Costa Rica, November 2016 – February 2017

What’s more ironic than sitting at the shore of a hydro-electrical dam, surrounded by wind turbines and being indulged in complete darkness as there is no electricity?

It makes me smile, but I’m not sure about the others as I cannot see their faces; darkness, right. However, I’m used to electricity shortages in the region, so I accept the black outs and prepare myself for a night plenty of watching the stars.

The stars are at their brightest when it is complete dark, they say.

Those sayings never lie. So I lean back, watch up and there is the light, not the moon nor the stars, but electricity. Sooner than expected it returned, so we only suffered a short black-out. Short as the answers I receive while asking about the phenomenon: ‘No it doesn’t happen a lot; no we have a good electricity system.’ Accompanied by a short but intense look realizing I am supposed to leave the sooner the better.

However, they appear to be right: this is the only shortage of electricity I will experience my entire  stay here. – Incomparably few to other countries in the region. Statistics confirm my findings: the electricity system in Costa Rica is trustworthy.

So I consider it as an ironic once in a life time moment: sitting at the shore of a dam, surrounded by wind turbines, indulged in complete darkness.