we had set up the place in a very nice and attractive way. I had sold lots of prints and Nicola had made his night selling his cocktails. He sent me an audio late at night. I was in my bed but I had too much adrenaline on me, who could sleep? He sent me a few minutes of audio that filled me with compliments, telling me to move forward now that I had definitively understood what my path was.
I was crying, I was happy.
After a few hours I would have the train to Austria.
End of an adventure, end of the adventure.
Thank you Costa Rica.
