Pura Vida! Bodhi Surf School - Costa Rica Surf Camp

While scouring the internet to plan our most recent adventure, I stumbled upon a travel forum thread about surfing in Costa Rica. A simple quote from a post struck a chord for me: Don't surf places, surf people. I can't recall the name of the website or the the reviewer, but I owe him or her a debt of gratitude. Ever since I read it, I've felt grounded and comforted by the weight of that line. Leave it to a wandering hippie surfer dude to come up with the direct yet eloquent travel motto I've been desperately struggling to put into words!

Since Josh and I launched our self-imposed volun-touring sabbatical a little over a year ago, people have often asked us how we choose where to travel, what to do while we’re there, where to stay, etc. Only now, after so much wasted time trying to wrestle fate and figures into tidy travel spreadsheets, can I fully appreciate the awesome, door-opening force of simple, one-on-one human connection. It is the one thing (besides online flight check-in and noise-canceling headphones) that we've relied on every time we travel. Initiating each of our trips by cold-calling a few locals has always (and often miraculously) landed Josh and I in the right place at the right time.   

We flew to Texas on a whim after a few emails with the Habitat for Humanity crew leader.  We trekked half-way around the world to meet up with a good friend, a family of inn keepers and a biking travel guide in New Zealand.  We drove cross-country to meet an eco-spa guru and mingled with the owners of some very comfortable couches. Though there's something to be said for the picture-perfect beauty of rocky trails, city centers and sweeping vistas, each place we've visited has held no greater bounty than its people.

Our new-found golden rule held true in Costa Rica as well! We drew the blueprints for our Latin America adventure after a brief online chat with the owners of Bodhi Surf School in Uvita/Bahia Ballena. While searching for volunteer opportunities and surfing lessons online, I discovered an ex-peace corps volunteer and his buddy, Travis Bays and Gibran Garcia, who were running a small, eco- and community-conscious surf school in a tiny fishing village on Costa Rica's Pacific coast. After hearing about our unconventional segue into voluntourism, these two took pause in the middle of their busy lives to help Josh and I plan our trip from soup to nuts!

Helping Gibran with Grupo Surf - Bodhi's own Local Youth Group

As we learned from Travis, the word 'bodhi' is Sanskrit for 'awakening' or 'enlightenment'. We soon discovered that this moniker perfectly portrays the ambitious undertakings of this progressive, family/friend operation. Travis and Gibran are not content to just earn a living playing in the water. Surf lessons are a means to their loftier goal - To awaken and enlighten others with 'experiences that connect individuals with nature and increase environmental and social awareness.' Yeah, it sounds a bit poetic and existential for a couple of surfer dudes. But after a week of tailing Travis and Gibran through Uvita, I can attest that these guys aren't just jumping on the 'green' bandwagon. They truly walk the walk, and they expect others to do the same. *Sign Bodhi Surf School's Ocean Guardian Pledge.* 

Travis and Gibran treated us to a walking tour of the community and introductions to other local business owners. After several years working for the Peace Corps in Uvita, Travis knows first-hand the trials and tribulations of this 900-person community. Due to the recent development of a newly-paved highway and the influx of tourism on the central coast, Uvita is in the process of transitioning from a quiet, self-sufficient farming and fishing village to a hub for foreign travelers. The area is a goldmine for tourists interested in everything from beach-side relaxation, to jungle adventures and eco-tourism activities. *Read a brief history of Uvita and Bahia Ballena.*

Every morning, as Josh and I ate our huevos at the hotel cafe, we'd watch a dozen pick-up trucks haul tour boats down to the National Park. Though many of the villagers are very proud to be able to show off their little piece of paradise, they understand that the increase in traffic comes at a cost.

Community Tour with Travis & Gibran

Members of Bodhi Surf School are actually leading the way in bringing best practices for sustainable marine tourism to Bahia. Pilar, (Travis's wife and Bodhi's yoga instructor) is working with the KETO Foundation Costa Rica and the Marino Ballena boat tour operators association to to coordinate their local marine sustainability efforts. In January, Bodhi also won the Making a Difference Award from SustainableTrip.org for their efforts in furthering social responsibility within the travel industry.

While staying in town, we pitched in by helping a local tour company, Bahia Aventuras, build a recycling station and label the native plants on their property. 

Painting Signs for Native Plants & Building a Recycling Station
with Mikayla, Ramer and Katie

As a country without an organized military presence, Costa Rica has been known to funnel substantial monies into education. Yet Osa area schools have a high dropout rate at the start of high school (between 6th and 7th grade). Children who do dropout of school typically start to work in the local 'informal' economy.  The youth of Bahia are no exception, and Bahia's children will need the skills to participate in the larger global marketplace, but it's a tough sell to keep them in school without supportive government requirements.

We were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to help Gibran run a surfing lession with Grupo SURF, a free youth group initiated by Bodhi Surf to help get local children engaged in surfing and community service and also keep them focused on their futures. Children of all ages and skill levels had a ball with the Bodhi team during 2 hours of surfing and a pick-up soccer game. 

But these kids aren't just in it for fun! Members of Grupo SURF helped us to plant trees and pick up trash around the community soccer field. We also learned about a project they're undertaking that involves tracking any trash strewn around town using GPS coordinates and then create a community-wide plan for litter clean-up and prevention. *Learn more about Grupo SURF's projects and achievements.*

Planting Trees around the Soccer Field in Bahia Ballena

And, on top of all this, Travis and Gibran even found time to teach Josh and I to surf! We spent time on the sand with Travis, learning foot placement and how to pop up on the board. Then we waded into the waves, with our soft-top boards in tow. As we lay on the board, Travis turned us toward the shore and shouted for us to paddle. With just a bit of expert instruction, Josh popped up and caught the first wave that passed! All the while, Gibran was on the sand, snapping great photos and video to send home with us.

After a second lesson with Gibran, Josh and I were both paddling into the waves, turning around on our own and finding our balance. We weren't sure that Bodhi could fulfull their mission of 'awakening our inner surfers'. But, after just 2 morning surf lessons on the Whale's Tail Beach, Josh and I built a connection to and comfortability in the ocean that will stay with us for life.

Travel is supposed to be fun and exciting! However, for me, the thought of landing in a different city or country, not speaking the language or knowing what to expect, still falls somewhere between nerve-racking and downright terrifying! I can honestly say that, having followed the golden rule of the wandering hippie surfer, Josh and I have felt safe, comfortable and cared for in every place we've visited. In fact, we're so accustomed to being immersed in the local culture on our trips, that we find ourselves reminiscing about the people we've met more often than the things we've seen and done. Real, global friendships have been forged that will not soon be forgotten.

So, for those of you planning to hit the open road, my fail-safe travel tip is best summed up in a quote:

Don't surf places, surf people.

Think of some amazing people; people you want to meet, to learn from, to be transformed by, to play with…  Then, go out there and find them! And, if you're not sure where to start searching for amazing people, I know of a few down on Costa Rica's wild blue Pacific coast who would be happy to inspire you. 



Morning Run with the Butterflies on the Whale's Tail Beach