Costa Rica bonus entry, day 9

11/1/2009 Sunday

This morning Catherine and I walked town a bit and killed more time before our taxi took us to the airport. Molly left a few hours before us. We found a little bakery to get apple pastries and cafe con leche to wake us up. A pretty nice morning.

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The sun is presently sinking into the Gulf of Mexico. It's really pretty... warm and inviting in Miami 30,000' below.
A plane just eclipsed the sun. I'm glad I opened the window to see it because that must be rare. Sun dogs can be seen on whispy clouds to my left. I really enjoy window seats; sunsets even moreso. Tranquility. I'm back over U.S. soil now and have very mixed emotions about that. The in-flight movie was 500 days of Summer. I had mixed emotions about that too. I'm glad it had a happy ending because the rest of it was really painful to watch. I can't say that I have a ton of experience in that regard, but it resonated strongly with me. That feeling really sucks. Really. Miserable. The sunset just peaked. Brilliant. Really inspiring actually. The clouds below are putting on the display now.

Another thing I don't have mixed emotions about is the book I finished before the movie started; Compañero about Che Guevara. I didn't really know enough about him other than watching Motorcycle Diaries and Che (the ones with Benicio Del Toro) before the book. What a tremendous read. Che is a polarizing icon, so I wanted a fairly neutral and unbiased account. Compañero served well. It pointed out faults and mistakes as well as celebrating successes. (Florida is getting wider now. Chau Gulf, hello confederacy.) I find I relate to Che strongly in many aspects and very little in others. I feel bad for him that he kinda got sucked into several things in Cuba that prevented him from truly pursuing his aspirations as he may have otherwise preferred. Regardless of your opinion, this book is a good read. I think a vast majority of people with an opinion of him are mis/under-informed. Did he carry out executions? Yes, but no more than the U.S. ever has in a day. Did he do a lot of good? Yes, but perhaps not exactly as his fans would think. I really believe those who are "pro-Che" fail to recognize his faults, and those who are against him fail to recognize his achievements. Like John Kennedy, John Lennon, MLK, etc., it would have been interesting if he were still alive. If nothing else, I can better understand his point of view now.

Pasajes de Costa Rica, viaje 1, día 8

This is part of 8 posts where I will, with minor edits and omissions, put my journal from days in Costa Rica online. There is no real grammar structure, but hopefully it makes sense...

10/31/2009 Saturday

Last day of vacation. Boo. Major bummer. Need to catch up on yesterday first... Before my surf lesson at 4:00 I took my rented board and got the hang of messing around in the whitewater. Rode a few waves on my knees. Russell gave me a different board for the lesson; not made of foam, better. We spent about 15 minutes on the beach and then took to the water. The very first wave he told me to try I stood right up and rode to shore. He seemed surprised. "Most people don't do that." I was really stoked. I only rode / stood up on a couple more, but it was a ton of fun. I can easily see how people get addicted and chase waves for years. What a great sensation. (What a beautiful buzz...) It started raining really hard and got dark fast. When we had walked back to Caza Zen, the Black & White party picked up. I only had one clean black or white shirt... a long sleeve. Oh well. 4 beers and dinner were about $9. I talked to a lot of interesting people. (Earlier in the day before my lesson I talked to a couple from Columbus. We talked about the black hole that is Ohio State Buckeye football and why nobody seems to do anything but drink at social functions in Ohio.) The party went fairly late... maybe 1am. I got excited when 2 Swedish guys invited a lot of people to their room for some "Swedish water." I thought it would be a new discovery, like the aguardiente incident in Seattle. No such luck; vodka. I hate vodka.

Also, before I forget about Friday, I kept thinking English speakers I talked to were Aussies. A girl from Minnesota selling jewelry at the party sounded like that, but said it was just because she had rarely used English in the past 6 yrs. "I just decided I didn't want to live in the States anymore." Russell, my surf instructor, was from England and could pass for an Aussie too. His girlfriend definitely sounded British though. I talked to a Kiwi and recognized right away he was from New Zealand, so no error there. He re-taught me the term "seppo" for "Americans" - I had heard the term but not the origin (Yankee shortened to Yank rhymes with septic tank, shortened to seppo). He seemed surprised when I told him that if he used phrases like, "Good on you!" people from the States wouldn't understand, or that if he referred to our measurement system as the Imperial system "Americans" wouldn't know he meant weight in lbs, distance in ft/in. I honestly think most people wouldn't though. Sidenote: I find myself not liking to use the term "Americans" for people from the States, myself included. It seems wrong; arrogant. This is America too. I am not in the central USA but I am in Central America right now.

I woke up, caught the bus, the ferry, then another bus and was in Alajuela to wait to catch a taxi to the airport. Molly, Catherine and I split a room to save money and shopped a bit. I bought a hammock! Lunch at my last soda for this trip.... so filling, only 1 meal needed today, roughly translated to about $4. As the sun set we walked west to a cemetery (seemed fitting for Halloween and a nearly full moon) in town then walked back towards our hotel. It seemed like a waiting game, just killing time before we had to leave. The trip was over. We walked past the main cathedral in town... that's a nice area. After dark Molly and I walked down to Pops to get some ice cream then watched surf porn on youtube [segments of Endless Summer... I still need to rent it] on the free internet connection at the hotel. There is a very obvious police presence in Alajuela, and I did not feel in danger walking after dark.

I'm excited for the snow at home but already missing this country. I can't say for sure (obviously) yet, but I feel like this trip has yielded one of the most important weeks of my life so far. Definitely significant. Costa Rica truly is a rich country, and it gave me a lot.

Pasajes de Costa Rica, viaje 1, día 7

This is part of 8 posts where I will, with minor edits and omissions, put my journal from days in Costa Rica online. There is no real grammar structure, but hopefully it makes sense...

10/30/2009 Friday
It's another overcast day on the Pacific. Fairly choppy water. The howler monkeys woke me up and it's been fairly low key since then. I walked to the bank to get dollars for my surfing lesson. I really want to buy a hammock but don't really have room for one in my equipaje. Next time I may bring an empty duffel bag or something like that, and take a shuttle if I fill it, although I find myself preferring the public transport. On my way back to the hotel I got a ride from a guy that works at Casa Zen. I asked him what he thought of all the construction. He spoke fairly fast, so I didn't understand all of his Spanish, but essentially he said it was terrible. A very lamentable situation. He said there are no rules, no permits, no concerns for the roads, schools, locals... the dollar prevails. It's unfortunate and I hope it changes.

Pasajes de Costa Rica, viaje 1, día 6

This is part of 8 posts where I will, with minor edits and omissions, put my journal from days in Costa Rica online. There is no real grammar structure, but hopefully it makes sense...

10/29/2009 Thursday

It's a cloudy, misty day on the Pacific. Starting to sprinkle. Rain clouds overhead. It was quite a day getting here. I was awake, but not up at 7:05 when a knock at the door forced me out of bed.

There's a driver here for you.

Umm... already?

Yes. He will wait for 10 minutes.

I was told the night before to be ready at the door at 7:30. I went to the bathroom, threw on clothes, and checked out in record time. I had to break a Jaguar to leave a tip... only 1 more left. We picked up 2 more people before leaving the city; a Canadian girl, Lauren, that graduated a few months ago and has been traveling solo for a month, and a lady from California that retired down here 5 years ago. I chatted with Lauren a bit. It sounds like she has had quite a trip, starting in the Caribbean, into Panama, the Pacific coast, Monteverde, and eventually north to Belize in December. It seemed a long time for a B.C. girl (living in Calgary... lots of Calgary people down here) that didn't speak Spanish to be on her own. She was headed to Montezuma. Based on what she told me I need to see it. Another interesting USA/Canada discovery: she had never heard of the Grateful Dead or Phish. I was stunned. I translated for the group. Before we got to Puntarenas our driver complimented my Spanish, so apparently the words I do know sound correct. I was also taken for a Spaniard by an Austrian once I got to Casa Zen. She was surprised I spoke Spanish with her since I was from the States. Maybe my beard is hiding me well now.

The ferry from Puntarenas to Paquera was pretty. The islands and sea are tranquil. The road to Cobano is fairly straightforward but once you pass the turn to Montezuma, the pavement becomes dirt and the going is slow. I thought it was great. The distance between Mal País, Santa Teresa, et al surprised me... looks closer on the map. Casa Zen is a relaxing stop in my travels already. Very laid back. The kitchen is really good, the vibe is mellow. i.e. good food, company, waves. The beach here is both bigger and wetter than the Caribbean, with green cliffs off in the distance.

I have run out of superlatives for this country.

Once again I was speechless walking the beach. It is completely undisturbed. It's not for me to say what Costa Rica does with its land but I really hope they don't pave that road and make it easier to get here. There should not be hotels here. This is not a place for lawn chairs full of gringos working on their tans. This view belongs to those who respect it and earn it; Ticos, and to a lesser extent, surfers and vegabonds. (Right now this seems to be a secret place only surfers and Lonely Planet readers know about.) Waiting for the backhoe to make way for my mícrobus was half the fun of getting here. I walked the beach until I found the break all the surfers preferred... 3-5 ft waves. Surfing is an art form. Very pure, graceful, challenging. It's impossible to be stressed sitting in front of the ocean. I became Peter Gibbons. Strike that, I became The Lorax for this beach. I picked up trash on my way back to my room as it started to rain. Looking south, rain clouds drifted north. I got soaked, and it was really refreshing. Apparently it has rained here 8 days in a row, but is starting to dry out. I can't tell. Everything is saturated. [I just discovered Molly and Catherine from the airport on day 1 are staying here. Small world.] It seems even after just a few hours that this is the coast Jack Johnson personifies, with Bob Marley on the other coast. (I have only listened to reggae since I got to Costa Rica.... nothing else feels appropriate. Maybe Jack Johnson tonight.)

There is much more to see, but I really want to start a business down here... somewhere anyone with the smallest interest in jungle, ocean, rainforest wildlife, and/or Latin America need not look elsewhere. It seems the same for Peru, Mexico, etc. too though.

10:30pm... raining quite hard again. It doesn't seem like it below the trees at ground level, but it's chaos on the roof. I watched the Thursday night movie and ate here tonight. I haven't had too many vegetarian days this month, so at least I got another one in today. After the movie I talked to two Austrian girls, siblings, one from earlier today. The younger one said goodnight, shook my hand and kissed me on the cheek as is customary for her. I did so in response but was fairly taken off guard. Interesting mix of cultural norms on this planet. It's lights out early tonight for early morning surfing sessions. I think I'll rent a board and try it out. Last random thought: High stress and blood pressure patients should forgo treatment and spend their money wisely by spending an hour in a hammock listening to the rain here.

Pasajes de Costa Rica, viaje 1, día 5

This is part of 8 posts where I will, with minor edits and omissions, put my journal from days in Costa Rica online. There is no real grammar structure, but hopefully it makes sense...

10/28/2009 Wednesday

6pm... not quite a mid-day update but still earlier than other days. I'm sitting in my room at Hotel Rosa del Paseo on the west side of San Jose. It's a very nice hotel with a courtyard, tranquility, safety (you must be let in or out by the attendant), and quiet. The quiet is nice because San Jose, in my brief experience, feels loud and congested. No more than any other international city though, but maybe think of a Chinatown in NY or SF. I had a fairly slow morning after being woken up at 5am by Cahuita's local howler monkeys. They sound like ghosts. I went back to sleep only to be woken a few hours later by torrential downpour. It seemed a good day for travel. When I got up and headed back to Cahuita NP the sun was out. I took my camera, intent on getting capuchin monkeys on film since I didn't have my camera yesterday. I saw a few, plus a sloth, but none close enough to photo well, like yesterday. It seems I'll just have to return in order to get better photos.

I made my way to the bus station at 11 to catch the 11:30 to San Jose. I found myself recalling my first minutes at the same place yesterday... a woman with a European accent (speaking English, pretty sure it was German or Austrian) had pissed me off. I heard her speaking English so I asked her which direction the beach was. She rolled her eyes and pointed. Her body language made it seem like I had just wasted hours of her life and she wanted a refund for the huge inconvenience. As I walked out she said, "This is a business, not a tourist center." in exasperation. As if I couldn't tell by the cheap Santa Claus and ornament display you were setting up when I walked by... clearly you're trying to pawn this crap to tourists and locals... in the tropics... in October. She was in my shoes once too... in Cahuita for the first time. I've met many welcoming and nice Europeans, but the general sentiment towards Americans from Europeans is totally unwarranted. I'd like to think an American in Tokyo would have treated her better. Thankfully my mind was distracted after those few minutes by a girl that sat next to me waiting for her bus. She was Latin, with wavy locks flowing from a yellow bandanna. I didn't want to be rude, but her eyes were astonishing. She kind of reminded me of the award winning National Geographic photo of the girl from Afghanistan. I formed the sentence in Spanish in my mind, "I don't want to be rude, but I feel compelled to tell you that your eyes are the most beautiful I've ever seen," but worried I had the wrong word for "rude" and said nothing. (Clearly my girltardedness extends far beyond gringas.) There is absolutely no shortage of beautiful girls (from here or anywhere else on the planet) in this country. On the bus to San Jose it rained again. Approaching San Jose from Puerto Limon the rainforest is beautiful. Everything is lush, clouds hang in the valleys, etc. A 25 year old nurse from Calgary sat next to me and we chatted for most of the ride. She was part Czech and told me Prague was nice. I've heard as much and would like to see it one day.

11pm... Yep, today was very different than yesterday, as expected, except another great dinner. I walked 4 blocks to the highly recommended Machu Picchu. I was a bit skeptical with the erotic toy shop across the street, but don't let that dissuade you. I ordered the famed pisco sour to discover the Peruvian's secret. Holy smokes, I'm glad I got the small one. Halfway through I had a solid buzz going... maybe 3 oz. I asked my waiter to choose a dish for me between a few options and he picked ARROZ CON POLLO A LA PERUANA, which as you would expect, was baked chicken served on rice in a green sauce, with peas and sliced peppers added. The sauce was very good. He also brought out a small saucer of salsa. "Cuidate, muy muy picante." Ok, noted. I found out it was habaneros.... very good but very hot. The rice was very short grained, almost round. After that I had a cafe con leche. My first Costa Rican coffee... smooth, creamy, delicious. Before leaving I told my waiter, "With certainty, this is one of the best drinks and food (I don't know the word for meal) of my life." He was grateful. I really have been eating like royalty the last several days... the heat and humidity stifles my appetite to one meal a day. I don't think I'm losing weight though. It was obvious in the restaurant I am in a wealthy part of town. The other patrons had on nice clothes, jewelry, make-up, etc. It feels OK for me to be here since I was a bit concerned about safety in the city. My hotel room is really really nice... my first hot water shower in 6 or 7 days. My clothes are drier but still smell like Central American buses (i.e. slight mildew, a lot of sweat). My t-shirts stink. Surprisingly less English spoken here than on the coast. It was kind of nice chatting for a few hours with my Canadian bus neighbor about the differences between our countries, but I also have enjoyed being forced to use Spanish. [Note to self, Albertans have good party themes. Ex: Tight & Bright (think neon spandex), Anything But Clothes (cardboard, foil, stuffed animals sewn together, etc), etc.] My Spanish listening skills are improving. I need to expand my vocabulary, and just need to be diligent about that when I get home.