Emelies Travels -

Pura vida!
2015-01-04 07:02:00

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Spanish for "pure life".

The law of the land in Costa Rica. The expression is used in many forms, from a greeting, to a synonym for "excellent." Ticos - the self appointed slang term Costaricans chose for themselves - follow this lifestyle and are some of the most wonderful people on earth. Pura vida is a synonym of "hakuna matata." Life is wonderful; enjoy it.

"Pura vida!" (Damn right!)

"Que Me 'Ice Mae, Pura Vida?" (What's up dude, all good?)

A "Tico" is easily the most amazing person you will ever have the astounding pleasure of meeting. They knows good food, good women, and most of all good drink. The perfect example is their local beer "Imperial". Tico's can party, they are smart, they are charming and funny. All around damn near perfect.

"The only way for a tico to commit suicide is to climb to the top of his ego and jump off."

Källa: Urbandictionary

Välkommen till Puerto Viejo. Många kommer från den afro-karibiska kulturen och därför pratas det mycket engelska. Det är rastafari kultur med dreads, Jamaicanska färger och reggaemusik som gäller. Puerto Viejo är känd för den största och mest kraftfulla vågen i Costa Rica, som kallas Salsa Brava. Den är endast för pro-surfers då man lätt kan slå huvudet i det grunda revet om man faller fel från den höga vågen.

Det kretsar en hel del droger kring Puerto Viejo, vilket vi tydligt fick erfara då vi lyckades bosätta oss på ett hostel som var som en droganstalt. Det var inte lätt att hitta boende över nyår, så det fanns inte så mycket att välja på. På vårt hostel var den ena mer neddrogad än den andra och det var helt omöjligt att förstå vad de försökte säga till en när de bara mumlade med ögonen pekandes åt olika håll och halvt stängda. De flesta bara satt och chillade, rörde inte så många muskler per dag, men sedan fanns det andra lite mer stökiga.

Det var mannen med krasslig röst som ständigt var högljudd och trodde att han ägde hela stället. Det saknades ett köttstycke i hans nacke av oklar anledning, men han skröt gärna om hur många skallar han hade sparkat på under sitt liv.

Sedan var det alkolisten, en liten filur som vinglade omkring varje dag och natt och irriterade varenda människa han ramlade in i. Framför allt mannen ovan nämnd. Det var otaliga fighter dessa män emellan, det var knivhot och blåtiror inblandade och allt detta skedde alltid utanför vårat rum. Vi vågade inte gå ut. Det smälldes dessutom en massa små raketer utanför vårat fönster så högt att vi trodde huset skulle braka ihop. Ibland var ljuden oklara om det var raketer eller skottlossing. Ingen dog under vår vistelse som tur var.

En annan nämnvärd person är Veganmamman som tältade utanför vårat rum på golvet. Hon var så mycket vegan att hon snart inte skulle kunna leva, hon höll på att tyna bort. Veganmamman lyssnade på gospelradio nätterna långa för att överrösta hostelets alla drogpåverkade. När hon inte lyssnade på gospel lagade hon vegansk mat i stora lass med sin enorma machetes. Lagade hon inte mat med mechetesen så befann den sig i tryggt förvar på hennes rygg - alltid. Ingen ville bråka med Veganmamman, förutom möjligtvis Pachamama nedan.

(de ovan nämnda är turister som tagit åt sig av kulturen på ett icke önskvärt sätt)

Pachamama - reggaedrottningen som härjade i köket 24/7. Hon tog över allt, hon skulle laga mat till alla men man skulle betala dyra pengar för det. Det fanns inte en pinal ledig när hon stod i köket, dessutom kokade hon all sin mat i plastpåsar. Hon var duktig på att skrika ikapp med tuppen på mornarna, framför allt skulle hon gärna bitcha med Veganmamman.

Att inte glömma David, vår rastamon "vän" aka igel. Han tog med oss ut och surfade och efter det satt han fast på oss. Det gick inte att bli av med honom, och man förstod inte vad han sa eftersom han var så hög hela tiden så han aldrig ens visste vad han själv hette.

Recetionisten var så hög att han inte kunde räkna så tillslut bodde vi en hel vecka tre för två, catching för oss!

Trots allt detta så tyckte jag mycket om Puerto Viejo, det var väldigt speciellt men speciellt är bra!

Fishing in the Salsa Brava

English version

Welcome to Puerto Viejo. Many of the people comes from the Afro-Caribbean culture and therefore they talk a lot of English. It's all about the Rastafarian culture with the dreads, Jamaican colors and reggae music. Puerto Viejo is known for the largest and most powerful wave in Costa Rica, called Salsa Brava. It is only for pro surfers, if you don't know what your'e doing you might smash your head in the shallow reef.

There is a lot of drugs in Puerto Viejo, which we clearly came to notice when we managed to settle down at a hostel that was like a drug institution. It was not easy to find accommodation over New Years, there was not much to choose from. At our hostel. one was more drugged than the other and it was quite impossible to understand what they were trying to say when they mumbled with their eyes pointing in different directions and half closed. Most of them just sat down and chilled, but then there were other ones a bit more rowdy.

It was the man with the loud, seedy voice that thought he owned the place. He was missing a piece of meat in his neck, the reason is unclear, but he liked to brag about how many skulls he had kicked in his life.

Then there was this alcoholic guy, a little fellow who swerved around every day and night and annoyed every person he fell in to. Especially the man mentioned above. There were countless fights between these men, they were threatening eachother with knifes and black eyes were involved- All of this always happened outside our room. We didn't dare to go out. Some small fireworks were shot just outside our window so loud that we thought the house would fall apart. Sometimes the sound could had been shots from a gun. Luckely, no one died during our stay.

Another notable person is the Vegan mother who camped outside our room on the floor. She was so much vegan that soon she would not be able to live, she was about to fade away. The vegan mother listened to gospel music on the radio all night long. When she was not listening to gospel music, she cooked vegan food in big loads with her huge machetes. If she made no food with her mechetes, it was always on her back - always. No one wanted to mess with the Vegan mother, besides Pachamama.

(the above are tourists who has taken the culture in an undesirable way)

Pachamama - the reggae queen who took over the kitchen 24/7. She took everything, she would cook for everybody but you had to pay a lot for it. Besides, she was cooking all her food in plastic bags. She was doing good screaming in the mornings, and she would gladly be bitching with the Vegan mother.

Not to forget David, our rastamon "friend" aka leech. He took us out and surfed and after that he got stuck on us. We could not get rid of him, and we could not understand what he was saying because he was so high all the time that he never even knew what hes own name was.

The reception guy was so high that he could not count. In the end we stayed a whole week three for two, great for us!

Despite all of this, I really liked Puerto Viejo, it was very special, but special is good!