Alajuela-Grecia

Mon 23rd 1253 Well that all went rather well. Woke up probably 7-8ish and half drowsed (kept going to sleep but it seemed like no time had passed when I woke up each time)/stayed in bed til 9ish. Vague "oh no, got to move today" feelings but nothing major.

Left accom about 1055, was probably at bus stop by 1110 at latest, bus waiting (two in fact) and a small queue so hung around not feeling too uncomfortable until driver turned up about v approx 1130. There was a dead rat in the gutter, it didn't bother me except that obviously it was going to get squashed at some point, but I didn't have to watch that.

Bus only cost 910! Pleasantly surprised. Maybe I misheard the other driver and he said 1100 not 2100, or maybe different companies have wildly dfferent charges. I think we got in about 1245 (v approx), hostel v nearby. Bus was not empty but far from heaving, I had a double seat (3+2 arrangement) to myself as did most other solo travellers. Quite nice views from window as you might expect.

I was able to check in early here so am writing this in room, which is small but pretty nice and has a huge CRT TV and a ceiling fan, which feels quite cool (no pun intended). Quite a nice courtyard, there's an associated restaurant open from Wed (little pricey - there's a menu in my room) and apparently there's a free coffee maker just on landing near my room, which I hoped for but didn't see on listing. Saw bar in corner of courtyard, didn't ask if it opens during week. I think the courtyard may be used (not blocking guests at hostel out) for restaurant too.

I didn't see (m)any other guests as I was shown round though the place seems quite large. No idea if they're not as busy as booking.com seems to make out or if everyone is out.

Vague plan is one I finish writing this up to head out and do some walking round town for exercise/getting bearings/sightseeing and have some dinner late afternoon-ish. Then come back here, perhaps see about some free coffee, shower and then go sit down in the courtyard this evening and get a beer if I can. :-) It would be nice to get into a conversation with someone but I'm not counting on it and I'm not desperate at this stage.

Oh, although I haven't asked, there is a blackboard at reception showing a tour to Volcan Poas at $25.

And incidentally the Fecosa terminal in Alajuela is mentioned in guide book so I expected it to be in use, but from some vague "we arranged the funding" type commercial poster I saw in a window somewhere in Alajuela, maybe it's new and/or being renovated and hasn't (re)opened yet. Just speculating.

Before I head out, tried to use torch on K1 to check under bed before leaving Alajuela accom and it's not working, nor is the camera! I haven't tried a reboot to see if it will fix this or not. I used the camera only a few days ago and it worked fine. Not the end of the world if this has permanently broken, although it does make me worry about the possibility more stuff is going to break...

1834 Down in garden, fairly quiet, just the three of us and I think one is the woman who let me in. Not sure if bar is open or not, no rush (he said with his tongue hanging out :-) ).

Decided earlier that I am going to give the tape water a try here. It is supposedly safe almost everywhere (except very rural areas), some websites mutter about "avoid if you have a sensitive stomach" but on a trip this long and *not* (touch wood) thinking I do have a sensitive stomach (I get sick *when I drink water I'm not supposed to*) I think it's worth a shot. The savings of time, hassle and money aren't to be sneezed at. I don't *want* to get sick but if I do at least I am here four nights so have time to recover without having to be on a bus or something.

Wandered round town this afternoon, quite a nice little place - very nice views from the edges of the centre over the surrounding hills/mountains. Snapped a few photos. Had a bit of a linguistic/nerve failure in one soda (but hey, I tried), nearly went in another but I felt a bit uncomfortable after staring in from street at menu and the guy I was (incidentally) staring over the head of inside seemed to eyeball me a bit, ended up at Soda del Hospi (right by hospital entrance) and after some semi-fluent and semi-fluffed negotations had a very decent casado de (con?) bistek with a spearmint (yerbabuena) juice (novelty that - very nice though) for 3k. I handed over 4k as 2x2k as I thought they said 3.something even though I expected 3k and got 1k note back. I didn't leave a tip, gut feeling is I didn't need to and I also didn't want to tip 1k.

I also later - TBH was getting a bit fed up of walking, although it's all exercise and actually out to north I got into this more suburban-yet-industrial bit up by Maxipali supermarket where it felt a little bit like walking into the country just a touch - got a few bananas (semi-fluffed language) for 50 each (!) at a little shop. I figured (probably did on previous trips too) buying some fruit to snack on and bolster my diet (healthily/cheaply) is a good idea - didn't do this in Alajuela as didn't think straight away and didn't want to buy just one banana or end up bringing some with me.

I honestly don't know if there's anything to do here. It may well be a half-decent base for some bus trips out to nearby places though. I will see how it looks, I don't have to rush as such.

They have cats here. Saw one when I checked in (white and coloured splodges) and there was a vaguely ocelot-like one just now in the garden.

Just got a beer, 1400 for 350ml bottle Imperial, not amazing but not terrible. Also had weird (but amicable) pseudo-bilingual exchange with probably French woman who asked me if I minded if she smoked. (We're in the garden. Nice of her to ask, but I don't see any real need, if the owners allow it.)

Incidentally CR has UK-style huge no smoking signs with reference to some anti-tobacco law on. They don't have the annoyingly smugarse legally mandated sentences the UK does, but to make up for it the signs are generally fucking humongous.

Writing this on phone in garden is slightly against my "rules" (trying to be present, etc) but it's fine. This is just an alternative to hanging out alone in my room, I am going to read a book on phone when I finish writing this, which I think is now.

It does feel fairly empty here. Maybe booking.com was telling truth wrt "only 1/2 rooms *of my type* available, but I find it hard to believe the dorms are rammed. This isn't exactly bad (except it doesn't bode well for meeting people to chat to, but not a big deal, especially this early in trip) but it also doesn't fit well with the " it's peak season and it's *so* busy" narrative. To be scrupulously fair, Grecia - while I rather like it in its own right so far - isn't even really listed as a place in its own right in RG (no lists of accom or bars or map) so maybe this is a bit off the tourist track. Which is cool, if maybe boring - although if it is a decent base for some side trips that works nicely for me.

Incidentally there are mosquitoes (I think; maybe just flies) here in garden. Not been wearing repellent until now, I am not going in to put any on but I hope I don't regret that. (Disease, rather than bites as a nuisance. I don't like bites of course but I don't expect to get hundreds sitting here.)

Oh, I did have some of the free coffee earlier - made it with a weird free-standing drip net thing, a bit like a drip machine but one where the water goes through the net in about 30 seconds. Tasted OK anyway.

1908 It did occur to me this afternoon that in principle I could just shove a few bits and pieces into my day pack and set off walking out of town in some random direction and see how far I get, turning back when I need to to get back comfortably before dark. Of course the big problem with that is the risk (fear?) of dogs once I get into the middle of nowhere. The other issue is that the roads may be busy-ish but without footpaths, there are a few spots like that just in town based on my walk today.

booking.com still shows "only 1/2 left" for even 4 bed dorms here. Maybe they are busy, maybe they don't put that many places on booking.com at once in order to always show this. Still, in its way this suggestion the whole country isn't booked solid is reassuring.

They do have a lot of international beers here but I figured the local beer (Imperial) is probably cheapest and more worth trying. I can drink a Hoegaarden or some (probably US) craft IPA back home.

Quick poke on web is a bit vague re malaria (although other stuff like dengue/zika is really more concerning, if I think less likely) but probably not a massive risk here. Touch wood. Will put repellent on tomorrow night though.

1923 Incidentally I haven't forgotten about the language exchange idea. Gut feeling is this place won't have one but I may check later/tomorrow.

Also incidentally, sign at desk says laundry service here is USD6. I may or may not take advantage, though given the size of the place plus its relative emptiness I may feel less furtive doing some probably-technically-illicit laundry in one of the shared bathrooms.

It's actually quite nice sitting here in the garden with a bit of music on and a handful of people around. And a beer of course! Though have finished first and not rushing for second until MoS goes over to bar again - he's sitting at a table most of the time. (Possibly he and the probably Dutch woman who checked me in are co-owners, I have no idea though.)

I do wonder if I'm a bit more relaxed than I used to be, but I don't feel too much of a loser sitting here on my own. It's pretty much the two staff (not together), the French woman and whoever she's with and me. It's not as if it feels like it's a party and I'm hanging around on my own in the kitchen. As I say, it's just quite nice sitting here etc.

I brought a bottle of chilled tap water down with me and am drinking that too, BTW. The one thing I've seen so far which feels oddly as though this hostel is busy is the amount of stuff in the shared fridge upstairs near my room!

I did feel surprisingly hot and sweaty walking round this afternoon at points, and also when got back to room. I don't know if this is just random or it indicates something about climate here. Very comfortable temperature out here in garden now anyway, and I did feel a lot better after shower.

2006 Just got another beer.

Incidentally I don't set myself up as a connosieur or anything, but this Imperial original is a perfectly decent lager.

2018 Ocelot style cat just let me stroke it. :-)

2035 Just noticed a drinks menu on table (for the restaurant, nominally). Local beers are indeed cheapest at 1400, Corona is 2000, Carlsberg (5% - Carlsberg Export?) 1800, Stella 2000, Leffe 2200 (oscura o rubia), Delerium (Tremens, I think) 3600 and Duvel 3000. But a decent-ish international selection, undeniably. Hoegarden at 2200 feels surprisingly unexpectedly cheap.

I incidentally have no idea what a beer costs in a supermarket yet. The one I went into several times in Alajuela didn't seem to sell beer. I will look at some point, partly just as a baseline and partly because not ruling out buying a few to drink in my accom privately at some point (probably not here though).

Incidentally (I should stop writing that, it's obvious) wrt business or otherwise I do not FCDO site says flights to CR (admittedly it doesn't say *visitors*, but my flight was nearly full) have "nearly" returned to pre-pandemic levels. So in theory I wouldn't expect things to be quiet because of pandemic aftermath type stuff.

Oh, there are signs round central park here with cv stuff like you can only enter if you have disinfected and wear a mask. Also the buses (not sure if the one I actually got, but most I saw at stop) from Alajuela to here all had "mask" graphics on near the door. The signs round the park are clearly outdated (no one is following them, no one is enforcing them and this isn't AFAIK just slackness, VCR site suggests outside medical contexts there is no legal requirement to do any of this stuff). Do people actually enjoy having these incorrect outdated reminders hanging around or is it (probably) just laziness/incompetence?

I need to check guidebook both re possible daytrips and where I might be heading, but looking at maps I half think Monteverde (?) and its cloud forests are the likely short term goal. It will be interesting to see if it really is busy somewhere as apparently touristy and notionally overcrowded as that.

2044 Finished beer. Pretty restrained for a 350ml bottle, could have finished faster. Not gagging for more and if I might spend next three nights sitting here with a beer no point going nuts tonight, but I might get one more in a bit. Not ruling out four TBH (it's only a bit over two pints, well maybe three, mental arithmetic not my strong point, but not loads) but depend if it feels like there's no one else here.

I do wonder if it will be busier here from Wed when restaurant is open, or if it'll still be (pleasantly, in a way) dead.

It is nice to be here in this "private" space having a beer or two and not worrying about a) getting home b) randos hassling me - not that I've been out here at all so b) may or may not happen, but still, the thought is there.

Do feel very slightly "tipsy" , not quite right word. Not a bad feeling. But I do feel I've had a beer in a way I wouldn't normally expect after two bottles.

"One man's sentimental is another man's cheesy" in lyrics on song just playing. :-)

2106 Just got third beer.

Wikitravel has a page on Grecia although it was last edited four years ago... It says there is a "world of snakes" a couple of km away, ie possibly even walking distance.

Reserva Forestal Bosque del Niño is apparently 14km north of Grecia and has its own website. However, that seems to say that from Grecia you get a bus to "Calle Rodriguez" (a place not a street?) and walk 4km. Hmm. But maybe worth investigating. Quick look on Google Maps suggests Calle Rodriguez is maybe a very long road stretching out of Grecia.

Seems to be getting a little busier here, though in a vaguely odd way.

2126 "Living next door to Alice" on and I couldn"t help wondering if it going to be the Chubby Brown (?) version, but it's not. There are several groups of people around the garden now and I almost kind of wonder where they came from and where they were until now - this doesn't feel like the kind of town they'd really have been out in until half an hour or so ago.

Feeling definitely a bit tipsy, it's not bad but also a smidge weird.

Google Maps and tripadvisor both have World of Snakes as permanently closed, so will probably forget that.

Worth remembering almost anything could be a little mini adventure. Push comes to shove I could get on a local bus to random small town X nearby, have lunch there and get a bus back. Big ticket items are cool and all and I do want to do some but this sort of thing could be quietly amusing/instructive. Unlike setting off on a walk into the unknown, this is probably a bit safer because there's bound to be a bus back and if not in a pinch there's probably scope for a cab back and/or staying overnight.

I do feel vaguely lonely with these conversations going on round me, which is a bit odd as I didn't feel terribly lonely below. Meh.

Still not quite sure what I will do tomorrow. If I just spend the day puttering around town that's not the end of the world.

Trying to think, I have three more full days here without extending. I will need to make onward plans before then but to be fair I probably don't need much effort to find a bus stop for an onward trip, eg the Grecia stop in Alajuela was actually on OSM as I noticed on getting phone sorted to make sure I knew when to get off after I'd got on the bus, or I could ask. So while I might "do something" in terms of going further afield tomorrow, if I don't, the next day (Wed?) is free for that with a bit of forethought Tue and leaving Thu to sort out onward travel if necessary.

I don't want to completely waste time but as per wafflings before I even set out I also don't need to pressure myself. If I'm not just sitting around in my room all day, that's pretty much enough right now. Get a bit of atmosphere and experience and confidence under my belt and maybe let serendipity work its magic.

2145 Nearly finished this beer. What with the vague lonely feeling and the slight tipsiness I will head up to room, guzzle a banana or two and probably move towards bed. I should probably study the guide book a bit as well, it may offer inspiration of one kind or another (eg for all that Grecia is a bit ignored, it may identify possible nearby side trips). I really don't like reading the guide book, which is probably a bit of a weak point. If I could force myself to do that, especially before I left home, I'm sure my memory would be good enough it would form a kind of framework of vague possibilities.