Exercise, diet, shitting cows and the yogi.

I have been starting to feel muscular atrophy these past few days, and have decided to add a strength component with my daily runs. 80-85 push ups, 24-32 pull-ups and a bunch of crunches split evenly into 4 sets. It hasn't been very inspiring doing these in the casa so I'm constantly mixing it up. I've got a bunch of variations and I reckon I could go a couple of weeks before I'll have to recycle. The runs are difficult but awesome! Today took me about 40 minutes running up hill to the entrance of Monteverde Nature Reserve, which was great because I got to practice my spanish reading the signboard advertising the list of attractions. Coming back was much quicker as most of it is downhill. I aim to make this run in 30 minutes on our last day in Monteverde.

Our casa is located right next to Hotel Colina (toward the southern end of the map). Amber is substituting at the Creative Learning Center aka. Cloud Forest School. Right now I am 10 minutes from the casa at Stella's Bakery. Today's mocha tastes much better that the one I had last week!

We are eating SO healthy! I made myself bacon and eggs this morning (not so healthy), and had a peanut butter, ham, cucumber and tomato sandwich for lunch. Watermelon after. Fruit (especially the watermelon) tastes SO good! Amber was delighted yesterday after buying a watermelon off the back of truck for 1000 colones (NZ$2-3) when walking back from school - She's never bought a watermelon off the back of a truck. Haha! Biggest grin on her face. I'm a little concerned that I might lose weight here in Costa Rica, but this is the opportune time to lose that little bit of fat around the love handles that would be practically impossible to lose living in opulent Wellington. 

Cows: I got the biggest kick out of briefly walking with a herd of cows on my way to the cafe yesterday. What huge beasts they are and I was struck by their presence and awareness of me walking with them. They'd stop and turn their heads to watch me walk past then resume walking when I was in front of them. One even stopped, turned its head to look at me and took at big wet shit while I walked past. How liberating that must feel for him at the expense of my awkwardness at that sight!

I met an Sikh at the cafe. He was stalky, wore a turban and although he was very dark from the sun, he was noticeably American (caucasian). He felt like chatting. The moment he told me he had a place in Mal Pais we could rent I felt like I just experienced another one of those moments the universe had attracted to me. Amber and I are contemplating spending the next month or so living on arguably the best surf beach in Costa Rica, and because it's the dry season, it's high season. That means many tourists and accommodation prices are up. I was looking at Surf Casitas for US$1050 per month. It is a cabin right on the beach, WiFi, close to grocery store, fully equipt kitchen and even security and a cleaning service. Everything! Hari (a practicing yoga teacher and avid surfer) was offering his place for US$450. Rustic wood 2BR fully furnished cabin in the same area. Score! I'm in communication with the Canadian girl who's living there right now but is leaving on the 8th of March. Hari's given me her email to negotiate our handing over of tenancy. I've recently started to strongly feel that there are no coincidences and there is abundance when you look for it. Since experiencing pivotal life transforming events such as the Landmark Forum and Vipassana, I've been exceedingly eager to explore the experience of life in even deeper and more profound ways. Hari seemed fully into his practice of Kundalini Yoga, a form of physical and mental meditation that I have read a little bit about, and has invited me to join him on his daily morning practice from 4am - 6am at Rio Shanti (He teaches a yoga class there on Thursday afternoons for US$10). Watch this space.

Amber's joined me now and it's her go on the Mac. I did want to share a little about the book(s) I've been reading. We've been reading a lot, and I finished 'Strength in What Remains' by Tracy Kidder in 5 days. It's one mans story escaping from the Hutu-Tutsi genocide in Burundi, Africa. I rate it 8/10, and I might say more about what I got from it in a next blog. The book I've started reading just last night is 'Raising Cain - Protecting the Emotional life of Boys' by D. Kindlon and M. Thompson. 

Thanks mum for mailing us the new LUMIX TOUGH. I hope it'll get to us with no issues. I can't wait to start taking photos again and posting it on this blog. There's so much to show!

Pura vida.