San Ramon, Sunday

Sun 29th 1875 Pretty slack day. Woke up 9ish but deliberately didn't rush to get up, probably left accom about 11-1130. I basically just did a relatively systematic walk along all the N-S roads around the centre of town, for exercise and to vaguely see the place and because there was nothing much else to do.

Had pretty decent lunch (casado con bistek) for 4000 at Soda El Chapparal, with pleasingly large carrot+lime (? limon they call it) juice early in walk. I had thought I might get an empanada an hour or two later but I wasn't super hungry so resisted temptation. I went to a supermarket when I'd finished my systematic-ish walk and got a 1.8l (smallest size going) semi-skimmed (no full fat AFAICs) milk which I've brought back and am drinking intermittently as a pseudo-snack. Torn about getting some Takis Fuego but resisted; it's not like I'm going home tomorrow.

As I was nearly back at accom I heard some drumming and there were a load (100ish?) teenage-ish kids doing some drums of various types plus glockenspiel (? - those metallic upright xylophone things) performance on the flat area with murals round ("indian" faces with hands, sideways on - I took photos of this empty other day, but didn't take photos of the practice). I only saw them doing that one piece and then they all sort of "huddled up" in the middle and it wasn't clear there would be more (I suspect it was a practice, not a formal event) so I went home and took my milk with me, but quite cool to see that by chance.

Been slacking off with YT etc back in room. I do seem to have a bit of a cough and feel a smidge cold but not as cold as yesterday and touch wood the cough will just gradually get better rather than getting worse.

Not packed yet but it's not that big a deal of course. Will try to go to bed earlyish given early start tomorrow; slightly edgy about it but it will probably be fine and absolute worst case is I get stranded here and lose the accom in SE, and that isn't very likely and isn't going to stop me visited SE, it will just be a mildly expensive nuisance.

AFAICT supermarkets here do not charge for plastic bags, which is nice. Toyed with getting some fruit as well but I think it's better to do that when I have a few days in some accommodation so I don't have to eat it all at once, or just buy a tiny amount.

1931 Been putting SE accom location in phones and reading guidebook. Almost feels daunting going somewhere so tourist-oriented, but just need to remember I don't have to rush. In my head I suspect it's going to be horribly chilly but it probably won't. As long as I'm mostly doing stuff I don't have to rush, I am booked in until Friday morning but if there seems to be stuff to do (and slots free etc) I am happy to extend, either at existing accom if it's OK and still cheap or elsewhere - I'd rather not (it's still fairly early in trip) but I'm sure I can get at least a dorm bed at a tolerable price even relatively last minute.

I am a bit "err" about zipline tours (guidebook doesn't mention prices AFAICS and if they're insanely expensive I probably won't anyway), as I have no idea if my stomach is up for this sort of thing. A lot of them seem to include stuff like abseiling too, which doesn't automatically seem terrifying but even assuming it isn't, feels a little - hard to descibe - "activity for its own sake" . Meh, no need to worry about this until I'm there. (Perhaps the feeling I'm groping for is really this very awkward feeling of being strapped up by either bored or over-enthusiastic guide types and feeling really socially and physically uncomfortable.)

There's something about taxi+boat combo to get to La Fortuna which sounds vaguely interesting but also a faff. My initial thought is I'd get a bus to Tillaran and maybe stay there a bit, and maybe you can take a boat ride there (I get idea it's on Lake Arenal but not sure).

I do wonder a bit if Santa Elena is going to have a kind of San Pedro de Atacama vibe - super touristy but in a slightly odd way, and also feeling really rather small at the same time.

Bit disconcerted to read you have to book shuttle bus to/from the anti-plastic forest in advance and it then comes to pick you up at your accom. This is fine, except *if* you have to book to come back on a specific bus, what happens if you book for "all day" then get to the reserve and they only let you do the short walk, etc. I might hope the return journey is flexible (at least subject to spare seats) but just have to wait and see, I guess.

I really do wonder exactly how "busy" the whole area is going to feel. Is it going to be touristy but low key or is it going to be super intensely in-your-face heaving all the time?

2224 Mostly packed, had shower, going to bed. Not exactly tired but not not tired. Vaguely apprehensive about tomorrow but touch wood it will all be fine and as I say absolute worst case isn't all that bad. As for what it's like in SE, no need to get worked up about it - even if it's eg a faff to visit the anti-plastic forest, it's hardly rocket science. And I have plenty of time so if things don't go perfectly smoothly it isn't a big deal. It may be I'm about to go from off the beaten track to "tourist central" for a couple of weeks (Monteverde/Lake Arenal) but that's fine, it has its ups and downs, and if I want to I'm sure I can get off the beaten track again afterwards. No need to get worked up about meeting people either - just don't hide away excessively and it then either happens or it doesn't, so to speak.