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Monte De La Cruz| Sonja had told me about Monte de la Cruz and seemed surprised that I had not heard of it. So today I thought I'd wander up in that direction. I knew it was up in the mountains, that there was a cross on the mount, that it was a popular picnic spot for the locals and that the bus going to San Rafael continues up the hill to Monte de la Cruz.
So...armed with this misinformation I headed toward town. I knew where the San Rafael bus was as Sonja and I had gone there to take pics of the church (which was closed that day). So I climbed aboard the bus announced I was going to Monte de la Cruz and gave the bus driver my money. He told me that the bus for Monte de la Cruz would leave at 10, that he wasn't going that far and gave me my change. I figured that the bus going to Monte de la Cruz would likely pass through San Rafael on the way up and what the hell, I might be able to get into the church today.
I took my seat after the driver explained a couple more times that he wasn't going to Monte de la Cruz and I kept saying that that was OK. He accepted that I was staying on the bus and we left. As it turned out the church WAS open and I got a few pics.
My guide book describes the church in San Rafael as "belonging in Europe". I had seen it from the outside, but not the inside. It was big, but not that impressive. Perhaps I was just expecting too much. However, the acoustics! There was a man working on a window frame up at the top of the building. He was scraping the metal clean with a knife. From where I sat I was sure that he had a microphone and amplifier too, but it was just the acoustics of the building. Later I thought I heard some warming up on the organ, but it was just a cell phone going off. This would really be a remarkable place to play!
It was a little after 10 and if I was correct about the Monte de la Cruz bus going through San Rafael it would be here (somewhere?) soon. So I went out to the only bus stop in town thinking it would show up. As it did.
He took us up the mountain and dropped us off when the road got too narrow for the bus. A man, his son and I got off. They took off up this streambed and I figured that they knew where I was going so I followed. The trail headed up to a road and we three followed the road up. It was somewhat like some pics I've seen from Europe, trees forming a sort of tunnel, covering the road by touching well overhead. The trees were covered with moss, ferns and bromeliads. The air was cool and the road steep, and I really had no idea where I was going.
I came across an entrance to the "Paradero Monte de la Cruz" sounds good. The entrance fee was c1,000. For the most part it looked like a picnic area you would find in the US. Slides, covered eating areas, swings, grass, goats (well perhaps the goats tied up to trim the grass wasn't too "US"). There were signs pointing toward a viewpoint further up the hill, so I continued.
When I arrived to the end of the trail there was a small clearing looking out on the Central Valley and a large cross facing out. Some benches faced the cross and sitting on one of the benches a monk with walking stick and Bible. Strangely enough my instinct was to bow and give him the yin/yang greeting, which he accepted. I took some pics, he prayed, we both were drawn to the silence. As I left he was getting up and beginning to read from his Bible, I gave him a nanustai salutation and probably left him really confused.
Further down the trail there was a sign pointed toward the "Arco Verdi", so I explored.
As I emerged from the woods my monk was walking down the trail. We met and he began telling me about how God is to be found in nature and how if one would listen. He talked about the importance of exercise both physical and spiritual, about how in the woods one is closer to the Kingdom of God and it's easier to hear him there. We walked and talked for a ways and then parted company.
He got to the entrance gate a bit before me, but again we walked together. He told me about one time when he was walking that a man very much like me came by and walked with him. Then disappeared ahead of him on the trail. On one side of the trail was a steep cliff and on the other a tall mountain. There was no place for the man to have gone, but he was not there. He took this as a sign that the man was an angel. He then told me that most of Costa Rica is Catholic (big surprise there) and that some Catholics are good people and others not so good. I said that I thought that was true all around the world. He then said that while some are good and some not so that none of them were very happy. I kept wondering what his background was. At this point I felt I could rule out Catholic, but...what?
I got to my bus in time and he continued down the road. The bus left and I began to wonder if I would see him on the road, or would he be MY angel? He got on at the next stop.
I got off the bus a bit before the center of town because I wanted to try a coffee place I had seen days before (it was really good too!). Then I walked toward my usual stop. Who did I run across (again). We laughed, I waved, he blessed me, I went home.
Will I ever see him again? Sometimes it's a small world. |
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