Halloween on a Dark Rainy Dirt Road in the Jungle

It was indeed a dark and stormy night! Sometimes you have those moments where you take a look at what you're doing and think, "now THIS Is traveling!". Those aren't always the sipping cocktails at sunset on the beach type of moments either. They can be something as simple as a walk to the local bar.

My friend Lynn and I had come to Playa Zancudo, in the far south of Costa Rica. It's a very secluded town and does have a lot of expats, but during the rainy season the town is pretty quite with most of the houses boarded up until December when the rain lets up and the tourists start to arrive. Especially during the off season, it's definitely an everyone-knows-everyone kind of a town. We met some of the, always friendly and welcoming, local expats at Sol y Mar, the lone restaurant/bar open during the week. Everyone we met asked us if we were going to the Halloween party (held at ... Sol y Mar). Well of course! It was a Gods & Goddesses theme. I said to a woman at the bar, "too bad I didn't think to stuff a costume in my backpack." I was taken aback when she said in a somewhat disgusted tone, "well you have a sarong, don't you? Well there you go."

Sigh, since I'm one to succumb to peer pressure like it's nobody's business, homemade sarong/toga costume it is. Don't get me wrong, I love to dress up for Halloween; it's my favorite holiday. But given the circumstances, I figured we could just show up and have fun! During the week a few more people confirmed that we'd be going to the party, including the drugged up tweaker that came to the house to try and sell us some half-used coconut oil and ended up stealing my shoes. But yes! We'll be at the party! Hmmm, maybe that was a mistake. Now the tweaker knows the house will be empty. Oh well nothing I can do about it now. He probably won't remember and we'll set the alarm.

Halloween finally came and I woke up at my usual 5am with the sun and the birds and had an idea! It's not like me to be creative but I thought of this ... gods and goddess theme ... Domestic Goddess!! Woohoo - I'm so clever! LOL There's an apron in the kitchen and I can string a few utensils (wine opener of course) and maybe even some clothespins. Then I'll put my hair up with one of the dish towels. Boom. Goddess costume.

Getting dressed up went fairly well but it was agreed that nobody would be able to glean my cleverness without a little help. I needed a sash - like Miss America. Lynn had a marker so I fashioned a toilet paper sash and felt accomplished with the result.

Then the rain came. And came harder and harder and harder. We waited it out a bit, then tried texting a few friends we had made to try to find a ride. No replies. Okay well we either skip the party, or walk in the rain. Walk it is. Then the realization that I don't have shoes because of the tweaker thief. Lynn only had her flipflops that flipped mud up the back of your legs and butt, and a leather pair that she didn't want to get wet.

So we put on our ponchos and headed out barefoot. Half a mile down the dark, muddy, rocky (oh so rocky) road to Sol y Mar we went. As soon as we got out to the road, the cops were on their nightly patrol with lights flashing so I tried to hitchhike. No love. Just a beep of the horn and they were on their way down the road. Wow, it's really coming down.

We walked, the only light in the pitch black jungle coming from our flashlights and the occasional street light, "ouch" "ooh" "ow" as we tenderly made our way stepping on rocks the whole way and avoiding puddles and the growing stream at the edge of the road.

The rain got harder. Can it get any harder than this? Why yes, it can! OMG we laughed, we sang (Singing in the Rain - duh), and laughed some more. We could barely even hear each other the rain was so loud. What the hell were we doing out there?! Our feet hurt, we were hobbling along slowly, getting wet despite the poncho and umbrella, and could not have been happier.

At one point a handsome blue clawed crab scurried out of one of the puddles and stood his ground in front of us, holding his claws up, daring us to pass. We talked him down and were back on our way through the torrential downpour in the dark but not before Lynn, almost with tears in her eyes at the ridiculousness of it, says "Now we have to watch out for crabs, too?!" More laughter.

You seriously can’t even explain this to people. It was hilarious and absurd. You sure wouldn't find us doing this at home! THIS is traveling my friends!

P.S. My sash didn't survive the heat and dampness in my poncho so I arrived at the party dressed as a messy maid. :/