Kerry Kennedy enjoyed her Serendipity challenges!
Kerry Kennedy Cuomo, author and founder of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights, shared 48 non-stop hours with Serendipity before attending the inauguration of Costa Rica's current president, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Oscar Arias in May, 2006. She says she'll be back soon! Her letter below...
Dear Matias and everyone at Serendipity,
Its been nearly two months since my daughter Mariah and I returned from Costa Rica. We spent merely 48 hours with Serendipity Adventures, but no trip we have ever taken was more exciting, intriguing, bonding and fun. We still talk about it almost daily, and, on the flight home, 11 year old Mariah wrote a 26 page power point of her amazing vacation.
From my very first call just 7 days prior to arrival, the Serendipity crew went into overdrive. We received detailed information on our trip choices, and Matias somehow managed to pack every last desire into less than 48 hours.
At 6 am Saturday morning, Mariah and I meandered down to the lobby of our San Jose hotel, and noted a dozen tourists being called to order and packed like sardines into a rather sad looking bus, where they would be spending the next 4 hours at the mercy of the schedule, only to meet up with scores of others on the assembly line to the river.
By contrast, Matias introduced himself, brought us to his comfy LandCruiser, and immediately said we could stop anywhere along the route that caught our fancy. And we did... to take a photo at the continental divide, again for pictures with La Negrita, the black Madonna, and again along the road side with the magnificent volcano, ringed by powdered sugar donut of cloud, and whenever else we spied a photo op. Matias was clear from the start, this was our trip, and he'd do everything to make us feel comfortable and welcome.
With his master's degree just 7 days away, Matias entertained and riveted us all along the way with his knowledge of Costa Rica's history and wild life. His love for the environment was infectious, and Mariah peppered him with questions which he delightedly answered throughout the trip.
We arrived at the Pacuare River where we were met by 3 additional guides plus a safety guide in his own boat, in case we got into trouble. We are the only ones in the three boat flotilla, except for Serendipity guides. I have rafted my entire life, and rarely been on such a perfect river, with rapids almost the entire trip. During the short calm periods, Matias pointed out and named butterflies, wild flowers and fabulously plumed exotic birds, including Mariah's favorite, the keel billed toucan.
We pulled up for lunch on the bank, the guides flipped over one of the boats and made a feast. In 15 minutes we had lettuce, sliced tomatoes, fresh chicken, home made guacamole, mayonnaise, mustard, oil, vinegar, gorp, sliced mango, sliced pineapple, apples, banana, guayaba, papaya, wonderful tortillas with chips and, for dessert, river cheesecake!
Mariah wrote: "It was amazing to watch all the birds fly from side to side above our food. Another hungry animal were strange looking fish in the river. After watching minnows fight over my corn chip, I was told by a kind guide to stick my hand in the water. All of a sudden I felt teeth chomp into my fingers not making me bleed but creating a little pinch-like feeling. This fish is the cousin of the Piranha."
After white water rafting, we relaxed in the warm waters of a thermal spa, heated by the local volcano. Afterwards we drove down a few dirt roads, and through a cow pasture. Matias invited us to climb up on the roof of the Land Cruiser. Beneath a canopy of stars, we sat, mesmerized by the silhouette of the Arenal volcano, just 7 kilometers distant, spewing forth truck sized boulders which broke apart bouncing down the sides of the crater, creating a fireworks display of natural wonder. And we were all alone, no artificial lights, no crowds, on a private farm.
The following morning, we witnessed the majesty of an old growth rain forest, with termite nests the size of a toaster oven and a howler monkey which replied with enthusiasm every time Mariah screeched. About 20 minutes later we came to an 80 foot high hollow ficus tree. Matias scrambled half way up, and, with safety harness in place, Mariah and I followed, fascinated by the hundreds of small bats who helpfully flew way each time we looked for a hand hold among the vines.
Next, we headed for the barn to ride the horses. But not just any horses. The Serendipity horses are pasofinos, a Peruvian breed known for their gentle gait. We found ourselves in at an annual festival in a small town, where every one, mothers with infants, five year olds riding together, dads with children, and teenagers and grandparents found a horse and rode. About 400 of us in all, Mariah and I were the only tourists in sight.
The ponies climbed up hill. They climbed through open fields with orange trees and fragrant ylang ylang. They climbed through a machete'd path in the rain forest, where crickets, cicadas, grasshoppers and thousands of other insects rubbed their wings in a symphony of mating calls. They climbed up a dirt road and moved aside when an occasional small pick up, over loaded with mothers, nursing babies, cowboys and teenaged girls in tightest jeans passed by, stirring a fog of dust. They climbed past checkerboard fields of ornamental plants, readying themselves to be packaged, refrigerated, and flown to New York City, from there to be purchased on 28th street and redistributed to florists, and then to apartments, where people long for some piece of the earth, and this small plant would be there connection back. They climbed past rich red anthills the size of couches. They climbed to the top of the mountain where the view across the Northern plains stretched almost to distant Nicaragua.
As we descended on the far slope, the rhythmic pulse of distant meringue wafted up the incline. Far below we could see a small farm, with 30 or more trucks already parked along the dirt drive. For hundreds of yards, ponies were tied, one after the other to each fence post, munching on high grass as their riders lined up for plates of rice, beans, cooked vegetables, yucca and plantain. Sliced cantaloupe and watermelon crowded a makeshift table, and music blasted from the back of a large blue tractor.
We filled our plates, guzzled a few sips of lukewarm coke, and climbed back on our trusty steeds for the ride home. Back in town, we said our sad goodbyes to Esteban and the other guides, took a few last photos, and jumped in the car with Matias for the drive to San Jose.
Well, this is a short description of our adventures, there is far more to tell. But we had the most amazing time, and Mariah and I are deeply grateful for this extraordinary trip, one we will never forget...
Thanks again, and I can't wait to return...
With deepest appreciation,
Kerry Kennedy