Calvin Synod Herald, 2005 (106. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2005-07-01 / 7-8. szám
CALV IN SYNOD HERALD 9 of sloths, 4 species of monkeys, rare and exotic birds such as parrots, toucans and the Quetzal, reptiles such as caimans, snakes, crocodiles, rare frogs, iguanas, lizards, turtles - and more. Capuchin Monkeys This diversity of climate and wildlife is a result of the special location of Costa Rica on the planet. About 3 million years ago, the Central American isthmus began to rise up form the ocean and formed a link between the two Americas. The tropical as well as the regional microclimates and the variety of terrain provided a haven for the creatures, plants and seeds from both continents as they migrated up and down the isthmus, or stayed in the region and intermingled. Our trip took us almost through the entire country, from the volcano at Arenal, the central rainforests, to the Pacific and Caribbean Coasts, as well as the Island of Tortuguero - the only nesting site in the Western Hemisphere for the green sea turtle. My favorite place during the trip was in fact, Tortuguero. It is breathtaking, small and primitive, accessible only by a jungle boat ride of several hours. The island has few inhabitants, no cars, no paved roads, and wrecked, giant rusted-out pieces of logging equipment are strewn about, left-overs from the logging operation that existed there until the 1960’s. Tortuguero is a narrow strip of land that tightly hugs the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. On one side you can see and hear the wild Caribbean Ocean quickly roaring up onto the wind-whipped sand, spitting up remnants of life from someplace else on earth - a big storm-battered log maybe from a forest in Honduras, the side of a small wrecked sailboat, a man’s dress shoe shriveled by saltwater and sun, a tiny piece of pink plastic - but also much unrecognizable ocean trash. Nearly as fast, these ferocious waves retreat and take anything, everything, back out to open sea. Then you can walk less than 5 minutes to the other side of the island, hear the parrots screaming in the thick tree canopy above and step into the still, shadowy liquid of the inner coastal waterway that connects Tortuguero to the mainland. The island is covered by a soft blue- gray sky that opens up completely after dark, and practically rains the stars out of the heavens all night long. We stayed at The Miss Junnie. There really IS a Miss Junnie - a charming 80 year old Carib lady who opened her island house and “hotel” to visitors. The building had no glass windows, only screens and shutters that were left open to the outdoors, only contained the necessary few pieces of furniture, which were handbuilt. While we were there, it poured rain every night starting at about 10 PM until dawn. The corrugated metal hotel roof exaggerated the sound of the rain and the entire building almost seemed to vibrate from the deluge. The downpour would continue unabated all night. It was deafening, strange and beautiful. Then at sunrise, the rain would suddenly stop, and outside the water glistened on the island’s dirt paths, flowers, buildings, even on the decaying pieces of logging equipment. By 9 AM everything was nearly dry, the sun was shining brightly and it was almost as if the torrent from the night before had been a dream. Tünde at The Miss Junnie, a Tortuguero Island hotel Most of the island houses are tiny and painted electric colors, sometimes even in stripes. Coconut palms, and fallen coconuts are everywhere, the people and the monkeys of the island pick them up and eat them. We saw the 4” wide electric blue morpho butterfly, howler monkeys screamed at us while we canoed the inner coastal waterway and a 3-toed sloth did its delicate slowmotion ballet for us high up in the forest canopy. We also saw caimans, crocodiles and a boa constrictor waiting for lunch. A giant brown eagle unsuccessfully hunted two large iguanas in front of us for nearly a half hour, until the iguanas managed to hide. On a morning canoe trip, a Jesus Christ lizard walked on water in front of our boat, while parrots, tiger herons and kingfishers flitted about. But the highlight for me, were the five baby bats that we discovered intently peeping out at us from beneath the broad green leaves of a banana tree near someone’s house. I began to think if I stayed long enough, like Noah, maybe I might see all of God’s creatures on Earth. And I also began to wonder just how astonishingly beautiful Eden must have been. Many times after witnessing a magnificent animal, a spectacular rainstorm, or just seeing a simple sunrise, I heard myself softly repeating my most favorite prayer: Thank you God. And lately since I’ve returned, I find myself often thinking of these rich gifts that God gave us and adding to that prayer: Thank you God, and please give us human beings the wisdom to be good stewards of Your beautiful planet. Tünde Garai, Chief Elder First Hungarian Reformed Church of Los Angeles Hawthorne, CA
