San Isidro, Saturday

Sat 25th 1851 In room. All OK, TBH bit unsure when/if I should go out to "see" hosts as I lack the natural excuse of laundry last night.

Slept OKish, alarms perhaps too early again. Chat with hosts this morning, they made me breakfast and told me about the walking at Quebradas Biological Centre (known by a shorter name which escapes me now) and it being about 5-6km walk away they gave me a lift up there about midday.

3k to enter, I perhaps zoomed round a bit (they shut at 4, plus wanted to be sure to be able to walk back before dark) but did do 90% of the trails. Quite cool if perhaps beyond me to appreciate the finer points, but a decentish bit of walking and exercise and some very cool views from Pico de Zoncho (sp? I do have photos).

Walked back OK, bit nervy re dogs but all fine on whole, it was mostly downhill but IIRC it was 5.8km according to OSM (not I may not RC) and I did it in an hour. I went into the supermarket near airbnb and got some unhealthy snacks as didn't have chance to eat a "proper" lunch due to being out and while they may well offer me food tonight and it wouldn't kill me if I hadn't I'm always looking for an excuse.

German Shepherd called Jack of family relatives (?) at lower bit of private road up to airbnb did come hurtling across towards me (but not barking) and I heard its owner call and I wasn't too edgy and (I'd been told to say its name) I said "Jack, no" and kept walking and it was fine. The two smaller dogs, one of which IIUC is actually a bit more likely to bite, weren't there today, whereas at least one (I was just walking and avoiding eye contact, remember) was yesterday - I had been told Jack was fine, tho I always take this advice with a pinch of salt. Still, kudos to me for being relatively calm about this.

Brief chat with hosts when came in, said (truthfully) I was going to lie down before having a shower, which I did (lie down to watch bit of YT). And I guzzled my unhealthy snacks in secret.

Copying photos off camera to cards, not uploading to Google Photos as I am out of space - I really should have backed everything up months ago and wiped GP clean just for use on trips like this, but I certainly didn't wipe and while I *may* have done a dump of all stuff on there I can't be sure while I'm away from my PC so reluctant to maybe delete copies of photos which may due to some glitch or other be the only extant copies. It's fine, barring serious bad luck my multiple SD card copies of photos should help me get everything home safely.

2004 Hosts messaged me on WA a while back (1845ish) to say they're at/with/waiting for (I am a bit unclear, and their message may have bad grammar being written on fly) his mother and will be back later. This is fine and also gives me a natural way to talk to them when they do return. The two dogs have been barking at the door a bit which initially made me wonder if someone was outside but I think they just want some fuss and they stop doing it if I go stroke them. Been playing a bit (it is just playing, but it makes me nervous I'll get a scratch and I know cat scratches can be nasty) with the ginger cat too (I think it's only about a year old). The black-ish Persian is nowhere to be seen.

Sun 0130 Surprisingly late night, hosts turned up and I did wonder if I was in the way and they felt a bit compelled to talk to me at first but I am fairly sure it wasn't ultimately like that. We shared (me and wife; husband complained of bad stomach) litre bottle of Pilsen Doble Malta (which is nice but isn't a dark beer - I need to check out Bavaria Dark and (not dark, but apparently nice) Imperial Ultra) and also the two of us got through most of a bottle of Cacique Reserva Frutal (10%) I think. I'd be lying if I said I understood every word said to me but at the same time given I think hosts were speaking relatively uninhibitedly and fast I did get the gist and I am semi-proud of myself.

We discussed buses tomorrow, they are being super nice (I am *not* going to offer them more more as I am certain it would be an insult) and prob going to take me into SI and help me get bus and even bring me back here if I have to wait due to buses being sold out. I prob have to change in El Tejal (sp) in suburbs of Cartago (which I cannot remember the right pronunciation of) but it should all be fine. Bus journey is approx 2h so not an epic journey.

Need to be up 0830ish, haven't packed yet but it isn't a huge job and not doing now.