Liberia-Tamarindo

Sat 18th 1553 Been sitting in open-air kitchen bit of new hostel doing some art - which isn't as good as I'd hoped, but hey, I'm doing it with my finger on phone screen so I have an excuse for being extra crap.

Feel a bit odd and out of place but maybe just because it's first day. Maybe because the dress code is pseudo-beach and mine isn't. (This isn't on the beach. But it has a pool. At USD25/night for a *dorm* it ought to be filled with molten gold.)

I don't actively hate Tamarindo but it really isn't for me. I went for a fairly extensive walk after checking in and the town seems to consist of beach, overpriced bar/restaurants, dusty back streets with luxury hotels on, boutique stores and the odd tiny supermarket. I haven't seen a single proper soda or even one of the near-ubiquitous fried chicken places.

I did get a lower bunk - they hadn't assigned me one, but I asked and as I had messaged first they swapped me into one as the woman who had been assigned it hadn't asked as such and presumably hadn't checked in yet. So it doesn't hurt to ask.

There's no laundry service here but flip side is they said it's fine to do own laundry, so I did some this afternoon and it's drying on the line now, will go collect it soon.

The hostel has a turtle tour ever night for USD40. I asked one operator in town who I suspect is reselling virtually the same tour for 45 and though guy was a bit vague tomorrow might be better than tonight, so barring talking to someone and being told otherwise I will book the hostel one tomorrow morning for tomorrow night. This is pretty much what I came to Tamarindo for and about all the place really has that I want, so if i do that I can move on with a clear conscience. Half wish I wasn't here for three nights but in some ways I will just treat it as relaxation time - hostel sells 720ml cans Bohemia at 2k which isn't too bad (shop price would be 1.5kish) and I am planning to head out to watch sunset from beach (a moderate walk, but not too concerned about safety here) and then come back, shower+shave then camp out somewhere in grounds with a beer, maybe talk to someone and whatever go to bed early.

Gut feeling is modulo turtle tour days here will be kicking round the hostel (I just *might* go in the pool for the hell of it) - there is at least free coffee up to 3pm - and going out to watch sunset but otherwise leaving town and beach alone.

No socket near bed but I should be able to charge power bank during night/day on shared table etc.

I had chicken ham and bread sandwiches for lunch - got supplies at supermarket and made sandwiches in hostel kitchen. Not *cheap* but OK and I'm reluctant to pay through the nose somewhere fancy. There's a microwave so I might get some hot dog sausages or similar tomorrow. I was actually going to have cheese instead of chicken ham as I'd had a vague fancy for a cheese sandwich from time to time, but the cheese was more than the chicken ham just for "American" (ie processed yellow) cheese so I thought sod it, let's go for "lunch in the office when I'm going out that night so can't eat at home" flashback. Quite enjoyed stuffing myself silly with ham sandwiches TBH.

Asked in two cell phone shops if they had stylus for maybe drawing on phone screen for art, but they didn't - one had some Samsung ones that didn't work, otherwise nothing. But at least I asked. :-)

I did see a Mexican bar/restaurant earlier doing micheladas (proper ones) for $5. I just might succumb to the temptation to have one or two at some point, though need to remember there's likely to be a tip on top of that if not VAT too.

Bus no problem incidentally, was about 2h. Not entirely sure where (or if) I could get an onwards bus, but I'm not paying $50+ for a shuttle, worst case I will go back to Liberia and back out or I will (assuming I can find a public bus for that) go to Nicoya and back out from there. Need to have an eye on this but don't need to worry too much about it just yet.

1623 I wasn't going to but I think I might take a beer down to the beach with me *and* (not rushing) still have one back at the hostel.

1903 Just got back from beach. Feeling surprisingly mellow. Will buy a beer at hostel if anyone ever appears at desk. Incidentally they have a (honest, I guess) sign saying they buy dollars at 530 and sell at 590 - quite a tasty spread! I asked and paid the 75 dollar bill on credit card in dollars.

Not had shower/shave tonight. Few people sitting round all solo, I also feel ultra un-sweaty after being out on beach - night air here is of the kind the word "balmy" must have been invented for.

Sunset very cool - actual sun going below horizon OK but nothing amazing, but stayed sprawled semi-comfortably on some rocks watching sky darken with the orange streak where the sun had gone down and hints of purple and people/rocks/trees all silhouetted and the stars coming out gradually - Orion right overhead, could use it to find Sirius/Aldebaran and think Cassiopeia visible towards north later, also couple of satellites (?) v bright above where sun went down which I think would like along nearly overhead celestial equator.

I was half tempted to stay longer on beach - it was very nice, vaguely attenuated beats from nearby Ocho beach club, didn't feel scarily isolated but also sort of pleasantly alone. Breeze cool but nice. But it also kind of felt like I was milking it slightly (I was there well over an hour as it was) and I was a smidge worried about the walk back (even though hardly late) and I didn't need to be. Perhaps good timing to do tour tomorrow as maybe night after (last night) I will spend longer on beach at sunset.

Had been feeling bit Billy No mates (some woman told group sitting near me about some bar crawl with free shots in every bar, she didn't tell me - which left me feeling left out, while at same time I don't exactly fancy that, beers yes, bar crawl maybe (but everything is so pricey here), shots not really) but it really was pleasant being alone on the beach. As the sweet brown liquor kicked in I did half feel an inclination to go to a bar or something and have a beer or two but I didn't; it wasn't that strong and I didn't want to go nuts on my first night here and I suspect there will be busy but not quite so intensely resort-y beach bar action in the near future anyway.

Gut feeling is this Bohemia (710ml, not 720ml, only 4%) is not quite as nice as Imperial Original but maybe I am imagining it.

1936 FWIW there are hammocks here. I may have a play with one tomorrow. Other people talking a bit but it is broadly not super chatty, and I do half wonder if they're mostly staff.

Queen's Greatest Hits seem to be playing. Not complaining.

Quite a few people vaguely wandering round but no one talking most of the time. Given early start today and general (and somewhat pleasant) lack of anything to do I will probably go to bed 830ish unless (which I don't expect) anything crops up. I still have two sandwiches worth of supplies from lunch but will save them for "breakfast" tomorrow I think, assuming the cold meat in imperfectly sealed pack isn't thrown out or accidentally spilled in the fridge.

Was thinking on beach tonight how pleasant it was and thinking back to this morning feeling a bit hot and sweaty and quietly uncomfortable on the bus and sort of appreciating the contrast.

It occurs to me Cañas and/or Liberia may have been equally pleasant out at night, but I didn't really go out for better or worse.

Toilets are in separate block from dorm here, so having to go for a piss in middle of night might be a minor fucker. They are relatively palatial though, a good number of spacious cublcles with toilet+shower.

Two (I think) staff (one might be owner) talking (in English) about some woman who turned up on some serious drugs, perhaps shouldn't be but quite amusing earwigging.

Conversation getting quite philosophical and sort of interesting and sort of annoying. Owner almost (without using the word) seems to be a pseudo-stoic. I find myself not quite agreeing with him but kind of admiring him. Woman (who I think is staff) seems to be French and she also seems vaguely cool. It is oddly cheering to overhear somehow. Quite glad I am not *in* the conversation, it seems a bit intense, but while feeling a smidge guilty for listening (but they know I and other people are right here) I am also kind of enjoying it.

Both of them show vague social engineering tendencies mind. But there's something oddly fascinating about the conversation all the same.

Seagulls ("wheeling in those far-distant skies") or what looked like them and the odd pelican-type bird around silhouetted about sunset. Also other day at PdC and Ocotal there were "pelicans" and I saw some diving into the sea.

And on the way back from Las Pumas for some reason I had one eye shut against sun while waiting for the bus to come and then I realised that one eye was more dark-adapted than the other and by alternately closing my eyes I could switch the "colour temperature" of the scene in front of me, which was oddly cool.

Reflecting on the (perhaps finished) conversation, I think (these are not new observations internally, but maybe not the sort of thing I'd necessarily write here) I have kind of mellowed (given up???) over the last 5-ish years. But I am increasingly focused and trying to be more so on what *I* control and what *I* do and doing my best to ignore/evade what "they" are doing, and my interest in large social crusades has declined from "meh" to "this is actively fucking harmful, the last thing we need is some central pseudo-authority setting the rules for everyone" , however well-intentioned they are or claim or intend to be. And I'm increasingly on the qui vive for "them" manipulating my perceptions - which isn't to say I can magically escape to an objective perspective, but still, at least I'm kind of thinking about it rather than taking what appears to me as "obviously" true, because I naively trust my own perceptions. But this is not the sort of thing I should be writing on this blog anyway.

2024 Few people vaguely around the pool, some chatting quietly but some not. Still feel a bit BNM but probably not too much ("I'm going slightly mad" playing :-) ), be interesting to see if as with hostel in Liberia I become increasingly comfortable about being on own.

Having some water and will move towards bed in a bit, but not necessarily bang on 2030 or anything.

2055 Been doing some art, felt a bit of a sad git doing it earlier (this afternoon) but got quite engrossed just now. Guy nearby smoking weed earlier, pisses me off that other people can do this and I can't, but not *that* much. At least I have alcohol. :-)

"Smells like teen spirit" playing. No chat audible, few people sitting round. Feels quite nice actually.

2100 Just swapped bottle of water and noticed an apparently straight-faced sign (in Spanish only) by sink saying if you don't wash your plate you will lose right of admission, you will be expelled without refund. I don't know if this is a joke and I'm taking it too seriously (Cranberries' "Zombie" - volume is low, but will always remind me of Guanajuato in '06) but this seems seriously arsey and vaguely peeves me.

They have a copy of David Jason's autobiography in the pile of largely foreign books available for guests. ;-)

2112 "Creep" (after "Everything I do I do for you" :-( )

Had a real thirst (for water) on when headed out to beach earlier despite having been drinking while lurking round kitchen. Meh.

2115 "Losing my religion"

2133 Just been for piss. There's a little cat here, wearing an odd neckscarf type thing (it doesn't seem to be to prevent scratching after an injury, and it isn't cold here), but it let me stroke it.

"Curfew" is 10pm so any music probably stop then (you can get in with a code if you're out) so probably move towards bed maybe a whisker before 10.

2204 Second (in 8 bed dorm) to bed. Someone asked me if I had a corkscrew, said sorry no but suggested maybe pushing it into wine with a finger if they didn't mind it not being classy - but owner chap overheard and found a corkscrew. Wonder if finger would work? If not blunt end of table knife or fork probably would.

Some chat over by pool but a bit girly group and not feeling too BNM. Dorm is maybe airconned to 24C-ish, which is nice though it is cool-ish out so maybe not nec.