The rain finally stopped as we turned out of the Volcano Lodge for our ride to Puntarenas. The heavy grey clouds lingered close above blanketing the rain forest. The winding road ahead was inviting, each turn gave us a new mountain - one with a small shack, a pasture with cows chewing the grass, small Tico children walking in groups of three on the side of the road. I never knew which would be the last, but without time, without fear, I didn't really care. The winding road may take longer but it's always the one worth driving.We made it to the main road and followed the sign pointing us west to San Ramon where we would find Route 1 to Puntarenas. A westbound ferry would await our arrival.
The main road twisted in and out of the volcano - I held the steering wheel tightly in my left hand and the gear shift trembled to the rocky road rhythm in my right. La Fortuna disappeared slowly beneath a dip in the road - I watched its decent in the side mirror like a blazing Venice sunset diving into the Pacific.
And as the single-lane bridge leading into the edge of La Fortuna slowly disappeared, the heavy cloud cover split around the volcano and for the first time in two days, without a drop of rain, without a twist in the road, the sky opened up and gave us what it was we came here for in the first place - a volcano.
"There it is!" I shouted to Tanya, letting go of the gear shift and pointing to the mountain to our right. I gently slowed the Suzuki to a stop at the base of the rocky dirt road leading to the waterfall.
"Look babe! The volcano! Finally!"
"Let's drive up the road a little for a better view," she suggested. "We can take a picture." She was drawn to this road - to where it led us yesterday. She followed the road and let the mouth of God swallow her whole. As with each turn in the road, a world anew, we couldn't say "no" to another adventure.
I pushed the gear shift into first and stepped on the gas. The tires skidded on the dirt which created a dust storm that floated over the windshield. I pushed the gear into second and drove through the dust cloud. The car bounced to the scattered holes in the road. Rocks and gravel, potholes and mud, I drove the Suzuki slowly towards the volcano like an Olympian skier flying downhill in the 100 meter slalom. This course was double black diamond, each turn giving us another jolt, bouncing us out of our seats and twisting our stomachs into nausea. I felt like just maybe I could throw up if I wanted to.
I brought the car to a stop at a small little farm. A large skinny cow bent over chewing the short wet grass between his legs. He didn't notice we were watching him.
"The cows are so skinny here," Tanya noticed. "Skinny moo moos. It's because they're healthy here. They're not given hormones and overfed."She pulled the camera off the dashboard, opened her door, and stepped out of the car.
"He's so cute, honey! Hey moo moo!" The cow ignored her.
I don't think I said a word to Tanya or the cow. I was being pulled once again into the heart of God. The clouds floated overhead, so close I could almost touch them, and opened wide at God's gate. The sun peeked through the soft grey sky lighting up, right there hefore more very own eyes, for the first time in two rainy days, the volcano top. The lush green rainforest stopped at its peak, blackness just above and red hot lava within. The blood of God boiling and turning.
Tanya snapped a photo of the cow. And another. I walked a few steps up the road towards the volcano. The air was thick and warm but breathable. Two small bugs buzzed around my face, I tried to slap them away but they were too quick for my mutiny. I stopped and turned to Tanya who was right there behind watching me through the lens. Click, click - snapping a couple winners for an iPhoto slide show.
She walked up to me and wrapped her arm around my neck. Her skin was soft and she smelled like jasmine. She stretched her left arm out in front of us and pushed her face against mine. Click, click. Two wanderers alone on a dirt road leading up and into the mouth of God. The two of us standing alone in a rainforest without rain. On our way out of town, the clouds had opened the sky and the sun peeked through the mist giving us at long last what we came here to see. Click, click.
The road winded endlessly on our four hour journey to San Ramon. I kept my eyes glued ahead, one glance to a market on the right could have sent the Suzuki in flight into a mile deep rocky ravine. So my eyes straight ahead to the winding road. Once every few minutes though I risked death and snuck a peek to my side mirror. Every so often I stole a glance to watch a cow, or a little waterfall, or a group of three Tico children disappear beneath the winding road like a sunset.
She walked up to me and wrapped her arm around my neck. Her skin was soft and she smelled like jasmine. She stretched her left arm out in front of us and pushed her face against mine. Click, click. Two wanderers alone on a dirt road leading up and into the mouth of God. The two of us standing alone in a rainforest without rain. On our way out of town, the clouds had opened the sky and the sun peeked through the mist giving us at long last what we came here to see. Click, click.
The road winded endlessly on our four hour journey to San Ramon. I kept my eyes glued ahead, one glance to a market on the right could have sent the Suzuki in flight into a mile deep rocky ravine. So my eyes straight ahead to the winding road. Once every few minutes though I risked death and snuck a peek to my side mirror. Every so often I stole a glance to watch a cow, or a little waterfall, or a group of three Tico children disappear beneath the winding road like a sunset.
