Humble in the Jungle

Costa Rica, December 2023

A couple of months ago, I decided to participate in a jungle residency programm on a Yogafarm in Pavones. It consists in a mixture of payment and work for accomodation, food and yoga lessons within a closed group of guests and their hosts. Already in 2018, I had visited this very remote place, when travelling during full raining season. I discovered the Yogafarm on a hike up the hill on my way to the indigenous village, but it was closed. Back then, I knew, one day I shall come and stay.

I love the life on the farm in the middle of the jungle right from the start! This rustic life style with outdoor eco- toilet cabins, garden cultivation, ecological use of water resource and do-it-yourself handlings of all kinds is not very different from life in Formentera. Actually, its more luxurious because of conventional electricity supply instead of pure solar energy system like Stefano has.

The major difference consists in flora and fauna. For instance, being woken up by impressive early morning monkey howling, instead of red and golden sunshine on my bed. Or the caution on the paths, in the garden and basically everywhere, not to step on poisoness snakes. My biggest fear! Every night, I stumble out towards the toilet with my stick in the hand, making sure those misterious creatures of the night get out of my way. The bright shining headlamp attracting all kinds of flying animals like bats, enormous moths and a trillion mosquitos, that circle around my head.

Its so biblical to grab ripe exotic fruits in abundance from the trees or harvest a bunch of ginger and tumeric roots in the Garden of Eden. And many other jungle plants unknown to me. Of course, bananas are found all over the place. Aswell as huge pomelos rotting away on the pathway that fall off their tree above.

A variety of duties are distributed amongst the people every week in different turns. Handling the compost, watering the garden, trail maintenance, fruit picking, toilet cleaning or cooking. I basically stay stuck to the toilet maintenance during the whole stay because of my loss of smell. Everybody is happy not to do it and I dont care at all. Franziska, the only other german girl - amongst americans and one suisse girl - helpes me to finish the outdoor jungle shower. We build a paravent with huge banana leaves weaved in between bamboo sticks stuck in the muddy earth. Our beautiful work does not last long, as an armada of hyper busy ants eat up the leaves and carry piece by piece back into the dense forest along a huge highway of ants.

Another detail much more challenging though, is living in community with people I have not chosen nor met before. Spending so much time together and getting to know each other quite well in such a short and intense amount of time is totally new to me.

But we are so lucky that the group constellation is harmonious, respectful, empathetic and polite. And so interesting! I truly enjoy it! Although in the beginning, I buzzed off a couple of times to go either fishing, taking long walks on the beach or simply hang around on my own. But then I started seeking for company to be integrated. Its such an interesting observation on social behaviour and anthropological study on human kind. I love it! Feeling good in my skin to have growen out of my comfort zone.

On the other hand, I am so glad having booked that fishing escape. Otherwise, I would have never caught my first tuna fish ever. So happy and exciting! On top watching loads of dolphins jumping out of the water.

By the end of our stay, we celebrate christmas together like an exotic constellation of new a built family. Each one of us feeling enormously happy and blessed to be here.

Humble in the jungle