Los Arboles

The view from the back porch of Los Arboles.

While WWOOFing was my original inspiration for moving down to Costa Rica, I have since discovered that the system here leaves a lot to be desired. I was lucky enough to get referred to a lovely non-WWOOFing farm in the Chinchillas, and was recently lucky again when I found Los Arboles through some volunteers I met while on the farm.

Los Arboles is a farm in transition run by a lovely American couple, William and Angie.  They bought their land six years ago and have since planted over 2500 trees there! Angie in particular is beautifully passionate about trees and plants - it's inspiring to hear her teach about each one and see her face light up as she finds new growth or a newly sprouted seed.  She is also inspiring in her own right.  Fifteen years ago, she survived a 900 foot fall while rock climbing and the ensuing coma and memory loss to become the strong willed tree-hugger she is today.

Angie feeds Lula some of her daily carrots.
(Lula is an absolute carrot junkie.)

Over my time at the farm, I mostly helped Angie move her new vegetable garden forward.  We moved around the plumbing and began the process for installing a drip irrigation system, and I went to work amending the soil: hand tilling, mixing in manure, leaves, and ash from the wood stove, and taking out stones.  I left behind eight small bean plants stretching their legs in newly rich soil.

I also got to work with Sonny (a volunteer I knew from Earth Rose Farm and a beautiful person) and William two days on some cabinas that William and Angie have begun carving out of a sandstone cliff.  Crazy, I know.  But a few hours with a crowbar shaving sand out of stone can be very cathartic. And, as a reward, we got to visit a little hidden waterfall and splash the dust and sand out of our hair.

Sonny keeps hard at work on the window
(while I take a water / photo break!)

The sweet reward.

At night, I had the priveledge of sleeping out underneath the outrageous sky, blessed by an absence of mosquitos.  Waking up during the night and remembering where I was and what I was doing was such a treat.

 My bed. :)