I was in my late twenties when I left the military and had the “typical” college experience. I spent my sophomore year studying abroad in Costa Rica and I use the term studying very loosely. I didn’t take many classes but I spend an inordinate amount of time in the field essentially apprenticing under professional biologists and learning the tools of my trade that served me better than any classroom instruction.
It was also there that fell in love with working with reptiles the more dangerous the better. There was just something about being inches from death that made me feel more alive. I was hooked.
Towards the end of my time there a few of the people I was studying with and myself were in the village near the volcano of Arenal. We had gone there because the volcano was active and we wanted to see it and do a little nighttime exploration around the river. We rode the bus into town and then dispersed to find dinner at the crappiest, dive restaurant we could find so we could get some real local fare in the town built up for the tourists.
Now when you do this everything in town is later out in relation to the church. We were dropped off in the park by the church and it was also where we were to meet the bus after dinner to head down to the river. This is we’re every other bus and taxi also congregates in town.
We finish dinner and head back to the bus excited to pull on our waders and jungle gear for an adventurous night. Low and behold when we get to the park there is an identical bus from the same company parked next to ours and neither driver is back from their break run. With no way of knowing which bus was ours and getting in at our gear we start waiting and enjoying the park as the sun set.
That’s when I saw her. She was dressed to the nines in a black cocktail dress and heals holding a conversation with some other adults while leading a herd of children. Her name was Amber and she was a Spanish teacher from Indiana helping lead a group of high school students on a culture immersion tour. She was about my age, a complete knock out, and apparently part of the group that came in on our bus’s twin.
After realizing both our groups were Americans we started up a conversation that went from the small talk of were everyone was from and what they were doing in Costa Rica to them accepting and invitation to go down to the river with us.
It was a crazy night, I’m falling in love with this school teacher as I’m catching poison dart frogs to show off to teenagers as an orange glow of lava trickling down a volcano is lighting up the night sky. I’m giving piggyback rides in my waders to people in evening wear so they can get better views of the volcano.
During this mix of National Geographic meets the fashion channel Amber notices the tail of a snake by her shoe. I start talking to her to keep her calm while I unstrap the snake hook from my backpack. I tell her everything is going to be ok and I’ll just move the snake. I slowly begin moving the marsh grass out of the way and I just can’t find the head of this snake. It feels like forever but I finally find the head of a Fer-de-Lance arguably the most dangerous viper down there 6ft from her. This animal is known for being very defensive but I guess the universe was on my side that night as I try to impress Amber. Steadily and gently I use my hook to tail the viper and move it to a place where no one else would be in danger, then I went in and got the head under control. I felt the familiar rush of adrenaline that only holding a danger noodle can give you. I locked eyes with Amber and to this day I have never seen the same level of passion and lust in a woman’s eyes as I did in that moment.
My compatriots helped get everyone off the muddy river back then and back onto the bus. I carried Amber out of there like a bride over the threshold after releasing the snake. She hit me with such a searing kiss that I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.
We traded information. Kept in touch for the remainder of the time I was in Costa Rica and she had gone back to the states. On my way home I flew into Indiana just so I could see her again. But everything had changed. She was still stunning but she wasn’t the damsel in distress anymore. And I wasn’t the heroic jungle man anymore. We were what we are most of the time a teacher and a science nerd. I guess there is a reason why the hero never goes back after he gets his kiss. Yet I still think there is a woman out there that will make that moment of passion last a life time.