The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying.

Modern society is a fanatical religion. We are demolishing, poisoning, destroying all life systems on the planet. We are signing IOUs our children will not be able to pay... we are acting as if we were the last generations on the planet. Without a radical change in heart, in mind, in vision, the earth will end up like Venus, charred and dead.  

Sogyal Rinpoche starts off this book by alerting us that our belief that this life is all we have leads to short term planetary detrimental effects. Fundamentally believing that this is the only life, modern people have not developed long term vision. So there is nothing to restrain us from plundering the planet for our own immediate gain and from living in a selfish way. To me, this makes a well-reasoned proclamation regardless if you have any religious interests or not. He goes on to argue that belief in life after death brings about moral and ethical values for life on the planet. My answers to "What would it mean if I accepted death?" surprised me and gave me a new vision of how my life would look.

Serendipitously, I had encountered a video on fora.tv (which I pasted on my facebook wall a few days ago) where Wade Davis, an archeologist, brilliantly argues that modern man's way of life is disastrous. A very important and timely video in my opinion. Amber and I thoroughly enjoyed it and viewed it over 2 evenings as it took 1.5 hours. Save it for the weekend!

http://fora.tv/2010/01/13/Wade_Davis_Why_Ancient_Wisdom_Matters_in_the_Modern_World

Learning to channel.

2 fins from el torpe have broken off. The first one last week probably from scraping on the bottom of the beach coming into shore. I don't know how the second one broke.

We're going to head towards the the center of town tomorrow. I want to rent a short board and try surfing waves more conducive to newbies. Also on the lookout for a dealer who's willing to exchange/buy el torpo. I feel it's too big and I can't do any duck dives on it. I'll have a better idea after trying out the short board.

We've been lazing big time on the beaches, reading and surfing. This book on channelling, which I've already finished and come back to now and again, is very interesting. The author, Lita De Alberdi, holds workshops in Somerset, London where she helps people channel guides who help in their personal growth. She says these guides only connect with you when you ask them to. So I tried it a couple of days ago. I started off with about 30 minutes of my usual meditation, and requested to connect to the highest possible guide (as coached from the book). Almost immediately I felt tingly sensations and heaviness in my head. It was not unpleasant. Now these sensations are not completely new to me as vipassana is all about being equanimous to pleasurable and aversive sensations all over the body. The contrast however, was that it was centered wholly in my head, around the prefrontal cortex. Then there was the perception of a blue-ish conglomeration in the blackness of the insides of my eyelid. I curbed the impulse to intellectualize it and just observed it as it was. Tell you what, apart from watching this strange blue 'quality,' there was a part of my brain that was frantic with the yearning to 'grasp' this mysterious phenomena. Soon, the quietness of the casita (Amber is usually on the computer when I meditate) was infiltrated by sightly muffled row being made mainly from the male of the couple living next door. I was quite disappointed by the interruption and after 10 or so minutes of the argument not dissipating, I ended my meditation as gently as possible.

The book is filled with many interesting outlooks and anecdotes of people who have "connected." I recall mum sharing an experience that she had on stage in front of an audience. Overcome with stage-fright, she committed to God that she be used as an instrument for His words, and that subsequently she felt something take her over and delivered a pretty impressive oration. I also thought about Ramtha, who is a self-proclaimed channeler herself, and of whom inspired me to purchase this book in the first place. I thought also about my recent visit to the vipassana practicing Michael Beckwith's Agape Church (Michael, not the church) in Los Angeles and how his style of preaching seemed to surge so fluidly from his mouth. Could he too be channelling from a higher source? I felt hopeful and inflamed to know and experience more!

The guided meditations provided from the book are not particularly different from how I've become accustomed. It warns to refrain from grasping. When I try to look for a particular experience, I'm not meditating. I need to give up grasping for experiences, so I can experience. When I get my ego (personality) out of the way, I create the open space to channel.

Moving on.. Amber and I were at the beach this afternoon and we saw this MONSTER of a hermit crab.   It almost swallowed me whole!

Also we've learnt to bring fruit along with us to the beach. We like to spend hours being by the waves and in the sun reading and occasionally jumping into the ocean. Mango by the sea. Mmm, almost beats chilled watermelon at mid-day!

Amber looks really good in her new bikini, I reckon. Check out her backside in this one! (Don't take too long though)

Easy like sunday morning.

Early blog entry today. It's just before 7am and I've already done an hour of meditation and doing some browsing on the internet. Amber is still in bed which hardly ever happens (She's usually up before me). It gets light here pretty early 5am and sunset is about 6pm. I'd rather spend more time in daylight.

Amber bought a vivacious new bikini and I bought new boardies from Kina surf shop yesterday. We are very pleased with our purchases. I immediately took it out for a test surf:

                                                                                                                                 

Amber had a bit of a traumatizing experience the night before last. She was lying face down reading in bed. I was on another bed on the other side of the room. She felt something crawl on the back of her leg, and when she turned around, saw a scorpion on her right calf! She jumped out of bed with the speed of an olympic sprinter. Check out the uninvited guest:

It was pretty frightening to think that we could have been sleeping with a scorpion. Although we did find out that scorpion stings are not fatal and they usually just hurt for a day or so, without any medical treatment required. 

Our culinary skills are improving. We cook dinner on a rotational basis: I cook, Amber cooks, we both cook together-cycle. Meals from the previous 2 nights have been our most impressive.

Amber's assorted vegetables with mango on rice.

                    My spaghetti with beef, onion omelette with green beans.

Email to mum.

Being in regular communication with mum via email, she had asked if I was a Buddhist. I question which I had never given much though about before. So I decided to! And here, with her permission, was my response.

Hi mum,
I thought about whether I'm a Buddhist or not. In my experience, a lot of people are born into the religious tradition of their family, and take on that religion, be it Buddhist, Hindu, Christian etcetera. They call themselves these but when faced with daily crisis, or great decisions in their lives, they don't really take their teachings into account. So I refrain from labeling myself. You could say I'm none of these labels, or you could say I'm all of these labels. As long as I see truth in the teaching, and practice living it in daily life, I feel I'm on the spiritual path. 

I find vipassana commonsensical for my spiritual practice because it is essentially nonsectarian. There is no conjuring of images or chanting as such (not that these are bad such as tongues), but being silent and relinquishing the minds constant chatter I feel is the purest spiritual practice there is - aside from prayer which I've noticed I'm incorporating more of. The profundity of my first 'enlightening' experience during my first 10 day course has convinced me that this practice is authentic and works. That is, it makes a positive difference in how I live my life. 

I hope I've successful attempted to clarify a question that I can simply give a yes or no answer to!

Pura vida,

Snowdon

Shopping in paradise.

 My beautiful wife and I (I'm still getting used to the feeling of those words rolling off my tongue) took that long walk on the beach into town again today. Our plan was to find a comfy restaurant where we could eat, drink and read for most of the afternoon. Also, I brought along 2012 - the book I've had since leaving Wellington. I planned to sell it at the trade and exchange bookstore.

We found a place called 'The Bakery.' It looked like the most respectable place of all we've seen in Mal Pais. Prices would be what you'd expect back home (if you're from Wellington), and we've been pretty good at saving money by cooking our own meals since we've been here. I ordered spagetti bolognaise and mango juice con lechi, Amber got Mousaka and latte. My meal was pretty good and the portion was just perfect for me (I get upset when I pay good money for a meal and leave still hungry). We sat and read for a bit and then went to the bookstore.

We must've spent about an hour browsing at the bookshop. The air conditioning helped. I came away with 2 new books! (and sold 2012 for US$4)

I've had my eye on The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying for some time now and am glad that I chanced upon it today. Channeling - What It Is and How to Do It is the zaniest book I've ever owned. Sifting through the contents of this book brought back memories about our captivating meeting with Sapphire. Also, I have been particularly drawn to a spiritual teacher/mystic from the movie 'What the Bleep Do We Know.' whose real name is JZ Knight. She claims to channel the spirit guide Ramtha and I thought this book would help me learn more about this mysterious phenomena.

But right now, I've got my head buried in the more conventional and scholarly written Paradox of Choice.

Quantum and the Lotus

Quantum and the Lotus, as described earlier in a previous blog, is about a conversation between science and Buddism. Appropriately deliberated between a scientist turned monk and a Buddist-born astrophysicist. In a nutshell, both authors acknowledge the limits of western science/technology and advocate 'contemplative science' as a path to further discovery and transformation.

Just a couple of highlights: I was fascinated about the story of reincarnation and past lives. Shanti Devi, born in 1915 I think it was, in India. Who at the age of 10 (again, if I remember correctly) had very distinct memories of being married, and constantly described names and places that her parents/people around her had no knowledge of. Finally, from frustration of her parents not believing her, she ran away and did actually find her husband and relatives from her previous life. This was such an astonishing story that even Ghandi came to visit to talk with her. It was not mentioned in his biography!

I was also encouraged and in agreement to the monks' attestation that contemplative science could be "proven," if one applied himself to the method. I was pleasantly surprised when he described the meditation 'experiment' in the traditional western empirical format.

Hypothesis - Attachment to ego is source of all our troubles

Method - Analysis of ego and its effects (Analytical meditation aka vipassana)

Experiment - Application of contemplation/introspection

Result - Elimination of attachment and afflictive emotions.

Matthieu continues to argue - True, the results are not tangible as what one might expect in a peer review. However, the effects of the experiment can clearly be seen by how one has changed and the new qualities he emanates. - His way of being, his actions, his words. Only someone who attempts to conduct this experiment on his own mind will see the results (So will his peers). He uses the Dalai Lama as an example, and celebrities who have had the good fortune to come into his presence, that are visibly affected by his radiance instantly.

Even though I found several chapters of this book difficult to read and comprehend, it was fascinating and thoroughly informative. One chapter describing the Big Bang and the expanding universe just blew me away and gave me whole new dimension for my mind to ponder when looking into that sunset. It's certainly one for my bookshelf!

I'm now reading 'The Paradox of Choice - Why more is less,' by Barry Schwartz.

Awestruck.

They weren't kidding when they said Costa Rica was rich in biodiversity. Since we've been here, we've seen monkeys, hummingbirds, scorpions, exotic spiders, giant iguanas, pelicans, stingray, horses and crabs. Many of which we find at our doorstep!

Scorpions at Nancy's house, green iguana in Santa Teresa.

Land crab, hummingbird. *See Ambers blog entitled 'Nature Watch' for more pictures and story.

We experienced thunder and rain last night for the first time in Santa Teresa. There was a blackout which lasted over an hour and made me contemplate how much I take electricity for granted. It was uncomfortable without any light and air conditioning and I had to go outside to lay in the hammock. Security guard heard noises in the dark (me coming out of the casita) and walked up to check. "Hola! It's just me. Calor (hot)." I blurted out. He politely uttered back spanish words I could not understand. He couldn't be any older than 25. I wondered what life would be like for me if I was born a tico.

I felt dispirited for most of this morning and afternoon. I struggled through 40 minutes of meditation this morning and felt zero enthusiasm to jump in the ocean with el torpe. Negative thoughts clouded my mind and I got discouraged that I still felt 'down' when I've been putting in the effort to meditate regularly. Questions like "Whats the point?" and "You're not doing it right." bombarded my mind and feelings of helplessness overwhelmed me. Then I was reminded why my practice was important to me. Matthieu Ricard, in Quantum and the Lotus said: "..an understanding of their (thoughts) emptiness releases us from their hold. Disruptive thoughts gradually lose their power to whip up storms inside us and to make us negative as regards others. When thoughts appear, we watch them come and go, like an old man quietly watching children at play." Also,"The essential aim of contemplative science is to become a better person. The way of life that this implies can seem off putting. Finding the inner energy to get rid of all our faults is no easy job. The idea of attacking our own egos is repulsive. We then slump back into an inertia that is one of the main obstacles to the spiritual life." I felt like I was 'gotten', as Landmark leaders/people used to say, and immediately felt rejuvenated.

Later that afternoon, Amber and I went down to the beach with our surfboards and our books and I got a surf in. When we had enough, Amber decided to work on her blog back at the casita and I decided to do my Santa Teresa-Mal Pais beach run. 35 minutes 36 seconds. I whipped up dinner when I got back (a casado-inspired meal) and boy did it taste good!

I love how I (Amber too) have this time to think about our lives, and what is important to us. I love how my days here are filled with wonder, meditation, self-reflection, reading, exercise, and learning how to relate to each other (Amber). Looking out into the sunset over the Pacific and being awestruck by the beauty of this world.

Why are there so many songs about rainbows

and what's on the other side?

Rainbows are visions, but only illusions,

and rainbows have nothing to hide.

So we've been told and some choose to believe it.

I know they're wrong, wait and see.

Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection.

The lovers, the dreamers and me.

Who said that every wish would be heard

and answered when wished on the morning star?

Somebody thought of that and someone believed it.

Look what it's done so far.

What's so amazing that keeps us star gazing

and what do we think we might see?

Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection.

The lovers, the dreamers and me.

All of us under its spell. We know that it's probably magic.

Have you been half asleep and have you heard voices?

I've heard them calling my name.

Is this the sweet sound that called the young sailors.

The voice might be one and the same.

I've heard it too many times to ignore it.

It's something that I'm supposed to be.

Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection.

The lovers, the dreamers and me

First HD video!

We've decided to stay at Surf Casitas for the rest of our stay here. Ugo gave us a good deal, and in light of him saving our bag when we first got here, we feel more than happy to be giving him more business. He was pleased too.

Ugo's 3 rental casitas are surrounded by mango trees, and he told us that monkeys will be coming round more and more as the fruit have ripened. He finds this a nuisance and is planning to have the fruit cut down. The monkeys come, take a few bites, from a mango, and toss it to the ground. In previous years he has seen his property littered with decomposing fruit and wants to prevent that from happening again. Amber and I woke up one morning to hear rustling in the trees just above our casita. We caught 2 monkeys come in for a feed. Check it out.



Very cool how the LUMIX can take HD videos, however the Wifi internet connect here isn't the best and took me 15-20 minutes to upload 'monkey friends.'

Quantum and the Lotus on Playa Santa Teresa

Our supermarket 5 minutes down the road.

Amber in our very comfortable casita.

We are sending out numerous job applications to schools in Japan for their august/september intake this week. It would be ideal to have work waiting for us by the time we leave Costa Rica. Also, our trip around Europe will take much detailed planning as well, so we actually have quite a lot to do over the next few weeks.

It's GREEN, baby!

Today I experienced the opposite ends of the emotional spectrum of a fledgling surfer. The waves were crashing in fast and heavy and I struggled to get el torpe and myself out far enough to not have to contend with them. I had almost gotten into an ideal position when my shoulders had had just quite enough, so I took a breather when there was a lull. Apparently I had gotten in the way of a local female surfer and as she took a wave, came straight at me! She had to jump off out of the way and our surfboards (with us underwater) smacked into each other. She was pissed! And I just stared blankly in shock at her while she barraged me in enraged spanish. It sounded beautiful, but I was embarrassed. When she realised that I had no idea what she was saying she was quiet. Still upset, I disentangled our cords so I could get away quickly enough before she decided to eat me.

There was another big lull, and the unpleasant lecture on 'surfing etiquette' I had just received made me more acutely aware of what I was doing. A big wave came in, I paddled out just enough to position myself at the spot right between where the wave begins to pour over and the big swell of the ocean. I waited for the board to catch the wave, then stood up and went at a 45 degree angle toward the left.

WHAT A RUSH!

Pura vida (Pure life)

Yesterday we walked southward along the beach down to the end of Playa Carmen and the start of Mal Pais. Took us a leisurely hour. We found a small but modern shopping complex that looked brand new. It had small shops selling trinklets, surf wear, fish, beauty services and the gem of the whole lot - a trade and exchange bookshop! What a find! Amber noticed 2 books in there that were on her reading list. My last book was that biography of Gandhi which I had left in Monteverde and had my eyes peeled for another. Among the several I was tempted to acquire, I chose Quantum and the Lotus. The authors are Matthieu Ricard, a molecular biologist turned Buddist monk/official French translator for the Dalai Lama, and Trinh Xuan Thuan, an astrophysicist and specialist on how galaxies are formed. They discuss in this book the parallels between physics and Buddism.

Amber doing a handstand along walk to local shopping complex.

The bookshop is going to be useful. I anticipate reading a lot over the next 6 weeks before we leave for New York, but having this bookshop will ensure we have reading material for our next leg of our journey.

At our second surf today I watched a really good blonde male surfer in the water. He was turning and weaving his was on the waves with mastery. You can tell the locals from the visitors here. Pale and lumpy beach joggers at 5-ish in the afternoon versus the tanned, lean and ripped swagger of costa denizens. What a great way to stay healthy, combined with a customary diet of beans, rice, vegetables and fruit. Including that one have a desire for spiritual and practical secular knowledge, what else could one need?

Later, I noticed a few adolescent bodyboarders occupy the same area of water as blondie. They were obviously in the way of him and his waves and he showed aversion by surfing uncomfortably close to them in attempt in shooing them away. This reminded me of a segment in Quantum and the Lotus: Unless there is a shift in human consciousness and endeavor towards altruism for fellow human beings, the world will continue to see war and suffering (in my own words). The surfer had to find another spot.

I was crabby for most of the afternoon. In the moment I was almost perplexed by how and why I was feeling this way. I felt powerless in the subjugation of my aggravation. It discouraged me to feel that even in a near ideal environment and a perfectly scheduled morning, doing the stuff I think most important, that I could still feel miserable. The closest around me (Amber) are affected and I lament in retrospect over my behavior. Yet, in the moment, it's a struggle to overcome my emotions. I continue feel deeply that to have  a sense of plentitude at the end of this life is to have control over my mind.

Monkey friends wake us up.

This morning's usual crowing of the rooster was disrupted by the screeching of a troop of monkeys passing by. It got us out of bed and we watched monkeys jumping from tree to tree all around our casita. They knew we were around because their howling stopped. It is beautiful to live amongst the wild.

Amber went for a run while I did 45 minutes of meditation. I suggested we head straight out to get our first surf in (We do 2-3 surfs a day). As usually I got "munched" by a huge wave. But I did also get a good one even though I didn't manage to stay on my board for very long. I have to be more selective with my waves because every time I catch one, I tend to ride it all the way in to shore. It takes a lot to get back out there. These waves can be ferocious, but probably more so because I'm still an amateur.

I like that I have a lot of time to contemplate on things. I've adopted Amber's example of taking up a notebook to journal my thoughts and ideas. I list what I'd like to write about on my blog and write notes about the books I'm reading. I've also started a dream log. My dreams have been more intense and lingering since changing my living patterns. I have read and believe that meditating lubricates this mental faculty. I have taken on Sapphire's advice and remind myself throughout the day to take lots of water. I envisage this a year of adventure, pilgrimage and purification.

Walking along playa Santa Teresa.

Amber coming our after a dip in the Pacific.

Surf's up!

My first surfboard ever. Mini-mel, 7" 4 ft.

Lounging on the hammock while Amber on the internet.

We're back in Santa Teresa (Mal Pais)

We're back!

Last night we went over to Cindy's to thank her for looking after us while at Monteverde. Beverley had also returned and was spending the night at Cindy's before moving back into her casa. She lived in New York for 6 years and gave us a list of things we could do when we were there. She warned that it was very expensive. Also she did not know how I could get seats for the Late Show. We stayed and chatted and were soon joined by Liz and her partner Stu. Liz is also a teacher at Cloud-Forest. They were a lovely couple and we all got along very well. These Americans are ace, and I was saddened for not having gotten to know them better.

Next morning the shuttle picked us up (and 6 others) from around Monteverde. It dropped us off at the ferry terminal (Us and a Greek couple Olympia and Antonio,who were headed for Montezuma). At the other end we boarded another shuttle that took us to Santa Teresa. Surf Casitas is not well advertised so we had to do a few back and forths before finding it. We found it and I ran out to open the unattended gate. The path led up a gradient with the 3 casitas neatly lined up on the left which I followed to let Ugo (host) know we had arrived, the bags being unloaded behind me. Shuttle guys left (there were 2 guys) and we started putting our stuff into the very nice looking casita. I looked for my backpack (We have 2 travel packs, 2 day packs, 2 surf boards and a plastic bag with food) but could not find it! I panicked! It must be still in the van! Ugo called "Quality" shuttles, who said would return our call after calling the boys in the van. 5 minutes.. 10 minutes.. Ugo called back and this time conversed with controlled indignation. Operator said they were checking the van and would call back. 5 minutes.. 10 minutes, Ugo calls again and operator says they haven't called back. I felt sick. Ugo warned that he was calling the police, and operator says to be patient as "they are usually pretty good with these things." (Ugo explained the conversations to me after each call.) The more minutes passed the more I felt I would never get my day pack back. Finally, the operator tells us they've found it and are on the way back. Amber and I breathe a sigh of relief. He explains to us that passive crime is rampant in Costa Rica. Give the opportunity, and they will take it. Amber and I wait outside the gate for the shuttle to return. Ugo tells us to call him when they get here. He wants to make sure we get our stuff back. 5 minutes, 10 minutes.. Ugo appears from behind us on his motorbike and asks me to hop on. This guy's awesome! There is a single unpaved road that makes up Santa Teresa and we keep a look out for the shuttle as we zip past other motorists and pedestrians without helmets on (apparently we don't need them). The longer we ride, the more worried and apprehensive about the intentions of these shuttle guys from "Quality Shuttle." We spot them! I wave my hand to stop the oncoming van. I take my time to check that it's all there. Wallet with cash there, yep. Travel book with passport, two wads of cash behind the passport totaling 270,000 colones (approx. US$550) and plane tickets. All there! We left and I noticed that the driver didn't look too happy.  Ugo told me that as I was checking my bag that they had asked for $20 "recovery fee." Basically Ugo told them to shove it.

I'm pretty convinced that we were only able to recover our pack through Ugo's efforts. He knew how things work around here. This could so easily have gone so badly (and it would have too!) and ruined our holiday. Running through what had happened from alighting the shuttle, I know the driver used the confusion of locating Surf Casitas (Amber and I jumping in and out of van) and unloading to take our bag when we were't watching. We were the last 2 passengers to alight. I know he even used the lackey to deliver our surfboards to the casita door (which I did think was peculiar). I'm not certain if both of them were in on it, but I know the driver was crooked. I know they took so long to return because they were probably deciding what to do. Gross.

All that said and done, we're back at the lovely beaches of Santa Teresa. It truly is beautiful here, and it did take us (me, at least. Amber seemed rather unemotional about the whole thing) a while to get over that very traumatic episode. I feel sympathy for every other person/people who have had their belongings taken from them. It's a terrible thing. Yet I think about the environment the shuttle guys have been brought up with. Stealing was probably just another way of surviving for them. I don't know. And I wondered what their lives were like, and how not-so-good it must be for them to have to resort to stealing. What would Gandhi do?

Here is a picture I took just now of our casita. http://www.costaricasurfcasitas.com/

More pictures of Santa Teresa tomorrow.

Last day in Monteverde.

Today is our last day in Monteverde. I have arranged for a shuttle to pick us up in front of La Colina Lodge tomorrow morning at 0730hrs to take us to Surf Casitas in Santa Teresa. The trip will take appriximately 6 hours. Amber and I are looking forward to it! I promise myself (and Amber) that I will catch a "green wave" by the time we leave Costa Rica. I have lots of practice to do.

I am learning from Louis Fischer's biography of Gandhi. I'm about 4/5ths of the way through that monster of a book and I'm not sure if I'll finish it by bedtime. A lot of book is really about the history of India (and at the beginning, South Africa, where Gandhi first made his name as a successful lawyer), and the major historical events outside of India that Gandhi had participated (WW2). I find myself more absorbed when the author tells of how Gandhi lived his life daily, what he liked to read, how he treated his kids, his thoughts about what God is. The tedious unraveling of political events (and there was lot), I was not so interested in. However, the author has made the book very readable - even though I don't recall ever having had to use a dictionary so often in the reading of a book! By the way, Macbook comes with a very handy dictionary. I'd like to boast that my vocabulary of the english language has skyrocketed, but I think I've forgotten most of what those words I looked up meant. As I write this, I find myself involuntarily 'finishing' my sentences. Like making sure I don't sound un-intellible, which is all good, but Gandhi didn't 'treat' his words. He said what he thought, and when he said something wrong or unclear, he'd simply correct it with the next utterance. He was free to always say what he wanted. He dwelled in the truth moment by moment, not clinging to any dogma or belief. He was free, and that is very inspiring. He certainly did not walk on water, but he undeniably performed miracles.

The yogi's house in Mal Pais has not turned out in our favor. He had offered it to us at a very attractive price, but Amber and I have found his communications dubious and peculiar. I have found myself anxiously brooding over it. Yesterday, his previous tenant emailed forewarning me about his unconscionable behavior as her landlord which has just now led me decide permanently to cut off ongoing communication with him. The Snowdon of last week would have willingly provided you with explicitly lurid details of this episode, but I've taken on Amber's opinion of me tending to "not be very tactful" about how I can express myself. I wrote the email articulating my conclusion all the time present to being loving and compassionate. Just like Gandhi! (If I'm being honest, it's going to take a lot more practice.)

It's 3:28pm. I told Amber I'd meet her at the libreria at 3:30pm, so I'm detaching myself from making this blog entry perfect and posting it now.

Another day in Monteverde

Turns out the house in Mal Pais will not be ready until the 15th (Monday week), latest from Beverly is that she'll be back in action on wednesday so Amber may be able to keep working for a few more days. I am right now at Dulce Marzo cafe waiting for Amber to get out of school so we can have lunch. I bumped into Jason (Cindy's husband) on the way here and he recommended the curry. "Its spicy," he said.

'Service' here in ridiculous. I've noticed people going up to the counter and ordering since I've been here and they're up there forever. Not because they necessarily want to, but the guy behind the counter really takes his time! I went up to order a black ice tea when he finally had a moment to himself and just stood there waiting for him to acknowledge me while he was preparing the orders he just took before. Tell you what, ticos do things reeally laid back here and I find I have to check myself from getting impatient.

I've started reading 'The Life of Mahatma Gandhi,' by Louis Fisher. It's a pretty hefty biography and I hesitated to start reading it because 1.) I didn't think I'd be able to finish it before we left for Mal Pais, and 2.) I thought that it might be a monotonous and unstimulating read. So far it's been very difficult to put it down! I never knew that Gandhi was such a spiritual person and an avid reader of religion, namely the Bhagavad Gita. It's inspired me to read it too. Also among other authors he loved reading about are Ruskin, Tolstoy and Emerson. My reading list is snowballing! What's intriguing about Tolstoy, similarly to Gandhi, is their passionate advocacy of non-violent resistance, or "passive resistance" to human injustice. Tolstoy was bothered by the "discrepancy between Christ's message and mans way of life, and attempted to create his own way of life abandoning high society for the simple life to escape "intolerable luxury." I've put his book 'Kingdom of God is Within You' is on top of my reading list, although I don't know how realistic it is to find it in a Costa Rican bookshop.

Impervious to chaos.

I just now had an occurrence of seeing the practical aspect of vipassana in action. I received an email from Hari (Landlord for our upcoming place in Mal Pais) that Linda (Canandian girl staying at the house right now) has requested to extend her stay for another month. Spontaneous feelings of aversion, similar to the ones I've had recently over the LUMIX saga, started to well up. In that moment in what I can only attempt to express was an 'understanding'.. or that act of observing the aversive emotions dissipated it, allowing calm space with which I felt freedom to make a clear, effective choice. Free to make my choice, not clouded by any feeling of frustration or anger about the house situation being exactly as I think it should be,  was liberating.

Several more emails between Hari and I have transpired since the initial one and he's offered us his 2BR place (shared with Linda) until our scheduled flight departure on the 24th of April at US$550 incl. utilities - if anything, a better deal than what I had expected previously.

Monteverde saga

The beginning of our last week in Monteverde has started. It's Monday morning, school has re-opened, and I am back here at the all-to-familiar Stella's Bakery using drinking a yummy mango juice con leche (with milk). I haven't written on the blog most of last week as we've not spent a lot of time at these WiFi spots. 

It has been very comfortable at Cindy's house while they were away in Panama during the week. We spent most of 5 days buried in books. I was enthralled by Sophies World, which is a fictional story of a 14 year old girl who does a strange correspondence course with a mysterious philosopher who teaches her the history of philosophy. I found the fictional part to be juvenile and annoying at the beginning (I think it was written for young adults), but I found the information about the evolution of human thought, God and society exceedingly relevant and interesting. The author introduces to Sophie all the prominent thinkers from Socrates to Sartre and I felt like I was taking Philosophy 101. A highly recommended read if you've ever pondered the big questions like "Who am I," and "What am I here for?" 5 stars.

I've found another book (not quite as thick as Sophie's World) now that's perked my curiosity. The Religious Philosophy of Quakerism. As I had mentioned before, Monteverde is founded by Quakers and in my ignorance when I first heard someone mention Quakers, I blurted out "Jews!" (out loud or silently in my head I don't recall). I thought I'd start educating myself. What's really interesting right now about this book is that Quakers are sharing some of their personal "mystical experiences" in contemplation. Some of these accounts more than vaguely resemble my own during my first 10-day Vipassana course. I sense truth in their fundamental views as they place less emphasis on the written Word as a source of all Truth, but more on "Christ within." Less on receiving truth from the written word, and more on the spirit that wrote the word. Quakers do not disqualify the teachings and experiences of Buddism and Hinduism either, and actually finds many similarities.

We had major drama getting hold of our LUMIX digital camera mom sent us from New Zealand. I had been tracking its movements via internet and saw that it arrived at DHL office in Heredia (4 hour drive away) safely over a week ago. From there it kept indicating that it was shipped out (presumably to Monteverde) but sent back to the office. We called up and found out that we had to pay customs for it, and when we paid it, they again said that we had to fax in proof of payment at the bank. Then when they finally sent it, we went to the postal service here in Santa Elena (3km run into town), I noticed a DHL packet sitting on the shelf behind the young local attendant with a bad attitude. He glanced at our reference number we were provided with by DHL and said that the packet would arrive til late tonight, and to come back tomorrow morning. Next day when Amber came back, it seemed like he gave us the packet that we had seen on the shelf the previous day. Anyway, it's so good to have a working digital camera now. Amber and I have agreed not to open it up when we're on the beach to play safe. We do NOT want to use the Costa Rican postal service again.

So armed with our brand new LUMIX TOUGH, we spent an afternoon at SABINE'S SMILING HORSES. I was very excited as I've never ridden a horse before. http://www.horseback-riding-tour.com/horse-stable.htm. Forget lessons! Sabine and the guide just plonked me onto a horse (Aska) and off we went. Amber's had time on a horse before so I was the beginner. Amber, the guide and I rode over the hillside on our horses for about and hour and a half to a "secret" natural slide/waterfalls. Check it out:

It was an incredible experience riding a horse. Aska from time to time would turn her head slowly from side to side to look at me. She had very long and curly eye lashes. I could feel it huffing and puffing as she carried me up the hill (I was very aware not to whip her with the stick to make her go faster here) and it was amazing to see a horse sweat. I felt compassion for all the horses in the horror stories I've heard which had been abused by being over-worked or malnourished in tourist rides similar to these. The Lonely Planet Costa Rica advises tourists to check for themselves that their horse are happy and healthy. Toward the end of our day trip and nearing Sabine's stables, I could feel a very tired Asha perk up! She could sense that she was just about home. She went straight for the water trough, I got off and thanked her. "Muchas gracias, caballo," her left eye looking at me as I stroked the side of her mane several times as a goodbye gesture.

The entire trip took us 4 hours, and we were sore from head to toe the next day (friday). I also had a cut to my right eye ball I must have acquired from dust during the trip which rendered me useless all day friday. It's better now, although vision is still a little blurry on that eye. At least it's not painful anymore and has stopped percolating.

Oh my God, Selvatura zip lines! See http://www.selvatura.com/canopy.html. We did this on saturday. It was raining pretty heavily, but the experience of flying through the rainforest when it was moist was utterly heavenly! 11 zip lines in all with various inclines and lengths. Selvatura is recommended over the other tour companies because these zip lines actually go through (as opposed to above) the canopies. One second I was standing on a platform perched on a tree, and the next second you're literally flying magically through the air in the middle of a dense cloud forest (they call it cloud forest because we're so high up the clouds actually are in the forest). I felt like a character straight out of Avatar! What a another truly celestial experience! We chose our attractions well. *By the way, Amber and I, as wedding gifts, got money gifts as well, and we decided that these be spent on specific events such as Selvatura. I'm don't recall who paid for Amber's zip line ticket, but I decided that Jeevan paid for mine. Thanks Jeevs! What an amazing contribution!

So, I'm crossing out 2 out of 3 activities that are on our "must-see/do list for Monteverde. Last one is Monteverde Biological Reserve, apparently the most famous cloud-forest in the world. That's on friday. 

Monteverde es muy bonita.