Our fourth day at Luna Lodge was a day to relax. I mentioned before that I like staying at places that attract interesting people. Truth be told, I find lots of people interesting. A former colleague of mine with whom I traveled on a few cross country trips once said to me, “You will talk to anyone, won’t you?” I am not sure if I was being admonished, or praised, or something in between. This trip to the Osa Peninsula was no different for me. It is true I often try to engage people in conversation, but I prefer to listen, rather than tell my story.
By this time, my wife and I were eating our meals with kind and interesting people and sharing stories. Aryn and his wife, Angela, were two that were fun to listen to and watch interact. Their personal story was different than any I had heard, but too long to go into detail here. They currently call Oregon home, but they have lived in several western states and they have known each other since they were children. They married young and have a relationship that is special and strong. They make others feel welcome and comfortable. Aryn runs a service team at an auto dealership and Angela runs an office for an orthopedic surgeon. They both say they love their jobs. Aryn told us that he was not college educated, but it was evident he was bright and his knowledge on many topics runs pretty deep. When asked, “How does he know so much?” he said he has an insatiable curiosity about everything. I like to challenge people by asking questions. Aryn, a self-described smart alec, was up for the challenge and a good storyteller that had what I would say was a charming sense of humor. He liked to make people laugh, especially Angela. She was his barometer and was not going to make it easy. If Angela would smile just a little bit (in that Mona Lisa kind of way) Aryn said, “I know I have said something funny.”
When we first saw the two of them at dinner our first night at the lodge, they were eating with another person. We later learned his name was Mark. He had a different story, but was just as engaging. He was traveling by himself, and was an executive nearing the end of a sabbatical from what I gathered must be a high pressure job with Apple. Seeing all of them laugh and carry on, made me think of a phrase attributed to the playwright Oscar Wilde that goes something like: life is far too important a thing ever to talk seriously about it. I think I could generalize and say that this attitude prevailed at Luna Lodge making it a great place to relax and enjoy the blessings we have been given. I think I could further generalize and say that a phrase often used throughout Costa Rica, “Pura Vida” (often instead of hello or goodbye) takes Oscar Wilde’s sentiment to another level.
One last person I spoke at length to on this day was a German-born gentleman, about my age, who was a psychiatrist now working in Switzerland. We met early one morning, both with our cameras in hand trying to find the right light to take photographs. His camera and lens was similar to mine, but a little newer and he added a 2X teleconverter between his main lens and the camera, allowing his images to be bigger on the sensor. We talked about photography, birds, travel, education, medical care and ethics. I don’t think either of us was very successful at getting the best picture that day, but the conversation was stimulating.
I gave everyone my website address and expressed my wish to meet again someday. For a few pictures taken this day, click here. It was just another day in paradise.