Hansel And Gretal

                                      Minature hut in the front of the trail leading you up

Selva Negra was a famous place to visit, stay, eat, horseback ride, taste coffee, kayak, or take a walk. This is a famous destination for tourists and it’s quite worth the trip.  The day I chose looked like it was ready to pour, but I went anyways. Instead of hiking all the way, I took a bus halfway up and hiked the rest.

As I looked up at the sky, I started moving a bit faster. Then I felt some rain drops and I started running. There was no point because I thought I was almost there because I passed the entrance sign. From the street to Selva Negra is like 5 miles-crazy. 

It was inevitable, I was going to be stuck in the pouring rain. I did have a rain jacket, but I didn’t want to show up a hot mess.

As it started raining harder and harder, I had to go underneath a tree. The branches were covering me, but I was still getting wet.  A local man approaches and he’s carrying some buckets with a banana leaf over his head. If this was New York and you needed an umbrella, people would just look at you and keep going.  What does this man not wearing any rain gear do?

He gives me the green banana leaf and insists I take it from.  They are probably so used to the rain that it doesn’t make a huge difference to them. Regardless, he didn’t have to give me his banana leaf, but he did. Off I went with the banana leaf on my head onto the street. Another guy passes me and he is laughing. I’m just jogging in the rain with this banana leaf over my head.  All you have to do is dump the water off every few minutes and you’re good to go.

The Selva Negra staff passes by and tells me to get in, which I do. I love the rain, but not for 5 more miles.  This isn’t my half marathon all over again. This guy asked me where I found that leaf and I said someone gave it to me. He said he thought I pulled it down myself. Well, I may be a monkey sometimes, but not this time.

Even in the rain, Selva Negra is such a special paradise. It reminds me of Hansel and Gretal with the green moss on stone houses. It has different stone paths leading to the forest where the cottage rooms are placed.

The rain takes a break and I sit outside on the Lake and order a coffee. It’s made fresh on the property and from the taste of it,”Wow.” Something about this lake is like this mystic feeling. This lake feels like the lochness monster is going to come up while you are eating. It’s 1600 meters above the ground allowing you peace and quite and freedom from noise.  Behind me they have gardens growing freshly grown spices and vegetables. For lunch, I order an eggplant sandwich with tomato and mozzarella-absolutely delicious and fresh as could be. 

There is this little wedding ceremony area with a rocking chair where I sit and think. 

I get up to walk around the lake and into the forest. There’s a couple horse stables on one side and the other side is the rooms. It’s truly an incredible place and I head back down at sunset because I have a bus to catch. A lovely lady who works at the front desk offers to give me a ride down. I find out that she is from New York and she has lived here for 6 years with her husband and family.  She works in the hotel and her husband sells property. She lives on one of the ranches I past with the horses. What a wonderful life I would imagine.

                       It's a wonderful life.