And finally – Monkeys!!! After scouring untold miles of rain forests for them, a family of howler monkeys took up residence in a mango tree across the road from my house in Playas del Coco. The setting was semi-rural and quiet on the edge of town proper – I was the only gringo for a mile and the locals couldn’t have cared less about a family of monkeys, so these guys had undisturbed free reign through the tree canopies there. The lot with the mango tree was vacant, so I was able to walk right up to the tree across ground that was absolutely littered with half-eaten mangoes. On branches that were easy to see, a big male was holding court, surrounded by females and adolescents and at least one baby (!), and though they didn’t get too upset by my presence, they weren’t exactly happy either. The male howled at me and positioned himself so it would be clear to me what a big (ahem) powerful male he was, and the females eyed me suspiciously. Juveniles didn’t care – they were slurping on mangoes. After a few minutes, however, the females started moving into branches over my head and trying to pee on me. Then they tried to poop on me. Then they threw mangoes. No, really. 
Thankfully it was something Johnny Guide warned me about so I was prepared, but the spectacle was no less impressive. Haha. Being covered in monkey excrement wasn’t exactly how I envisioned ending my magical trip, however, so I stepped to the side, and then left them in peace.
That the monkeys appeared right at the end of my trip gave it perfect closure — just the right amount of hermitage and adventure. During my stay, I discovered things about Costa Rica and I discovered things about myself – mainly that I like both of them very much. I was so overwhelmed by the kindness of Costa Rican people – even Johnny Guide after I called his national bird ugly (yikes). The country is lovely, but the people are lovely too, and I completely understand how someone could go lose themselves in the countryside for weeks on end. I have loads of advice to share if you’re thinking about a trip like this, but the best advice I have is to do it. You never know what you’ll find, but you’ll probably find yourself in the process. Pura vida~
