From Jaco we made our way south towards Quepos. Once again, the heat made it hard to move but it was the ocean that brought the greatest danger.
On a day off while resting in Uvita, I almost died while surfing. I was paddling out for the lineup again after catching a wave when I got caught in the middle of a huge set. When I dove under the third wave, it was so strong that my leash broke and the wave took my board with it. I desperately tried to swim towards the board witch kept being taken further and further from me with each wave. The strong current kept me still while I fought against it. As my arms began to give out on me and more waves crashed on my head, I thought this was the end. I felt so hopeless as sea water invaded my nostrils and mouth. Just as I could swim no longer, I saw a surfer going towards my board. The elderly man managed to reach my board, put the leash in his mouth and paddled over towards me. Just as a wave was about to crash he handed me the leash and ducked the wave as I hugged the board and let the white foam push me towards shore. As I finally reached the sand I was exhausted. I literally felt like I was about to puke.
I simply sat on the sand and stared at the ocean with a new sense of respect for its power. I tried to search for the surfer who saved my life but I didn’t find him. I wanted to say thank you and shake his hand but just as fast as he came, he disappeared. Sometimes I think when it’s not your time, angels pop up and offer a helping hand. I will never forget the image of him paddling towards me with the leash in his mouth.
With this terrifying experience behind me I decided to lay off the waves for a while and focus on riding my ponies. Within a few days we arrived in Quepos where Emanuel Arias Elizondo was waiting for us. The avid horseman is Costa Rica’s residing champion in the paso fino competitions.
“The idea is to see the horses legs move, so we train them to stand on a board while marching on the spot,” Emanuel explained to me how the competition works.
Emanuel picked Emma from the bus station and waited for me to arrive in town. In his nearby ranch he invited his family and friends to come meet us over a delicious traditional BBQ.
“We want you two to feel like family, this is your home,” our host said.
I cant thank Emanuel enough for hosting the ponies, Emma and I. He is an extremely talented cowboy whose horse knowledge is unbelievable.
“My father is a well known rider here in Costa Rica and I listened to him very well growing up,” he joked as I asked how he knew so much about these majestic animals.
The next morning Emanuel and my new friends from Quepos rode with me to my next resting point and even lent me a horse so my boys could rest! Riding Obama, a black spanish horse, we made our way south towards Dominical.
