A Costa Rican alarm clock you’ll never forget
If I tell you that it sounded like the mouth of hell, you’d probably think I was exaggerating. And you’d wonder why I was so eager to hear it again.
The sound jarred me awake pre-dawn and as soon as I heard it, I knew exactly what it was. I’d heard it before, 20 years ago during a night trek in the jungles of southern Belize. To hear it again was so validating. My memory hadn’t fooled me! All these years, decades, of remembering it. The sound was exactly as prehistoric and supernatural as I remembered – howler monkeys!
I tip-toed to the sliding doors of my Costa Rican bedroom, keeping the lights off, and slowly parted the doors, with my phone’s audio memo app cued. I had to capture this sound and share it with family and friends. I had to prove to them how deliciously wild this place was!
Even though howler monkeys are harmless from afar, I found myself apprehensively sliding the doors that opened to my patio and the dense jungle mere feet beyond me. Our accommodations were quite literally, nestled IN the jungle. I hit record and watched the seconds and minutes tick by as the monkeys, not so much howled as breathed a breathy call that lacks a proper verb (though roar comes close), and the sun turned the jungle canopy from black to blue grey.
Satisfied with my sound clip, I texted the rest of my Costa Rica trip guests “Please tell me you all are hearing this?” And their responses told me that none of them could have slept through it if they tried.
One by one my trip guests shuffled to the common area, coffees in hand, to the rocking chairs on the balcony where we continued listening and watched the tree tops shake as unseen monkeys swung from branch to branch. Before long the birds – toucans and scarlet macaws – heralded the day as the jungle awoke alongside us.
Our own lives back home are so inundated with noise, not just sound but noise. Meanwhile the jungle is a symphony of sounds, and we had front row seats, there on our private balcony.
Costa Rica was more magical than I expected. I wondered why I’d waited so long to visit. For years I’d heard tales of Costa Rica’s Pura Vida (pure life or simple life) and its nearly unparalleled biodiversity but hadn’t thought any place could be truly that amazing. Well, it turns out it is!
The whole trip was incredible – seeing incredible wildlife (sloths!!!), rappelling down waterfalls, trying natural dying techniques with members of the Boruca Tribe – and yet my favorite memory might just be the simplest. Pura Vida, as they say. Costa Rica coffee and a chorus of howler monkeys!
Blog written by Karrie Carnes, WWE Ambassador & Trip Host
Karrie is a self-proclaimed “awe-seeker” and looks for wonder in her daily life. An explorer and conservationist at heart, she approaches her adventures with curiosity and loves to learn about the natural world and different cultures. Whether paddling the Florida Keys or the San Juan Islands, or hiking the forested trails or alpine peaks of the Northwest, Karrie is at home in nature and always eager to adventure.
When she’s not hugging trees or crushing summits, she’s on her mat practicing and teaching yoga. Karrie (RYT-200) teaches heart-centered, alignment-focused yoga and enjoys modifying her sequences for all levels. She’s a believer in the healing power of mindfulness and breath work, and incorporates yoga philosophy into her daily life.
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