At the age of 53, we went on a cruise through the Panama Canal. This was a portion of our stop in Costa Rica. No, we do not speak Spanish. We got in a Volkswagon cab with someone who did not speak an ounce of English, rode 45 minutes inland to a place the driver could not find, with no map, and no way of knowing if we would come out alive or not! WE found the roadside sign with a picture of what we thought might be the right spot. Thankfully it was!
We decided to do the "romantic" thing and take a horseback ride. Of course, I had the horse that wanted to go anywhere and everywhere except on a path. I had not ridden a horse in nearly 40 years! No, I didn't walk for the next 3 days!!!
So much for "romance"!!!
We wanted to visit the falls....not knowing that the only way down was via slippery rocks and a rope. Of course, not only am I hanging on to the rope...I'm trying to get a photo of the steepness of the climb down! Not too bright!
And if you think about it...what goes down has to come up....even when the tour guide assures you we are not going back the same way we came!
Waterfalls look the same all over the world. It's what surrounds them that makes them different. This little critter was trying to eat the bananas. I've never been so close to nature in my entire life!!! Not so sure I want to go there again, either!
These were some kind of mud pods that when the tour guide rubbed his hands over, little black things came out. I wish he hadn't done that. Oh....I really wish he hadn't. These little things take flight, land on your skin and burrow under the skin...causing a horrible itch for the next TWO MONTHS of my life!!! They only got in my knees...but I thought I would never get over it! Yes, I actually saw them crawl into my skin. Quite a scary thing!
And of course, when I emailed the consulate to ask what to do as a remedy, they denied any such thing existed in their country.
Of course!
But to compensate, the views were breathtaking, stunning, fabulous!
So as I sit here looking at these photos, I still think....even though I have over 13,000 photos I've taken in the past 10 years, and that's over 1,300 photos per year....I still do not take nearly enough.
And my second thought is....how many people over the age of 50 will take an awesome adventure like this while on a cruise ship? Most will sit in the sun sipping margueritas. Not us! We like to go explore the surrounding areas, jump into VWs with someone who can't communicate with us, go places where no one knows we are, climb down caverns, meet friendly (and not so friendly creatures) take a few risks, see the world first hand!
A photo may say a thousand words, but trust me, being a bit adventurous, a bit crazy and sometimes just plain stupid puts a whole new spin on this world of ours! Give it a try sometime!!!
And then take your art and try to be a bit adventurous, a bit crazy, a bit stupid. It's where some of my best designs come from!!!
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