February 25, 2012

February 25, 2012

Today was Saturday and since I was busy finishing up my Bible Study yesterday, we decided today would be the day to go to Cobano and do some grocery shopping. David also had some bulbs to exchange at the hardware store that he had bought there yesterday. But that is his whole long convoluted story, so you’ll have to ask him about it.

Since we were going to Cobano and leaving as early as possible to avoid most of the heat, I suggested we stay on the bus and go to Montezuma and check it out. Montezuma is on the ocean to the west of us but you cannot get to it by staying on the beach, unless you are a boat and then you can go that way. Montezuma kind of reminds be of Venice Beach without the body builders. Very young and most of them looked like they did not get the memo that the 60’s are over. Compared to Tambor this is a bustling community with several youth hostels as well. On the way into town we passed several resorts, I thought it odd that the resorts are up on the hill while the hostels are right down on the beach.

After getting off the bus we spotted a map and it was then that I remembered that Montezuma is supposed to have some very beautiful waterfalls nearby. So we decided to take a walk and see if they were close. After less than 10 minutes we crossed a bridge and see a path going upstream. We decide that must be it…and the sign warning us of danger confirmed our suspicions. We continued anyway and came to some lovely little bitty waterfalls over some boulders. We know this cannot be it and proceed to travel upstream. Now I have done this on many streams in Arizona in the mountains with little difficulty. But then I was younger, the way was more pronounced and it was not so humid. So up and over and down and around and clinging to tree roots and branches and jumping from rock to rock and repeat.

After a relatively short time that felt like forever it became a matter of I will see this fall if it kills me and it probably will. We finally rounded a bend and there ahead about 100yards was a quite lovely waterfall maybe 30-40 feet high. I am thinking this is no Yosemite. And I am also thinking I am absolutely too tired to go the last bit. About then 3 girls come back our way from this fall and ask if we know the way to the higher and bigger falls. Are you kidding me!?!

We had passed a trail going straight up about 20 yards back and see it on our way back out of this jungle paradise. Needless to say we did make it back safely, buy just. We are both nursing our wounds as I speak. I got a couple of blisters and exhausted legs from the adventure. Oh did I mention it was hot, even though we had gotten to Montezuma by 8:05am and now it was nearing 9:30 it was hotter than all get out. I don’t know if I have ever hiked in those conditions and doubt I will again. I’ve hiked in the heat but not heat and humidity….it’s killer.

We were too tired to do anything except get a drink and wait for the bus to take us to Cobano. We had lunch and did our shopping and hopped back on the bus 2 hours later. And then I came in the house, peeled off my clothes and took a lovely cold shower. Then I put the food away and had a peaceful nap on the hammock.