A Friend Laughs

This engaging narrative follows a family's adventurous move to the Costa Rican jungle, highlighting the challenges and humor of their new life. A Friend Laughs captures their journey beautifully.

Many people aspire to transform their lives, but few take the extraordinary step of relocating to the Costa Rican jungle. In 2004, Jo and Crispin Freeman made this bold move, leaving their London flat behind and bringing their six-month-old baby along for the adventure. They purchased 165 acres on the southern Pacific coast near Pavones, a quaint surfer town with a colorful history tied to a notorious drug smuggler. As Crispin embraces his new life, he finds joy in exploring the jungle on his quad bike, often with a machete in hand, while also forming unlikely friendships with local characters.

Crispin's transition from lawyer to jungle dweller is marked by a series of amusing and chaotic experiences. He becomes enamored with acquiring more land and struggles to say 'No' to locals seeking loans, often leading to humorous predicaments. In contrast, Jo faces the challenges of their new environment with a mix of fear and skepticism. From her apprehensions about wildlife lurking near her baby to her bewilderment at the locals' beliefs, Jo's perspective provides a grounded counterpoint to Crispin's adventurous spirit.

Through trials such as the tragic loss of a horse and involvement in unexpected escapades, Jo learns to appreciate the beauty amidst the chaos. A Friend Laughs is a humorous yet poignant account of the Freeman family's journey as they navigate their dreams and the reality of life in the jungle.