Thu 6th 1120 Fuckdustering fuck. Guess which is apparently the only airline not supported by the self check in/print boarding pass machines here? Fucking BA. I just checked at information desk and I have to do it at counter and they won't open til 1430. Am here early as shuttle (just local taxi minibus which I guess hostel contracts with) left early, presumably cos all 5 passengers were here.
This is not *too* big a deal since I have food to eat here, but I did want to get the shit of security out of the way ASAP plus it always feels a little safer from a theft POV airside and seats seem at a fucking premium here landside. I might see if I can get an electronic boarding pass via website, although when I checked in last night they said nothing about "oh, we're the awkward fuckers who don't work on the automated machines so don't choose print boarding pass at airport" .
OK, just had poke on BA site. It seems to be willing to let me check in again, even though I already did once. If I click round further it says self-service check in not available, though wherher this is because that's how it is at SJO or because I already checked in I don't know. Not going to risk doing the check in *again* lest it complicate things.
What a crock of shit. Going to see if I can find a seat and then I'll write up this morning.
1129 OK, sitting on tiled wall (which is the closest landside seems to come to seats) slightly out of way.
Didn't sleep too badly, woke up a bit in night and went for piss etc and as had turned G5 into aeroplane mode to save power it decided it was December and some completely different time just for shits and giggles which was a bit confusing. Some people got up very early (presumably for flights/buses) which slightly disturbed me but not much - I think main thing was "not oversleeping" concern.
Probably got up about 750ish but not sure. Cleaned teeth but didn't finish packing as dark in there etc. Went out for walk and food - Soda El Parque closed when I left hostel but after wandering round a bit it was open around 0830. Had same as yesterday (gallo pinto, 2 fried eggs, sausage, tortilla with black coffee) for 2750, a guy behind counter asked if I remembered him and it turned out he had me confused with some Canadian guy he'd met in Santa Ana (somewhere in/near Alajuela).
Did more wandering, obviously an element of milking this but the alternative was just sleeping late or sitting round in hostel so no real harm. Snapped loads of random photos on "why the hell not?" grounds. Popped back to hostel once or twice, swizzled phones and chargers and powerbanks around between locker and dorm etc.
Had vaguely intended to have a full-sized "lunch" but it really didn't feel right, I wasn't that hungry. So I got a prob 600ml bottle of Jet energy drink at Pali for 800 (just to try it, I'm not that familiar with sugary energy drinks but tasted OK - bit expensive but it was an "experiment" ) and had a smallish pan pizzero eating in at Musmanni for 900 (no choripan).
I am not hungry now, I have 2x90g takis fuego and (if I want, tho may well not) the packet of nuts from home and the mani garapinado to snack on in airport. The food on the flight will probably be fine (touch wood) but you never know so I'd rather eat something (even if it's junky) while in airport.
While sitting in main-ish square not long before finally going back to hostel at 1025ish, a woman came up and asked me for directions to some pharmacy or other. I had to say I was a tourist, but maybe some small vindication of my "try not to look like a tourist" strategy.
Earlier I also noticed the church/cathedral with the red dome was open which IIRC it hadn't been before so I popped in - quite impressive - for a quick look and a quick photo.
I think that's most of it.
Obviously it sucks a bit sitting here feeling semi-bored and I'm not sure if I can get access to mains power for charging here landside, tho I do have fair amont of charge in powerbank I think and both phones were full-ish. It wouldn't be much better airside but at least I might have an actual seat and I'd have got the security shit out of the way. But ultimately in the long run it doesn't make that much difference - it would be kind of sucky even if I were able to go airside now.
If I'd know about this, would I have written off the free airport shuttle and eg put my bag in storage at hostel til 2ish and gone for wander round town, or camped out downstairs in hostel (where not sure there's any free coffee)? Maybe but maybe not. Going for a walk with the "got to leave 'soon'" feeling was already getting old and it wouldn't have been all that relaxing.
I have some water with me, I don't know if there's potable water in the toilets here although logically it should be OK since almost all tap water in CR is potable.
The cash machine here landside isn't BCR or BN so I'm not withdrawing any USD to keep on me for future travels - I already have a fair amount and maybe don't need any anyway, but unless I can get it fee free I'm not withdrawing any more. (It's useful to have some to take the pressure off on arrival, as if I can't get cash machine to work, the chances are a local taxi in most of Latin America will accept USD even if at a shitty rate, or maybe there's a bureau de change.)
I am wearing two tone blue isocool top, I have fleece in bag and also orange wool top. I was and maybe still am considering wearing wool on flight with fleece, but the isocool felt more appropriate for wandering round Alajuela with moderate heat this morning. Right now I feel v comfortable in just isocool so probably won't change until I am nearer to getting on flight, or even mid-flight - I will keep the "unworn" top in my daypack. (On way out this provides option for a comfort change as it does on return, but I also have a change of clothes in daypack so I'm less screwed if the main bag somehow goes astray.)
1242 Reading on phone. Battery holding out well so far (fingers crossed). It was/is a bit odd to be at the airport here a bit calmer than I was when I arrived, as darkness was setting in on an unknown country and I was struggling to get the cash machines to work, tired after the flight and with a horde of taxi drivers to deal with outside.
1258 Just had packet TF, quite nice - wasn't really hungry but kinda sorta was and eating sort of to fill the time of course.
1350 Just guzzled my 190g packet of Asda nut selection. Vaguely greedy but meh. At least this way I can wash them down with some water, whereas I *may* not be able to get any airside.
Starting to feel vaguely jittery about check in (well, getting boarding pass) and security. Pretty normal, for me anyway, I guess. Vaguely worried check in is going to strop out at my bags, even though they will be lighter/smaller by the time I get on the plane. The weight is actually a non-issue, both pieces of hand baggage have a 23kg limit and I'd guess even with the roughly 1kg baked snacks my main bag is well under 10kg, and daypack even less.
Security usual general jitters, obviously I don't have anything to hide but it's just unpleasant and intrusive and officious.
I am going through security as soon as I can, want to get it over with and I assume if there was anything I had somehow managed to leave at hostel and wanted to dash back for I'd have remembered by now.
1527 Airside, sitting at wrong gate as I randomly picked this direction after sorting myself out post security. Bar Imperial here wants USD4.95 (why show a price in the national currency?) for a presumably 350ml Imperial or Pilsen. I refilled my water bottle in the toilets, it didn't say the water was drinkable but it also didn't say it wasn't.
Joined fairly long BA checkin queue about 1425, maybe got boarding pass (no fuss) about 1500 and drank water and came through immigration (no stamp out, I think? anyway, I assume they know what they're doing and haven't double checked passport) and security, which wasn't too big a deal and I didn't get any hassle. Feel broadly a bit encumbered by my two separate bags but until I eat remaining TF I am reluctant to try squashing daypack inside main bag as they'll smash up. Slightly sweaty - been wearing fleece for a couple of hours, it was comfortable if not strictly necessary while sitting waiting - but nothing major.
Was vaguely worried I'd be asked if I'd left bag unattended since I packed it, and since it was in dorm that would technically be the case, but I am not sure they ask that question any more.
Couple of Unicef women (seeking donations I guess) wearing masks hassled me as walking over, I thought they might be something official given their matching "uniforms" but when seeing what they were I said "sorry" and hurried off.
Not asked to take shoes off at security BTW.
USD4.95 is CRC2673 at market rate, a tasty markup for a beer I was paying 1400/1500 for in bars yesterday. And that's before they apply a possibly predatory exchange rate. Gut feeling is I won't be buying, but we'll see. I will poke around the terminal a bit later. Haven't drunk any of water from toilet tap yet, may hold off if I can - I might buy an overpriced soft drink or coffee somewhere.
(I could pay on credit card in USD for a drink etc, but with an excess of CRC on me it seems silly to do so. Maybe if it avoids breaking more notes and getting more coins it isn't ridiculous.)
Flight is in less than three hours and boarding starts in just over two. I might ring parents again and then perhaps eat the TF as they are the main breakable snack I am carrying. (Well, I hope the baked stuff will get home intact-ish, but they are slightly padded inside my main bag.)
1601 Hahaha. Just found drinking water fountain, emptied out (and will consider "contaminated" until I get it home and wash it, or until it dries out anyway) leaky "reusable" water bottle's toilet sink water and drunk my fill direct from fountain and also filled up my trusty crushed-to-reduce-size single-use plastic bottle. And put my daypack inside main bag so I only have one maybe fractionally oversized bag to lug round now.
I am almost certainly not having a beer or coffee or whatever until I'm on the flight. While I've been slack-ish while on holiday, a bit of restrains (the tiniest bit) won't hurt, I can have beer on flight and also I can consume that alcohol/calories foregone here in the terminal back home at a decent price in comfort - it's not as if a beer here is going to be luxurious or memorable or special, not like last night at rooftop bar or even that bar mid-afternoon.
1612 Walked down from gate 20 (highest I think) to my gate (3). Starbucks want USD4 for a small Americano, gastropub wants USD3 for a black coffee (at least 1500 CRC, I paid 750 this morning at Soda El Parque and thaty didn't feel cheap). Gastropub does at least seem to do vaguely craft beers but no prices shown and I'm not desperate, just writing this out of boredom.
Pretty cool frog on end wall here.
Air conditioning is pleasantly fiercer here sitting at gate 3. Into the lining.
On utterly random note which just reminded of, Rosemary did at least have a tent etc with her, which would naturally account for some of her backpack weight.
Bar yesterday afternoon in Alaljuela was Donde Memo. And the place I had empanada de queso and coffee at market was Las Recetas de Mam.
Airport free wifi seems to work fairly well (maybe bit iffy for Signal, used my Claro data for that) and no need to register or anything. Prob noted this on arrival if not too panicked but kudos.
1626 And nicely there is a charging point at this gate, have come over to get a top up.
1720 Got bit of power into both phones, watched couple of YT videos so perhaps slowing charge down a bit but still, OK. Gate getting busier.
Might go off for a slash in a minute, I'm not desperate and I'll probably need to go the minute I'm on the plane and can't. OTOH maybe I should hang on til nearer boarding.
1734 Dribbled out a little bit. (Exciting this, isn't it?)
I may well go queue up "early" to board despite normally not bothering, because I want to reduce chances of my bag not getting a space in overhead locker. No one queueing yet tho.
1742 Gut feeling is the flight will be fullish judging from busyness of gate, but obviously that's just guesswork.
1749 People seem to be lining up and I'm not clear why. I'm not gonna be an arse, I will go asap when my group is called but not getting too bent out of shape about it.
1801 Sorted, was sitting nearish entrance to plane in gate and got up promptly when group called, one of first-ish on down here and got daypack out and put main bag in overhead locker other side of aisle where I can see it.
1815 Intermittent announcements that due to the loading requirements of this aircraft (airport??) please don't move from your allocated seat to an empty one. Amazingly (touch wood) both middle seats in my middle group of four are currently empty. Flight is hardly empty but there may be the odd spare seat around; I guess the announcements would imply there are enough that it matters (unless this is really just for admin reasons, but I don't think they normally stress it so much).
Plane is 777-200 and both those seats look like they are empty, we'ce finished boarding.
2130 Mild turbulence. Food service felt a little chaotic/slow but had fairly decent vegetarian asian style noodles, bread roll, soda crackers and some kind of mousse dessert. Also earlier can of Brewdog Jetstream beer and a small bottle red wine - the latter a little nerve-inducing as plane kept shaking a bit but seem to have avoided any spills.
Watched Minions: Rise of Gru earlier and Monsters Inc now. Don't want anything too demanding, not in mood (never am) to be lectured by an unknown modern film or for anything terribly "challenging" . MROG OK, bit dull but I appreciate it's for kids. Seen MI before so if I want to fall asleep during it I can - I am assuming food/drink service is over til breakfast now so I won't miss anything. Tho I can't help feeling I should have been offered tea or coffee but no major deal - I *may* have popped off for a piss and missed it, tho not sure.
Oh no, looks like that's happening now. I just gave my milk away with my otherwise finished with dinner tray, so I will have a black coffee instead of white tea I had thought I might have.
OK, they did have milk so got some tea. Minor linguistic difficulties despite both of us being native English speakers - not a new lesson, but if this had been in Spanish I'd have thought I was speaking badly, but in difficult (eg noisy) environments, it happens anyway, right?
Do feel slightly kinda-sorta tired. Not critical if I don't sleep but see what happens. I suspect we are done with food/drink now til breakfast, when I fully expect to feel shitty as I always do after sleeping on plane. Will drink bottle of water been given in hope it helps, one of flight attendants did make conversational comment to me about it being important to hydrate to avoid feeling terrible after sleeping.
2205 It's weird, I know roughly how MI ends and I have seen it before (in its entirety though?) but from about an hour in starting when Mike and err his friend - oh yeah, Sully - get banished, it's like "err, OK, I don't remember this" . Maybe abominable snowman bit familiar, but not sure.
2229 Yawning quite a lot. I must have fallen asleep during MI before as all the last third-ish is only slightly familiar if that, it basically felt new to me.
Fri 0340 Did sleep kind of well - don't remember waking up much - but also badly as woke up before 3am not wanting to look at time and semi-drowsing with eyes dry etc. We've had breakfast (gallo pinto with scrambled egg and sausage, small bit of fruit chunks, chocolate muffin thing, white tea, orange juice) and I feel reasonably OK. It's 1041 London time and we're due to land in 1h10m. Not busting but will go for piss once finished tea to beat the pre-landing rush.
1113 Landing in about 40 mins. Just been reading on phone. Need to dig flat keys out of bag at some point but will probably do it in airport landside.
Smugarse begging video being played with sound over speakers.
Oh, the aisle does seem wider here at the back because of the 2-instead-of-3 seating in the rear window groups. Widest aisle at point furthest forward where still 2-not-3, of course, but even in my row I think it's a bit wider and as I naturally look forward a bit it also means I "see" the wider point there.
1244 On train. Except for being forced to use stupid egates which are probably somehow a massive privacy invasion in a way I don't know about and took about three attempts to let me through, no real problems. Big queue for tickets for train which I joined, no services to Vic but LBR seemed OK, as I got near head of queue I asked a guy to check trains to LBR and he told me to just use contactless and I checked and he said it would be cheapest and I wouldn't be charged Gatwick Express prices. So I've done that and fingers crossed etc.
Went through nothing to declare lane at customs, I don't believe my supermarket plastic sealed baked goods/sweets needed any attention and obviously not brought anything else of value back etc.
WA waiting from Byran ("Canadian son" from Cartago) when I landed, also message from Martian which I think is just a drink invite but is oddly worded and has me slightly edgy.
Got keys out of bag when seatbelt light went off and we were waiting on plane.
1519 Forgot to make note but got home about 1330, which isn't too bad.
Saturday 8 April 2023
Thursday 6 April 2023
San José-Alajuela
Wed 5th 0658 On terrace with weakish coffee (hoping it will loosen bowels). Slept fairly well, tho woke up a few times (prob vague early departure nerves) including 2300ish when it felt like 5am and I was worried I'd have to be up soon.
1756 JFC. In hostel rooftop bar; came up here, went to pay (1500; not ideal but...) and suddenly realised didn't have binder clip wallet. Was pretty sure I'd lost it in hostel and I had changed lots of clothes and repacked down in dorm but flipped out slightly. Dashed down, knocked on dorm door and someone let me in and it had fallen on floor. Not *quite* sure how, but still, bullet dodged. All this time without an incident then this.
Was going to get a tin or two of beer from shop as usual for last night but since there is a bar here I kind of figure I "shouldn't" /aren't allowed to. And the downstairs common area is a bit dingy and while 1500 is more than I want to pay it's not like I plan to drink a ton and the view is actually pretty decent.
Will intermittently write today up. Executive summary: everything fine, goals achieved, but overriding feeling of "should be doing amazing things on last day" (not quite right way of putting it) and a vague pseudo-milking thing going on.
Two poss Dutch young women came up here a bit ago but it's just me and two staff now. It looks a tiny bit swanky and I was put off but it's not insanely expensive for the local beers (I'm drinking Pilsen). At least as it's just me I have a great table in corner with view, which I should appreciate instead of writing this.
Discovered a cache of 10k notes and a 5k at bottom of tube cube when repacking - I went in there to get a new bag for liquids at security. Not end of world, it's probably about 55k and I was feeling a smidge tight on cash for beers tonight and breakfast/lunch tomorrow. I haven't withdrawn any cash (colones) since I started trying to run my supplies down, which is something. If I'd remembered I had it I'd have probably paid some hostel bills in CRC (at least asked the price to see if it was fair) but it's not the end of the world.
1815 Pretty damn cool sunset and there's (just noticed) a full moon too. TBH perhaps coming to this rooftop bar is the highlight of the final day I've been hoping for.
1818 Ha, the full moon seemed to be in the west, but of course that's impossible - I just realised it's a reflection from the east when i went over to east side of (smallish) bar to take a photo there.
1825 V cool really. Hard to photograph but I'll just have to try to remember. Lights twinkling on hillside around etc. Semi-spoiled but also not spoiled by biggish "Resolvelo con FUD" billboard in middle distance.
So got train - not empty, but lot of free seats - no trouble. Two tickets SJO-Heredia and Heredia-Alajuela. Ticket woman (on platform - no one at windows) spoke English to me, which I guess was nice of her.
Got very slightly lost and was a slightly whiny bitch (hard to see phone screen due to scratched up screen protector and bright sunlight) on way over to hostel, but no real problems.
Guy at reception super friendly, spoke to me in Spanish for a while, said I could leave bag etc, had been to UK twice, once to central London and another time to visit a friend in Weymouth. He said London Dungeon v good, dunno if it's the Tussauds thing but he said it was like a play done "around" you and it was temporary and also done in eg Paris and Tokyo. Bit of audience involvement tho. Anyway, FWIW.
He recommended Zooave to me and I was going to go (forgetting I'd probably rejected it when in Alajuela before - remember I was in a very different and less confident frame of mind back then) but I went to Soda El Parque nearby for gallo pinto and 2 fried eggs breakfast and looked it up on phone - initially just trying to get location on OSM on G5 - and their own website (they've rebranded to Rescate Los Animales or something) says it's USD30 for foreigners, and has a lot of tripadvisor review quotes saying the price is worth it. I think - not checked blog - this is why I didn't go before. Hostel guy told me easy to get bus from Tuasa terminal FWIW. But FFS, apart from the general but universal pissiness of special foreigner prices, USD30 feels like a pisstake. National parks cost 15+tax usually, maybe 20. Yes, it's a "rescue centre" and thus charitable and helping the animals blah blah blah, but there's a limit. I'd have gone for 15 and maybe for 20 but as I say 30 feels like a pisstake, on top of the fact they're quoting a price in dollars. I wouldn't *mind* seeing a quetzal but it's not on my bucket list, especially in (even morally justified; it just isn't as "cool" to see an animal when it's guaranteed) captivity, and hostel guy said there's a toucan with a reconstructed upper beak, but still.
Also except the quetzal and maybe the toucan, I have seen eg Rescate Los Pumas (which IIRC was much cheaper) and seen all four monkey species in the wild etc etc, so the potential "wow" factor at "Zooave" was limited.
So I decided to just wander round etc.
1836 On second Pilsen. Looking out and feeling mildly meditative, I am reminded of that rooftop bar in Bangkok, and also thinking - perhaps a little cheesy, but WTF - that on the whole this has been a fairly successful trip. As noted before, personal demons given at least a bit of a kicking and I kind of feel I've improved some of my soft travel skills and have managed to be reasonably social.
So after breakfast I thought I'd wander over to that bit near market I'd been to back in Jan and admire the view. I couldn't help noticing that while still a tiny bit concerned about personal safety, I felt way more confident than I did back then.
View very nice but also noticed that as it's "Miercoles Santo" the market was open despite it being a weekday, so I went in and (milking it slightly) spent an hour or two wandering round, and had an empanada de queso and a white coffee at a soda (not Gina's, which seemed shut) in the little area off to one side for about 1300. Food nice, walking the market not utterly amazing but sort of cool and nice to be seeing it for a second time at end of trip etc and certainly a reasonable way to fill a bit of time. While I milked it slightly I didn't go crazy and don't really blame myself.
Strong but warmish breeze from the open window up here, I left fleece down in dorm and would prob lose table if I went for it but I don't really need it. Open window good for photos tho.
Oh, I checked in at hostel when I arrived 8-9ish, and paid (didn't ask but got change in dollars). I had a reason for saying that... It wasn't it, but I got a lower bunk - I was actually first in dorm when I got here a bit after 2 so had free choice. Why did I mention that tho? Oh - I wanted to say that guy on reception told me about free airport shuttle and said last one was 1130 and checkout was 11 but I could hang around if I wanted. But I signed up for 1130 free shuttle. I figure I already decided when I booked this place, plus with flight 1825ish I'd probably "want" to get to airport 1425ish if left to my own devices, so I'm only getting to airport 2.5-3h early, which sucks but isn't end of world, plus the reality is that if I did say "fuck it, I'll pay for a taxi and go at 1425" , all I'd be doing is milling round town worrying how safe my bag is back at the hostel and if I should be heading back to get it and go over to the airport - it's not as if I'd be doing wildly exciting things I haven't otherwise had time for with the extra few hours.
As it is I vaguely plan to be up earlyish (8) and go out for breakfast and wander a little and then have a super early lunch at 10ish then come back to hostel and checkout and wait for bus. Not sure any free coffee here, and as there's no kitchen (I asked) I am going to have to throw my leftover spices/coffee out instead of leaving them in free food area - I could have trivially left them in San Jose hostel had I known, but I just assumed every hostel has a kitchen. Not end of world.
I did watch (and video) a plane land at airport from that nice viewpoint outside plaza de las ferias either before or after going in - there was a helicopter too, incidentally.
It would of course have been a pisser to lose my wallet (room keycard - this place is like a hotel which does have expensive private rooms, just some have been turned into dorms - plus Aqua card and maybe 25-30k CRC) but it wouldn't have utterly devastated me - I had other cash hidden away (including CRC, not just USD, after finding that forgotten stash) and other cards etc etc.
I should say rooftop bar is fourth or fifth-ish floor as this is a fairly big building, not the usual-ish 2nd or so story hostel rooftop bar. Other tables occupied but with one solo guy and pairs of people I think came together. I don't feel BNM, I am open to talk if someone wants but I am not particularly desperate.
I said trip had been a success, of course I'm sure I could have done some things better. One small thing I could have done better (reminded by big fruit market today, but true all over as even supermarkets sell odd stuff and there are fruit stalls etc) is buy more random unknown fruit/veg just to try it as I travelled round. In some ways dorms or even just hostels with no privacy make this hard, but a) I did develop a bit of a cooking habit in hostels at points b) in some way they make it easier, as you can always give away the leftovers/share whatever you bought in too big a quantity.
RHCP "scar tissue" playing ("share this lonely view"), never a huge fan but does vaguely remind me of my youth-ish and places like that small club whose name has just gone that I used to like on Fri nights - the San Moritz.
After admiring view on leaving plaza de ferias think I wandered and came across an empty bar and succumbed to temptation (something I kind of hadn't done, plus I was bored and it was hot-ish) to have a couple of beers. Lone woman sat a table and three local guys sat at bar while I was in there but wasn't "molested" , semi-cool to be there, tho woman said something unintelligible to me (not sure if Spanish or English, *maybe* asking me to take my cap off but not sure at all) which made me bit edgy as I sat down with my second beer. 1400 each for Imperial, which kind of makes this place feel expensive, but then there is the cool rooftop aspect.
This breeze is maybe also good for my clothes, the two tone blue isocool top felt vaguely manky when I pulled it out of bag despite being handwashed in Orosi and the grey trousers (ditto re wash) were a bit damp. I do feel reasonably clean and fresh now, which I "should" as modulo this handwashing and dampness I put absolutely clean everything on after my shower.
1915 Third beer. Few people talking near me but several tables with solo people. Feel OK.
So after beers wandered a little then went to hostel and actually got into dorm. Bit of chat with cleaner type chap in there.
Oh, the Fecosa bus terminal is now in use as noticed during morning walk, asked hostel reception guy as I came back 2pm and he said it opened about a month ago. Strangely cool to feel I saw the before and after of this, and I assume the guide book author was assured by the authorities it would be in use before the book was published but there was a delay.
Went back out and wandering round a bit found Mercado Central here, prob been in Jan but not sure. I bought 400g of mani garapinado (not entirely sure if "to take home" or "to eat at airport" ) and then was stuck lugging it round. Went to museum on main square mainly in hope of going up on roof, woman at sign in (it's free) was v nice and seemed to say I could and I even said it wasn't necessary to put them out and have them open the roof as I'd seen it before, I was just visiting again before I went home, and she seemed to say I could. But I was kind of compelled to go round all rooms (sort of interesting) and in the end the roof seemed shut and she was apologetic when I left. Not a big deal but noting for completness.
Went back to MC and had small ceviche camarones for 2500+refresco de cas for 700+IIRC 200 voluntary tip at busying marisqueria I forgot name of. Did feel vaguely brave eaching cevice night before I fly but it *was* busy and fingers crossed it will be fine.
I then went on quest to buy stuff to take home. Wanted some Sirenas sweets (as seen at checkout of every supermarket for last two months) for niece and could not find them. Got some football sweets for nephew in Masxmenor and got myself 2x90g packets Takis Fuego for 1100 for airport. Charged round there and Pali and back to hostel to drop stuff off and down to National (supermarket of choice when here in Jan) and got some pseudo-baked goods to take home for maybe family over Easter but nowhere had any damn Sirenas (or Sirenitas as I thought they were). Bit of an out loud whiny bitch about this. Even asked hostel reception guy. In the end I found a boutique-ish shop a few blocks from hostel whose name escapes me which said "We stock Trululu" in window and I knew (and had said to several shopkeepers) that was the brand so went in and got a packet (for only 600; was dreading it would be 2k or something insane and I'd be torn) and felt massively relieved.
Then back to hostel and emptied bag out and tried to repack as best/neatly as I can and prep for flight and intrusive security scans etc. Had shower so I could change clothes and pack dirty ones. A few people in and out of dorm during this and it feels fairly full now.
And I think that brings the log of today up to date.
I do wonder if everything I am seeing from up here is Alajuela or if eg Heredia/San Jose are forming part of the view.
Tried to use dirty tops (ie not that stinky, unlike UW) to wrap the baked pastry things and sweets for nephew/niece in hope of preserving them. I vaguely plan to take daypack outside main bag with me to airport and through security and have things like Takis Fuego in there as I will be eating those before I get on the flight so not going to consume space in bag - I will stuff empty daypack into main bag when boarding. Mani garapinado (both today's 400g buy and little bit leftover from last night) are in fleece pockets for now.
I still have the second of the two packets of nuts I brought from UK with me. They are in daypack right now and I will probably eat them at airport too.
I am hoping given tap water is potable in CR I can fill a water bottle airside, if not I may splurge and buy some, and even if I can get free water I just might hold my nose and pay airport bar prices for a beer or two, given how relatively long I will be there.
There is a tree outside with bare branches that does basically come up to eye level as I sit here in this rooftop bar.
I haven't checked weather back in London and have only had vague clues from speaking to parents about weather there. My vague expectation is it's going to be cool but perhaps a bit sunny during the day and not exactly cold - "comfortable wearing fleece and a thinnish top" kind of weather.
Feeling mildly in need of piss. Gut feeling is I'll be fine for this beer, will risk losing table to go for piss after it and I'll go get fleece at same time and maybe have 1-2 more, even if at a crappier table. Do not want to be utterly pissed or hungover tomorrow, but I feel it's OKish to have a few on the last night. Honestly while been drinking quite frequently in last week or so, I have almost never drunk to excess on any given day over pretty much the entire trip.
Consistentish with beer intentions, I vaguely expect to go to bed 9ish. Even if don't fall asleep immediately, that should be fine and isn't unusual for this trip and gives me a fair chance of getting up 8ish. I just hope somewhere easily findable is open for breakfast then.
1953 This *is* cool but I do wonder if I'm milking it slightly given I feel slightly cold/needing piss. Perhaps rushed this beer a bit but when it's done I'll go for piss and get fleece and also put powerbank (which I've used to charge both phones mostly full while up here) on charge in dorm. If I get a shitty table or have to sit at bar with no real view on return that's fine.
2001 Against all odds got my table back after piss and getting fleece and putting powerbank on charge. Guys at table to my left are discussing a friend who seems to have passive income from saving and a frugal lifestyle.
Might (semi-illictly?) eat some mani garapinado.
2014 Did. Enjoyed them. Fingers bit sticky but meh. Feel *slightly* BNM but is at least one solo guy, most people talking are in couples and it feels kind of like people who are travelling together talking. Also genuinely not desperate despite generalised "would be nice to talk to people more easily" issues.
2020 Just seen plane take off, in hindsight it's obvious and I *had* thought airport was to south and thus poss right in front of me, but I hadn't twigged the line of bright white lights in middle distance were (I infer) along the runway rather than just being along an important road. I saw this by chance as admiring the view and suddenly some lights detached themselves from the ground. :-)
At least one conversation nearby is in fluent-sounding Spanish, they could still be tourists but I half wonder if they are locals and this bar is (understandably) open to anyone.
2026 Incidentally while in bar was reading (skimming, to be honest) a 2018 paper on "bias bias" in behavioural economics. Oh yes, the reason I suddenly think of this is mulling on how I am less (but not un-) concerned about personal security now compared to Jan. I may have seen paper before and having only skimmed it I am super leery of drawing conclusions but it *has* I think made me freshly sceptical of a lot of "received wisom" and (with no solid conclusion here on my part right now) it may well be that having spent >2 months in CR I *do* have a better intuitive grasp of the security risks of being here compared to when I arrived. There are doubtless *gaps* in my knowledge - I have been out very little at night, on the whole - and I may have flawed judgments (or maybe actually rational sensible low confidence judgments?) about some aspects, but still.
I do think I was understandably but excessively over-concerned when I first got here. But that's probably smart and even rational, given the skewed payoffs (feel a bit edgy and maybe miss out on a night out or a beer from nearby shop after dark while playing it safe, vs get mugged or worse from being over-confident from the start).
Not feeling pissed. Do feel I'm slightly milking this, as I am not super enjoying myself either, but it is at least understandable on last night and I am not hating it or anything either and the alternative is just going to bed even earlier than usual.
2041 I don't see the real value given I paid to select a seat, but suddenly remembering I hadn't checked in (and there were no nagging e-mails either) I just did. Opted to collect boarding pass at airport, I could have had it e-mailed but I figure it's probably more reassuring (I have no printer here, of course, unlike when I checked in online at home in Jan) to not be dependent on my phones working at the airport.
Not just now, speaking more generally, vaguely peeved/resentful at all the security screening wankery and potential bag quibbling (tho I have 23kg allowance on *both* cabin bags, so the only real scope for quibbling is on the size of perhaps collar-up main bag and touch wood I expect no fuss, I am not flying Ryanair or easyjet) but at least my style of travel means I get to amortise this emotional cost over several months and while shitty it is probably worth it in order to be able to travel.
2046 Yawning a bit. I was up at 630 or so I guess. Not pissed. Bit of this beer left, barring major change of heart in next few mins I will probably have one more and call it a night. I will have milked it a bit but not excessively.
2055 Went down one floor (I asked) and had piss and got another (last) Pilsen and still got my table. It is thinning out in here slightly - for last hour or two it's been busyish for size but not rammed (broadly pleasant busyness tbh) but a table is now free in the four nearest the windows etc. All fine.
I half wish I'd had some epic conversation with someone tonight etc but I am not complaining. On the whole it hasn't been a bad day in the face of "end of trip" emotional crap, I was/am enjoying the views from up here and I haven't eg made any conversational overtures to other single people here, eg the guy behind me, figuring maybe they want some peace on first/last night here (easy and prob true-ish assumption) and also feeling that I'm quite happy to be solo as long as I don't feel BNM tonight.
2102 Oh, I got a vaguely sausage roll carne desmechada and queso thing from a bakery earlier (quite nice) and while devouring it on a street corner driver of a huge articulated truck shouted at me - I was engrossed in eating and not paying attention, and when I realised he was talking to me I just said "soy turista, lo siento" . In a way vaguely nice he felt I might be able to advise him (not sure what he wanted, presumably directions) and also a shame I wasn't paying more attention to at least understand what he wanted even if I almost certainly couldn't have helped and would have said "soy turista, lo siento" . Still, I feel this kind of thing mildly vindicates my "it's analogue not binary" "try not to look too much like a tourist" dress code. (And of course in general being solo helps, as it means I am not revealing my linguistic skills by speaking to a companion in English as I walk down the street.)
The truck made a rather tight some reversing involved right turn (think I have a bad photo) and moved off, FWIW. Putting more effort into/making it more natural (because my Spanish is better) to understand this kind of "background" language (I wasn't consciously speaking with/interacting with driver when he shouted) would obviously be good/nice.
Just confused myself but yes, in this country the driver would be sitting on the left side of the cab, so it was the driver I interacted with and not some (hypothetical) mate in the passenger seat.
Waffling over this detail reminds me: think I've said this before and hope it's obvious, but I don't *lie* on this blog (modulo political risk avoidance, which is broadly speaking rare and at a higher level, and even then principally manifests as silence rather than lies) - if I write it, it happened or I believed it or whatever, depending on context - but I don't *promise* to write everything that happened. So just because some interesting (in hindsight or at the time) incident isn't documented, that is only very weak evidence it didn't happen. It's enough effort to do my best to record everything for Future Me without wearing my fingers to nubs trying to record literally every minor incident. If something interests me etc I do try to record it even if it's minor, but obviously there is a practical lower (upper?) bound on how much detail I can include.
TL;DR: This blog is (modulo own biases) the truth but not necessarily the whole truth. Although except in certain embarassing/personal cases, the distinction is just to preserve my sanity as a chronicler, not for any ulterior motive.
Quick count up has 7 people here excluding me and the two bar staff. 3 of them are in a group chatting (in Dutch or German, I think_ and the rest of us are all solo BNM types. If I'd just arrived maybe I'd make an overture but as it is as said repeatedly I feel both comfortable solo and vaguely intrusive thinking about speaking to someone.
I am less jealous of people who have conceptually just arrived than I expected. I am not happy to be leaving but it will also be nice to be at home and trips (until I become a PT ;-) ) have to end and it will be nice to (say) travel in autumn but from a fresh "how exciting/novel" perspective, rather than a slight "I want to get on with (a new improved version of) my life back home" feeling as I have now.
2123 It is (not that I'm just noticing) cool to see mountains silhouetted on horizon - some lights up there, but fewer. I am also yawning a bit and prob move towards bed soon-ish.
Not the ultimate fantasy amazingly cool wow last night, but really this rooftop bar has been a pretty decent real world pseudo-wow type thing, and the day as a whole hasn't been bad - wasn't gutted at deciding not to go to Zooave by any means, was genuinely up for it after hostel guy's seemingly genuine enthusiasm but for all that I had no plans - the (good) idea to go look at view near plaza de ferias was spur of moment - I was also up for just casually wandering round and I feel given I wasn't gagging to go my decision to fuck it on discovering the price and bearing in mind I had expected to semi-enjoyably just bum around today was fairly reasonable.
Trying to mull for last few minutes but can't resist observing (thinking about a hypothetical return to CR and would I maybe stay here - prob not just cos there were comparable price private room options, but let's ignore that) that staying in a dorm is more about multiple minor inconveniences and *not* the bear pit kind of environment I think I sometimes used to envisage and perhaps will again once memories of this trip fade. Absolutely once in a while and perhaps indeed especially after a long flight a private room is nice, but I think it would be helpful to bear in mind the true "quiet minor miserableness" of staying in dorms (and that's a fairly negative way of putting it) vs the horrific bear pit aspect my mind tends to give it. So I can make more sensible decisions in future.
That said, I don't personally think staying in dorm vs priv room in same hostel is *that* much more helpful for socialising, so if (in other country, say) priv was USD20 and dorm was USD15, I should probably feel free to go for priv option unless it is massively budget damaging or as a bit of an intermittent "keeping it real" /"stoical is-this-what-I-feared" kind of thing. Oddly Julian in Orosi said dorms were better for meeting people, but he/I never spoke in dorm - where I did see him briefly - before we spoke in kitchen/common area.
Maybe four of us here now excl staff. I should milk it a little before I leave, so will stop writing this.
2139 FWIW have been intermittently thinking tonight "a few days ago I was looking into the craters at Irazu" - not sure quite what to make of that. It was sort of cool but not "wow" . Maybe seeing the mountains on horizon (which also reminds me of first-ever trip out of Europe, seeing mountains from terrace of accom in Cuernavaca) one of which might be Poas makes me think of this.
Feel vaguely sad at going down to bed soon, but equally I know I'm milking it already and the memories of tonight won't be improved by forcing things.
2201 In bed. Bit surprised dorm seems fairly occupied with sleepers, but prob not really surprising.
1756 JFC. In hostel rooftop bar; came up here, went to pay (1500; not ideal but...) and suddenly realised didn't have binder clip wallet. Was pretty sure I'd lost it in hostel and I had changed lots of clothes and repacked down in dorm but flipped out slightly. Dashed down, knocked on dorm door and someone let me in and it had fallen on floor. Not *quite* sure how, but still, bullet dodged. All this time without an incident then this.
Was going to get a tin or two of beer from shop as usual for last night but since there is a bar here I kind of figure I "shouldn't" /aren't allowed to. And the downstairs common area is a bit dingy and while 1500 is more than I want to pay it's not like I plan to drink a ton and the view is actually pretty decent.
Will intermittently write today up. Executive summary: everything fine, goals achieved, but overriding feeling of "should be doing amazing things on last day" (not quite right way of putting it) and a vague pseudo-milking thing going on.
Two poss Dutch young women came up here a bit ago but it's just me and two staff now. It looks a tiny bit swanky and I was put off but it's not insanely expensive for the local beers (I'm drinking Pilsen). At least as it's just me I have a great table in corner with view, which I should appreciate instead of writing this.
Discovered a cache of 10k notes and a 5k at bottom of tube cube when repacking - I went in there to get a new bag for liquids at security. Not end of world, it's probably about 55k and I was feeling a smidge tight on cash for beers tonight and breakfast/lunch tomorrow. I haven't withdrawn any cash (colones) since I started trying to run my supplies down, which is something. If I'd remembered I had it I'd have probably paid some hostel bills in CRC (at least asked the price to see if it was fair) but it's not the end of the world.
1815 Pretty damn cool sunset and there's (just noticed) a full moon too. TBH perhaps coming to this rooftop bar is the highlight of the final day I've been hoping for.
1818 Ha, the full moon seemed to be in the west, but of course that's impossible - I just realised it's a reflection from the east when i went over to east side of (smallish) bar to take a photo there.
1825 V cool really. Hard to photograph but I'll just have to try to remember. Lights twinkling on hillside around etc. Semi-spoiled but also not spoiled by biggish "Resolvelo con FUD" billboard in middle distance.
So got train - not empty, but lot of free seats - no trouble. Two tickets SJO-Heredia and Heredia-Alajuela. Ticket woman (on platform - no one at windows) spoke English to me, which I guess was nice of her.
Got very slightly lost and was a slightly whiny bitch (hard to see phone screen due to scratched up screen protector and bright sunlight) on way over to hostel, but no real problems.
Guy at reception super friendly, spoke to me in Spanish for a while, said I could leave bag etc, had been to UK twice, once to central London and another time to visit a friend in Weymouth. He said London Dungeon v good, dunno if it's the Tussauds thing but he said it was like a play done "around" you and it was temporary and also done in eg Paris and Tokyo. Bit of audience involvement tho. Anyway, FWIW.
He recommended Zooave to me and I was going to go (forgetting I'd probably rejected it when in Alajuela before - remember I was in a very different and less confident frame of mind back then) but I went to Soda El Parque nearby for gallo pinto and 2 fried eggs breakfast and looked it up on phone - initially just trying to get location on OSM on G5 - and their own website (they've rebranded to Rescate Los Animales or something) says it's USD30 for foreigners, and has a lot of tripadvisor review quotes saying the price is worth it. I think - not checked blog - this is why I didn't go before. Hostel guy told me easy to get bus from Tuasa terminal FWIW. But FFS, apart from the general but universal pissiness of special foreigner prices, USD30 feels like a pisstake. National parks cost 15+tax usually, maybe 20. Yes, it's a "rescue centre" and thus charitable and helping the animals blah blah blah, but there's a limit. I'd have gone for 15 and maybe for 20 but as I say 30 feels like a pisstake, on top of the fact they're quoting a price in dollars. I wouldn't *mind* seeing a quetzal but it's not on my bucket list, especially in (even morally justified; it just isn't as "cool" to see an animal when it's guaranteed) captivity, and hostel guy said there's a toucan with a reconstructed upper beak, but still.
Also except the quetzal and maybe the toucan, I have seen eg Rescate Los Pumas (which IIRC was much cheaper) and seen all four monkey species in the wild etc etc, so the potential "wow" factor at "Zooave" was limited.
So I decided to just wander round etc.
1836 On second Pilsen. Looking out and feeling mildly meditative, I am reminded of that rooftop bar in Bangkok, and also thinking - perhaps a little cheesy, but WTF - that on the whole this has been a fairly successful trip. As noted before, personal demons given at least a bit of a kicking and I kind of feel I've improved some of my soft travel skills and have managed to be reasonably social.
So after breakfast I thought I'd wander over to that bit near market I'd been to back in Jan and admire the view. I couldn't help noticing that while still a tiny bit concerned about personal safety, I felt way more confident than I did back then.
View very nice but also noticed that as it's "Miercoles Santo" the market was open despite it being a weekday, so I went in and (milking it slightly) spent an hour or two wandering round, and had an empanada de queso and a white coffee at a soda (not Gina's, which seemed shut) in the little area off to one side for about 1300. Food nice, walking the market not utterly amazing but sort of cool and nice to be seeing it for a second time at end of trip etc and certainly a reasonable way to fill a bit of time. While I milked it slightly I didn't go crazy and don't really blame myself.
Strong but warmish breeze from the open window up here, I left fleece down in dorm and would prob lose table if I went for it but I don't really need it. Open window good for photos tho.
Oh, I checked in at hostel when I arrived 8-9ish, and paid (didn't ask but got change in dollars). I had a reason for saying that... It wasn't it, but I got a lower bunk - I was actually first in dorm when I got here a bit after 2 so had free choice. Why did I mention that tho? Oh - I wanted to say that guy on reception told me about free airport shuttle and said last one was 1130 and checkout was 11 but I could hang around if I wanted. But I signed up for 1130 free shuttle. I figure I already decided when I booked this place, plus with flight 1825ish I'd probably "want" to get to airport 1425ish if left to my own devices, so I'm only getting to airport 2.5-3h early, which sucks but isn't end of world, plus the reality is that if I did say "fuck it, I'll pay for a taxi and go at 1425" , all I'd be doing is milling round town worrying how safe my bag is back at the hostel and if I should be heading back to get it and go over to the airport - it's not as if I'd be doing wildly exciting things I haven't otherwise had time for with the extra few hours.
As it is I vaguely plan to be up earlyish (8) and go out for breakfast and wander a little and then have a super early lunch at 10ish then come back to hostel and checkout and wait for bus. Not sure any free coffee here, and as there's no kitchen (I asked) I am going to have to throw my leftover spices/coffee out instead of leaving them in free food area - I could have trivially left them in San Jose hostel had I known, but I just assumed every hostel has a kitchen. Not end of world.
I did watch (and video) a plane land at airport from that nice viewpoint outside plaza de las ferias either before or after going in - there was a helicopter too, incidentally.
It would of course have been a pisser to lose my wallet (room keycard - this place is like a hotel which does have expensive private rooms, just some have been turned into dorms - plus Aqua card and maybe 25-30k CRC) but it wouldn't have utterly devastated me - I had other cash hidden away (including CRC, not just USD, after finding that forgotten stash) and other cards etc etc.
I should say rooftop bar is fourth or fifth-ish floor as this is a fairly big building, not the usual-ish 2nd or so story hostel rooftop bar. Other tables occupied but with one solo guy and pairs of people I think came together. I don't feel BNM, I am open to talk if someone wants but I am not particularly desperate.
I said trip had been a success, of course I'm sure I could have done some things better. One small thing I could have done better (reminded by big fruit market today, but true all over as even supermarkets sell odd stuff and there are fruit stalls etc) is buy more random unknown fruit/veg just to try it as I travelled round. In some ways dorms or even just hostels with no privacy make this hard, but a) I did develop a bit of a cooking habit in hostels at points b) in some way they make it easier, as you can always give away the leftovers/share whatever you bought in too big a quantity.
RHCP "scar tissue" playing ("share this lonely view"), never a huge fan but does vaguely remind me of my youth-ish and places like that small club whose name has just gone that I used to like on Fri nights - the San Moritz.
After admiring view on leaving plaza de ferias think I wandered and came across an empty bar and succumbed to temptation (something I kind of hadn't done, plus I was bored and it was hot-ish) to have a couple of beers. Lone woman sat a table and three local guys sat at bar while I was in there but wasn't "molested" , semi-cool to be there, tho woman said something unintelligible to me (not sure if Spanish or English, *maybe* asking me to take my cap off but not sure at all) which made me bit edgy as I sat down with my second beer. 1400 each for Imperial, which kind of makes this place feel expensive, but then there is the cool rooftop aspect.
This breeze is maybe also good for my clothes, the two tone blue isocool top felt vaguely manky when I pulled it out of bag despite being handwashed in Orosi and the grey trousers (ditto re wash) were a bit damp. I do feel reasonably clean and fresh now, which I "should" as modulo this handwashing and dampness I put absolutely clean everything on after my shower.
1915 Third beer. Few people talking near me but several tables with solo people. Feel OK.
So after beers wandered a little then went to hostel and actually got into dorm. Bit of chat with cleaner type chap in there.
Oh, the Fecosa bus terminal is now in use as noticed during morning walk, asked hostel reception guy as I came back 2pm and he said it opened about a month ago. Strangely cool to feel I saw the before and after of this, and I assume the guide book author was assured by the authorities it would be in use before the book was published but there was a delay.
Went back out and wandering round a bit found Mercado Central here, prob been in Jan but not sure. I bought 400g of mani garapinado (not entirely sure if "to take home" or "to eat at airport" ) and then was stuck lugging it round. Went to museum on main square mainly in hope of going up on roof, woman at sign in (it's free) was v nice and seemed to say I could and I even said it wasn't necessary to put them out and have them open the roof as I'd seen it before, I was just visiting again before I went home, and she seemed to say I could. But I was kind of compelled to go round all rooms (sort of interesting) and in the end the roof seemed shut and she was apologetic when I left. Not a big deal but noting for completness.
Went back to MC and had small ceviche camarones for 2500+refresco de cas for 700+IIRC 200 voluntary tip at busying marisqueria I forgot name of. Did feel vaguely brave eaching cevice night before I fly but it *was* busy and fingers crossed it will be fine.
I then went on quest to buy stuff to take home. Wanted some Sirenas sweets (as seen at checkout of every supermarket for last two months) for niece and could not find them. Got some football sweets for nephew in Masxmenor and got myself 2x90g packets Takis Fuego for 1100 for airport. Charged round there and Pali and back to hostel to drop stuff off and down to National (supermarket of choice when here in Jan) and got some pseudo-baked goods to take home for maybe family over Easter but nowhere had any damn Sirenas (or Sirenitas as I thought they were). Bit of an out loud whiny bitch about this. Even asked hostel reception guy. In the end I found a boutique-ish shop a few blocks from hostel whose name escapes me which said "We stock Trululu" in window and I knew (and had said to several shopkeepers) that was the brand so went in and got a packet (for only 600; was dreading it would be 2k or something insane and I'd be torn) and felt massively relieved.
Then back to hostel and emptied bag out and tried to repack as best/neatly as I can and prep for flight and intrusive security scans etc. Had shower so I could change clothes and pack dirty ones. A few people in and out of dorm during this and it feels fairly full now.
And I think that brings the log of today up to date.
I do wonder if everything I am seeing from up here is Alajuela or if eg Heredia/San Jose are forming part of the view.
Tried to use dirty tops (ie not that stinky, unlike UW) to wrap the baked pastry things and sweets for nephew/niece in hope of preserving them. I vaguely plan to take daypack outside main bag with me to airport and through security and have things like Takis Fuego in there as I will be eating those before I get on the flight so not going to consume space in bag - I will stuff empty daypack into main bag when boarding. Mani garapinado (both today's 400g buy and little bit leftover from last night) are in fleece pockets for now.
I still have the second of the two packets of nuts I brought from UK with me. They are in daypack right now and I will probably eat them at airport too.
I am hoping given tap water is potable in CR I can fill a water bottle airside, if not I may splurge and buy some, and even if I can get free water I just might hold my nose and pay airport bar prices for a beer or two, given how relatively long I will be there.
There is a tree outside with bare branches that does basically come up to eye level as I sit here in this rooftop bar.
I haven't checked weather back in London and have only had vague clues from speaking to parents about weather there. My vague expectation is it's going to be cool but perhaps a bit sunny during the day and not exactly cold - "comfortable wearing fleece and a thinnish top" kind of weather.
Feeling mildly in need of piss. Gut feeling is I'll be fine for this beer, will risk losing table to go for piss after it and I'll go get fleece at same time and maybe have 1-2 more, even if at a crappier table. Do not want to be utterly pissed or hungover tomorrow, but I feel it's OKish to have a few on the last night. Honestly while been drinking quite frequently in last week or so, I have almost never drunk to excess on any given day over pretty much the entire trip.
Consistentish with beer intentions, I vaguely expect to go to bed 9ish. Even if don't fall asleep immediately, that should be fine and isn't unusual for this trip and gives me a fair chance of getting up 8ish. I just hope somewhere easily findable is open for breakfast then.
1953 This *is* cool but I do wonder if I'm milking it slightly given I feel slightly cold/needing piss. Perhaps rushed this beer a bit but when it's done I'll go for piss and get fleece and also put powerbank (which I've used to charge both phones mostly full while up here) on charge in dorm. If I get a shitty table or have to sit at bar with no real view on return that's fine.
2001 Against all odds got my table back after piss and getting fleece and putting powerbank on charge. Guys at table to my left are discussing a friend who seems to have passive income from saving and a frugal lifestyle.
Might (semi-illictly?) eat some mani garapinado.
2014 Did. Enjoyed them. Fingers bit sticky but meh. Feel *slightly* BNM but is at least one solo guy, most people talking are in couples and it feels kind of like people who are travelling together talking. Also genuinely not desperate despite generalised "would be nice to talk to people more easily" issues.
2020 Just seen plane take off, in hindsight it's obvious and I *had* thought airport was to south and thus poss right in front of me, but I hadn't twigged the line of bright white lights in middle distance were (I infer) along the runway rather than just being along an important road. I saw this by chance as admiring the view and suddenly some lights detached themselves from the ground. :-)
At least one conversation nearby is in fluent-sounding Spanish, they could still be tourists but I half wonder if they are locals and this bar is (understandably) open to anyone.
2026 Incidentally while in bar was reading (skimming, to be honest) a 2018 paper on "bias bias" in behavioural economics. Oh yes, the reason I suddenly think of this is mulling on how I am less (but not un-) concerned about personal security now compared to Jan. I may have seen paper before and having only skimmed it I am super leery of drawing conclusions but it *has* I think made me freshly sceptical of a lot of "received wisom" and (with no solid conclusion here on my part right now) it may well be that having spent >2 months in CR I *do* have a better intuitive grasp of the security risks of being here compared to when I arrived. There are doubtless *gaps* in my knowledge - I have been out very little at night, on the whole - and I may have flawed judgments (or maybe actually rational sensible low confidence judgments?) about some aspects, but still.
I do think I was understandably but excessively over-concerned when I first got here. But that's probably smart and even rational, given the skewed payoffs (feel a bit edgy and maybe miss out on a night out or a beer from nearby shop after dark while playing it safe, vs get mugged or worse from being over-confident from the start).
Not feeling pissed. Do feel I'm slightly milking this, as I am not super enjoying myself either, but it is at least understandable on last night and I am not hating it or anything either and the alternative is just going to bed even earlier than usual.
2041 I don't see the real value given I paid to select a seat, but suddenly remembering I hadn't checked in (and there were no nagging e-mails either) I just did. Opted to collect boarding pass at airport, I could have had it e-mailed but I figure it's probably more reassuring (I have no printer here, of course, unlike when I checked in online at home in Jan) to not be dependent on my phones working at the airport.
Not just now, speaking more generally, vaguely peeved/resentful at all the security screening wankery and potential bag quibbling (tho I have 23kg allowance on *both* cabin bags, so the only real scope for quibbling is on the size of perhaps collar-up main bag and touch wood I expect no fuss, I am not flying Ryanair or easyjet) but at least my style of travel means I get to amortise this emotional cost over several months and while shitty it is probably worth it in order to be able to travel.
2046 Yawning a bit. I was up at 630 or so I guess. Not pissed. Bit of this beer left, barring major change of heart in next few mins I will probably have one more and call it a night. I will have milked it a bit but not excessively.
2055 Went down one floor (I asked) and had piss and got another (last) Pilsen and still got my table. It is thinning out in here slightly - for last hour or two it's been busyish for size but not rammed (broadly pleasant busyness tbh) but a table is now free in the four nearest the windows etc. All fine.
I half wish I'd had some epic conversation with someone tonight etc but I am not complaining. On the whole it hasn't been a bad day in the face of "end of trip" emotional crap, I was/am enjoying the views from up here and I haven't eg made any conversational overtures to other single people here, eg the guy behind me, figuring maybe they want some peace on first/last night here (easy and prob true-ish assumption) and also feeling that I'm quite happy to be solo as long as I don't feel BNM tonight.
2102 Oh, I got a vaguely sausage roll carne desmechada and queso thing from a bakery earlier (quite nice) and while devouring it on a street corner driver of a huge articulated truck shouted at me - I was engrossed in eating and not paying attention, and when I realised he was talking to me I just said "soy turista, lo siento" . In a way vaguely nice he felt I might be able to advise him (not sure what he wanted, presumably directions) and also a shame I wasn't paying more attention to at least understand what he wanted even if I almost certainly couldn't have helped and would have said "soy turista, lo siento" . Still, I feel this kind of thing mildly vindicates my "it's analogue not binary" "try not to look too much like a tourist" dress code. (And of course in general being solo helps, as it means I am not revealing my linguistic skills by speaking to a companion in English as I walk down the street.)
The truck made a rather tight some reversing involved right turn (think I have a bad photo) and moved off, FWIW. Putting more effort into/making it more natural (because my Spanish is better) to understand this kind of "background" language (I wasn't consciously speaking with/interacting with driver when he shouted) would obviously be good/nice.
Just confused myself but yes, in this country the driver would be sitting on the left side of the cab, so it was the driver I interacted with and not some (hypothetical) mate in the passenger seat.
Waffling over this detail reminds me: think I've said this before and hope it's obvious, but I don't *lie* on this blog (modulo political risk avoidance, which is broadly speaking rare and at a higher level, and even then principally manifests as silence rather than lies) - if I write it, it happened or I believed it or whatever, depending on context - but I don't *promise* to write everything that happened. So just because some interesting (in hindsight or at the time) incident isn't documented, that is only very weak evidence it didn't happen. It's enough effort to do my best to record everything for Future Me without wearing my fingers to nubs trying to record literally every minor incident. If something interests me etc I do try to record it even if it's minor, but obviously there is a practical lower (upper?) bound on how much detail I can include.
TL;DR: This blog is (modulo own biases) the truth but not necessarily the whole truth. Although except in certain embarassing/personal cases, the distinction is just to preserve my sanity as a chronicler, not for any ulterior motive.
Quick count up has 7 people here excluding me and the two bar staff. 3 of them are in a group chatting (in Dutch or German, I think_ and the rest of us are all solo BNM types. If I'd just arrived maybe I'd make an overture but as it is as said repeatedly I feel both comfortable solo and vaguely intrusive thinking about speaking to someone.
I am less jealous of people who have conceptually just arrived than I expected. I am not happy to be leaving but it will also be nice to be at home and trips (until I become a PT ;-) ) have to end and it will be nice to (say) travel in autumn but from a fresh "how exciting/novel" perspective, rather than a slight "I want to get on with (a new improved version of) my life back home" feeling as I have now.
2123 It is (not that I'm just noticing) cool to see mountains silhouetted on horizon - some lights up there, but fewer. I am also yawning a bit and prob move towards bed soon-ish.
Not the ultimate fantasy amazingly cool wow last night, but really this rooftop bar has been a pretty decent real world pseudo-wow type thing, and the day as a whole hasn't been bad - wasn't gutted at deciding not to go to Zooave by any means, was genuinely up for it after hostel guy's seemingly genuine enthusiasm but for all that I had no plans - the (good) idea to go look at view near plaza de ferias was spur of moment - I was also up for just casually wandering round and I feel given I wasn't gagging to go my decision to fuck it on discovering the price and bearing in mind I had expected to semi-enjoyably just bum around today was fairly reasonable.
Trying to mull for last few minutes but can't resist observing (thinking about a hypothetical return to CR and would I maybe stay here - prob not just cos there were comparable price private room options, but let's ignore that) that staying in a dorm is more about multiple minor inconveniences and *not* the bear pit kind of environment I think I sometimes used to envisage and perhaps will again once memories of this trip fade. Absolutely once in a while and perhaps indeed especially after a long flight a private room is nice, but I think it would be helpful to bear in mind the true "quiet minor miserableness" of staying in dorms (and that's a fairly negative way of putting it) vs the horrific bear pit aspect my mind tends to give it. So I can make more sensible decisions in future.
That said, I don't personally think staying in dorm vs priv room in same hostel is *that* much more helpful for socialising, so if (in other country, say) priv was USD20 and dorm was USD15, I should probably feel free to go for priv option unless it is massively budget damaging or as a bit of an intermittent "keeping it real" /"stoical is-this-what-I-feared" kind of thing. Oddly Julian in Orosi said dorms were better for meeting people, but he/I never spoke in dorm - where I did see him briefly - before we spoke in kitchen/common area.
Maybe four of us here now excl staff. I should milk it a little before I leave, so will stop writing this.
2139 FWIW have been intermittently thinking tonight "a few days ago I was looking into the craters at Irazu" - not sure quite what to make of that. It was sort of cool but not "wow" . Maybe seeing the mountains on horizon (which also reminds me of first-ever trip out of Europe, seeing mountains from terrace of accom in Cuernavaca) one of which might be Poas makes me think of this.
Feel vaguely sad at going down to bed soon, but equally I know I'm milking it already and the memories of tonight won't be improved by forcing things.
2201 In bed. Bit surprised dorm seems fairly occupied with sleepers, but prob not really surprising.
Wednesday 5 April 2023
San José, Tuesday
Tue 4th 0825 On terrace with coffee and biscuits. Slept pretty well, woke up in night needing piss and maybe felt slightly drunk-ish but nothing major, finally woke up 0730ish and was kind of awake in bed. Think got up 0805ish.
Not optimistic about buying a mug but it's a harmless little back-of-mind thought.
Train horns going like crazy in distance now and last night, didn't keep me awake though.
Black (dark grey) trousers are perhaps a bit worse for wear, they seem to have dirty looking stains round knees which may be actual wear, and the material looks vaguely fuzzy (hard to describe - a bit like wet tissue paper rubbed on it) in places. I think they have had a machine wash recently but hard to be certain. It's fine, they should last out the trip and have now been used twice and (like the light grey pair) are probably a smidge big round the waist anyway.
1649 Back on terrace with coffee.
Went over to MC and had gallo pinto at Dos Gemelos. Also spoke to one stallholder about a "leyendas de costa rica" cup, she may have recognised what I meant but didn't have any. You really need someone selling second hand stuff for this I think. I am sure they're not rare as such.
Then decided I'd walk up and down the calles to just see the city instead of going to jade museum because I "ought" to. I'm sure it's decent enough but done a lot of museums lately.
One or two places felt slightly sketchy or maybe I got jumpy but on the whole not too bad. Found Soda La Bendicion by chance and they advertised olla de carne at 2k so had that (made it 2.2k with tip) and it was very decent and filling (I was a bit full anyway with the biscuits then the gallo pinto, and I had to stop myself indulging in misc snacky things as walked streets as I was trying to "save up" to be hungry again). Did sort of go into Barrio Amon, only up IIRC calle 3 as far as the ornate house at corner with avenida 13, didn't feel sketchy but I felt a bit alone after the business of the more central areas and I wasn't sure I wasn't going to wander into an iffy area.
Had a bit of a sit in Plaza de la Cultura. Think I then got a couple of beers (couldn't find decent mini supermarket, had to go to Cuesta Mora tho fortunately queues not huge) and had one back on terrace at hostel and watched a YT video on speaker before I went back out for a bit of a walk (feeling just slightly muzzy), sat in PdlC again (it felt safe, there also seem to be guards) and then went to MC and had a decent ceviche (mediano) at Marisqueria El Malecon - shame no choice to have prawns, but it was good, also got a little bowl of sliced banana/plantain stuff with it - and got 300g of maní garapiñado at a stall (CRC500 for 100g) and brought that home. Felt quite late as sky was getting dark but just cloud cover; it was only 16something ish.
Had shower and shave back at hostel - only me in dorm, cat sleeping on someone else's bed - and now out here. Plan is to eat some mani garapinado and just read etc and maybe have my other beer a bit later. I suspect the meal people (there's a "commualish cooking for 2k" thing every day, I have been invited but politely declined) will be out here at 7 but I can always go elsewhere.
1808 Gorged on MG, very nice and yes what I remember from mix in San Isidro. Bit chilly out. Feel very slightly down etc etc. Probably go get my other beer and a glass now and if I just end up lying on bed watching bit more YT later that's fine. Not checked train time tomorrow but won't be insane. Forced myself to save bit of MG for later/tomorrow and shared bit with hostel staff guy.
Feels like it "should" be warm and sunny and beer-watching-sunset at the end of the trip, but it's fine. It isn't super cold and remembering how sweaty things could be elsewhere I am not really complaining.
OK, only trains to Alajuela in morning are 0640 and 0730. Bit crappy but will aim for 730 and if it goes tits up I'll get train to Heredia and assume I can get a bus on to Alajuela from there.
Olla de carne was very similar to something I'd had in Guatemala, probably with same name, as I expected.
There prob is a bus from Heredia to Alajuela but it probably starts in San Jose. Given I could prob come back into hostel in the event it goes tits up to check where from, *maybe* I would do that instead of landing in Heredia and not knowing where to go. OTOH it will be daytime and Heredia is probably smaller, safer and easier to navigate than San Jose. We'll see what happens, if (touch wood) I just get the train OK we're laughing.
1829 Trying to "muse" but a bit artificial. This does remind me a bit of being in Buenos Aires sitting outside a bar in slightly cold weather at end of another trip, though would have to check blog to see when - possibly 2019 and if not maybe 2014. Maybe happened multiple times of course. :-) (Either would prob be late March/early April-ish, which I guess is vaguely autumn in BA and quite plausible it's on chilly side late-ish at night.)
Not a bad day really, while there's been an element of "trying to experience things while still here" forcing it, it was quite nice wandering round, I finally tried olla de carne and I did eat/buy a bit in MC and I had ceviche again and it was quite warm and sunny and somewhat pleasantly relaxed sitting in Plaza de la Culture. Also while I will probably go if/when I come back, I am glad I didn't force myself to go to the jade museum "just because I was here" .
Of course I do still have tomorrow and I think that BA memory might have been very last evening, but whatever.
1841 Some guy just said I look like a film director, presumably baseball cap+sitting back a bit in chair with legs crossed. :-)
Half thinking I would have been better staying here tomorrow night and going to airport for my really pretty late flight direct from SJ Thu morning. But of course I didn't know I'd find SJ so OKish. Also to be honest the prospect of trogging over (by foot or taxi) to wherever I'd get the bus with my backpack doesn't appeal even with my relative comfort with SJ now. And it's not as if there's anything I desperately want to do here in SJ or as if I've met a group of great people as in Quepos etc etc, so really it's fine.
Not exactly milking this, it's OK sitting out here mostly solo in garden/terrace, and I'm trying not to rush the beer, but at the same time it's not exactly super pleasant etc. Under other circumstances I might have had two beers or more tonight and maybe that would have made me more "meditative" , but given the early start tomorrow I feel that wouldn't have been smart.
It is really way too early to go to bed but I think I will go up and pack and clean teeth maybe watch some YT in bed once I have finished this beer, which I don't plan to rush but isn't a huge amount left and not deliberately going to massively spin it out.
It's all fine, and of course it's usual to feel a little bit like this at end of a trip, and it's good I don't feel pleased to be leaving etc.
1850 Couple of cockroaches on terrace, one investigating a mani garapinado (not sure what English translation is) I dropped earlier - at least something's getting the benefit of it. :-)
There's a pretty cool pencil drawing inside I noticed other day of a sloth "partying" with the caption "live slow... die whenever" which amused me. I snapped a couple of photos of it earlier.
1912 Sort of "ran away" (beer had nearly finished) as the tables outside being rearranged for the meal people (*slightly* surprised they have it outside) and although I think I'd have been reasonably welcome I wasn't really in the mood etc and did kind of want to come to bed. Have cleaned teeth and semi-packed so going to get into bed but watch some YT etc. Have set alarm for 630.
Just noticed Clea still on bed (near mine) she was on earlier. :-)
1921 Just listened to Dance Monkey, which I think I heard for first time ever in Tamarindo and had the searched lyrics sticking around on a tab on phone browser til now. I understand it's a couple of years old. Anyway, not that I loved Tamarindo, but I can still visualise the supermarket I was queueing in when it was being played. :-)
One other non-dining woman up here on bed with headphones, ie doing roughly same as me.
2051 Been watching YT but starting to feel tired so going to start reading and be ready to fall asleep as mood takes me.
Not optimistic about buying a mug but it's a harmless little back-of-mind thought.
Train horns going like crazy in distance now and last night, didn't keep me awake though.
Black (dark grey) trousers are perhaps a bit worse for wear, they seem to have dirty looking stains round knees which may be actual wear, and the material looks vaguely fuzzy (hard to describe - a bit like wet tissue paper rubbed on it) in places. I think they have had a machine wash recently but hard to be certain. It's fine, they should last out the trip and have now been used twice and (like the light grey pair) are probably a smidge big round the waist anyway.
1649 Back on terrace with coffee.
Went over to MC and had gallo pinto at Dos Gemelos. Also spoke to one stallholder about a "leyendas de costa rica" cup, she may have recognised what I meant but didn't have any. You really need someone selling second hand stuff for this I think. I am sure they're not rare as such.
Then decided I'd walk up and down the calles to just see the city instead of going to jade museum because I "ought" to. I'm sure it's decent enough but done a lot of museums lately.
One or two places felt slightly sketchy or maybe I got jumpy but on the whole not too bad. Found Soda La Bendicion by chance and they advertised olla de carne at 2k so had that (made it 2.2k with tip) and it was very decent and filling (I was a bit full anyway with the biscuits then the gallo pinto, and I had to stop myself indulging in misc snacky things as walked streets as I was trying to "save up" to be hungry again). Did sort of go into Barrio Amon, only up IIRC calle 3 as far as the ornate house at corner with avenida 13, didn't feel sketchy but I felt a bit alone after the business of the more central areas and I wasn't sure I wasn't going to wander into an iffy area.
Had a bit of a sit in Plaza de la Cultura. Think I then got a couple of beers (couldn't find decent mini supermarket, had to go to Cuesta Mora tho fortunately queues not huge) and had one back on terrace at hostel and watched a YT video on speaker before I went back out for a bit of a walk (feeling just slightly muzzy), sat in PdlC again (it felt safe, there also seem to be guards) and then went to MC and had a decent ceviche (mediano) at Marisqueria El Malecon - shame no choice to have prawns, but it was good, also got a little bowl of sliced banana/plantain stuff with it - and got 300g of maní garapiñado at a stall (CRC500 for 100g) and brought that home. Felt quite late as sky was getting dark but just cloud cover; it was only 16something ish.
Had shower and shave back at hostel - only me in dorm, cat sleeping on someone else's bed - and now out here. Plan is to eat some mani garapinado and just read etc and maybe have my other beer a bit later. I suspect the meal people (there's a "commualish cooking for 2k" thing every day, I have been invited but politely declined) will be out here at 7 but I can always go elsewhere.
1808 Gorged on MG, very nice and yes what I remember from mix in San Isidro. Bit chilly out. Feel very slightly down etc etc. Probably go get my other beer and a glass now and if I just end up lying on bed watching bit more YT later that's fine. Not checked train time tomorrow but won't be insane. Forced myself to save bit of MG for later/tomorrow and shared bit with hostel staff guy.
Feels like it "should" be warm and sunny and beer-watching-sunset at the end of the trip, but it's fine. It isn't super cold and remembering how sweaty things could be elsewhere I am not really complaining.
OK, only trains to Alajuela in morning are 0640 and 0730. Bit crappy but will aim for 730 and if it goes tits up I'll get train to Heredia and assume I can get a bus on to Alajuela from there.
Olla de carne was very similar to something I'd had in Guatemala, probably with same name, as I expected.
There prob is a bus from Heredia to Alajuela but it probably starts in San Jose. Given I could prob come back into hostel in the event it goes tits up to check where from, *maybe* I would do that instead of landing in Heredia and not knowing where to go. OTOH it will be daytime and Heredia is probably smaller, safer and easier to navigate than San Jose. We'll see what happens, if (touch wood) I just get the train OK we're laughing.
1829 Trying to "muse" but a bit artificial. This does remind me a bit of being in Buenos Aires sitting outside a bar in slightly cold weather at end of another trip, though would have to check blog to see when - possibly 2019 and if not maybe 2014. Maybe happened multiple times of course. :-) (Either would prob be late March/early April-ish, which I guess is vaguely autumn in BA and quite plausible it's on chilly side late-ish at night.)
Not a bad day really, while there's been an element of "trying to experience things while still here" forcing it, it was quite nice wandering round, I finally tried olla de carne and I did eat/buy a bit in MC and I had ceviche again and it was quite warm and sunny and somewhat pleasantly relaxed sitting in Plaza de la Culture. Also while I will probably go if/when I come back, I am glad I didn't force myself to go to the jade museum "just because I was here" .
Of course I do still have tomorrow and I think that BA memory might have been very last evening, but whatever.
1841 Some guy just said I look like a film director, presumably baseball cap+sitting back a bit in chair with legs crossed. :-)
Half thinking I would have been better staying here tomorrow night and going to airport for my really pretty late flight direct from SJ Thu morning. But of course I didn't know I'd find SJ so OKish. Also to be honest the prospect of trogging over (by foot or taxi) to wherever I'd get the bus with my backpack doesn't appeal even with my relative comfort with SJ now. And it's not as if there's anything I desperately want to do here in SJ or as if I've met a group of great people as in Quepos etc etc, so really it's fine.
Not exactly milking this, it's OK sitting out here mostly solo in garden/terrace, and I'm trying not to rush the beer, but at the same time it's not exactly super pleasant etc. Under other circumstances I might have had two beers or more tonight and maybe that would have made me more "meditative" , but given the early start tomorrow I feel that wouldn't have been smart.
It is really way too early to go to bed but I think I will go up and pack and clean teeth maybe watch some YT in bed once I have finished this beer, which I don't plan to rush but isn't a huge amount left and not deliberately going to massively spin it out.
It's all fine, and of course it's usual to feel a little bit like this at end of a trip, and it's good I don't feel pleased to be leaving etc.
1850 Couple of cockroaches on terrace, one investigating a mani garapinado (not sure what English translation is) I dropped earlier - at least something's getting the benefit of it. :-)
There's a pretty cool pencil drawing inside I noticed other day of a sloth "partying" with the caption "live slow... die whenever" which amused me. I snapped a couple of photos of it earlier.
1912 Sort of "ran away" (beer had nearly finished) as the tables outside being rearranged for the meal people (*slightly* surprised they have it outside) and although I think I'd have been reasonably welcome I wasn't really in the mood etc and did kind of want to come to bed. Have cleaned teeth and semi-packed so going to get into bed but watch some YT etc. Have set alarm for 630.
Just noticed Clea still on bed (near mine) she was on earlier. :-)
1921 Just listened to Dance Monkey, which I think I heard for first time ever in Tamarindo and had the searched lyrics sticking around on a tab on phone browser til now. I understand it's a couple of years old. Anyway, not that I loved Tamarindo, but I can still visualise the supermarket I was queueing in when it was being played. :-)
One other non-dining woman up here on bed with headphones, ie doing roughly same as me.
2051 Been watching YT but starting to feel tired so going to start reading and be ready to fall asleep as mood takes me.
Tuesday 4 April 2023
Orosi-San José
Mon 3rd 0839 On train. I think we've just had a glancing collision with a white van.
Didn't sleep brilliantly but not terribly. Got up a whisker before 6, had two cinnamon buns and finished milk.
Right now my eyes keep wanting to close. I did get some sleep and am sure it will be fine, I can always go to bed earlyish of course if i really want.
(The train service is infrequent enough and maybe also for budgetary reasons - it probably crosses a *lot* of roads in towns, like a tram track, certainly does in Cartago - there are no gates on the level crossings.)
0842 Moving again.
Yawning. Since being in San Isidro I have a feeling I've seen more people (still a minority) wearing masks. Maybe I'm imagining it. If I'm not, don't know if this is geographical or mask wearing just happened to ramp up across the whole country around that time.
0923 At hostel, all OK - seems rather nice really. Too early to check in but my bag just squeezes into a locker and I've dumped my passport in there and will put K1 in there before going out, but just having a coffee first.
Had to phone to get in as gate shut and couldn't see a bell, but not a problem. Really they couldn't have been nicer about letting me use facilities early etc.
0954 Second coffee, had shit so that's all good. Nice cat called Clea here. Will have this coffee and go out for some touristing, check in is 2.
Have extracted last hidden CR note - a 20k as all hidden ones were. I have maybe 30k (not counted) in my binder clip wallet and if push comes to shove I have USD in hidden belt. Not averse to withdrawing more if I need to, but seems to best and yet slightly scary to run down these somewhat heavily folded reserve notes first. As I say, the fact I have USD in reserve means I don't really need to feel too vulnerable to losing my wallet or a bill being more than I expected and not having enough money.
Dithering but I think I'll shove fleece in locker when I put K1 in there before heading out.
I asked about lower bunk as they let me in and was told it's all single beds anyway - I thought this, but makes their response earlier via booking.com messages seem a little unhelpful. Maybe I misinterpreted it. I hope they *do* have my reservation, they didn't take my name... Well, it still shows as confirmed on booking.com so probably OK. Nearly finished second coffee, it's 1015, so let's wash up etc and head out. Have had bit of poke at guide book on K1 so have some vague plans, but no major pressure - this is supposed to be fun!
1728 On hostel terrace with couple of coffees. Feeling bit more chilled but slightly shitty day. Probably me being slightly whiny.
Will write slowly and guzzle biscuits as I go.
So I went out. Thought I'd go and have gallo at Los Gemelos in mercado central. I *thought* (remember I didn't want to get phone out) I'd found it, but couldn't find LG and people asking me what I was looking for started to make me feel self conscious so I left. In hindsight [just had brief chat with a US 26yo - Brendon - who is part of a group of volunteers working in different CR high schools] after accidentally stumbling into MC this afternoon, I may have gone into a different market this morning - both are slightly not-quite-grid structured and confusing when you're not concentrating - I didn't see LG this afternoon either, but I wasn't trying to find it and I suspect it was there, it felt more how I remembered.
So although I wasn't really hungry I didn't eat this morning.
1903 Been speaking to those three Peace Corp (!) volunteers, they just went off to dinner with a friend who lives here. Having beer (710ml IO) in TV lounge, was sitting outside.
Feeling a bit better anyway. I am half wondering if tomorrow I might engage in a quest to locate a "Leyendas del Costa Rica" mug in a market as a personal souvenir - they have one here in hostel.
I went to Iglesia de la Merced, felt a smidge sketchy round there but fine-ish, went in and as there seemed to be a service starting didn't stay long.
Set out aiming to go to Museo de Oro (part of bank museum complex) and - not looking at map on phone remember - got the wrong square and ended up going into cathedral and standing at back watching a service in there (much reference to that "the poor will always be with you" and Mary (?) using the oil on Jesus instead of selling it and giving money to poor incident). I then ended up being forced to look at map on phone and realised I had wrong square and went over to bank museum, though it being underground kind of made it hard to find.
USD16 entrance which is 8.6k and charged 9.6k (it's written on ticket, woman didn't pocket the extra 1k) which pisses me off a bit. Also so many people wearing masks I actually asked if it was compulsory before I paid. Was also asked to wash hands on entry, tho not such a big deal in itself, and if I forgot to say the guard at entrance to national museum on my day trip here the other day did spray some gel on my hands.
I tried to stay positive during visit. Also a pseudo-milking thing where altho I wasn't ultra-enjoying myself I was trying to force myself to appreciate it instead of rushing round in a bad-ish temper. Also felt oddly a bit hungry which didn't help.
Gold exhibits moderately cool, to be honest for me the standout thing was a big model (diorama?) of an indigenous village about 800AD. It didn't say "in region X" but I spotted some model lithic spheres so maybe it was meant to be Diquis (sp). It just felt almost lovingly detailed, eg there was a red snake in some water at the edge of the forest, perhaps hundreds of people, etc. Not at first but as I had a last look on leaving the lower level I was also suddenly reminded of the model town in Paul Auster's "The Music of Chance" .
There was the usual smug preachy liberalism in a lot of the accompanying text around the museum and it undeniably annoyed me.
Modern art exhibit had some mildly cool stuff, eg a big wall covered with small paper images of fingers which rippled interestingly in the breeze from a fan. Numismatic exhibit on highest level OK but not exactly my bag these days. The small exhibit on piggy banks outside was oddly cool, although I find something a bit sickening about a central bank going on about how good it is to save.
I was told I was allowed to wear my cap, but only backwards! I just fastened it on my belt as annoying to wear backwards. Presumably security cameras everywhere. I also had to go through a metal detector on entry. Is this just paranoia or is it because of these valuable gold exhibits? There were a few of the metate stone grinding tables and those were quite cool, though not as good as the ones in national museum.
Afterwards I went and had a casado at Ave 2 - usual weird confusion there about asking for no dressing on the salad, but it wasn't dressed anyway.
About 1450 after I'd eaten so came back to hostel and checked in - got change in dollars, which felt a bit of a shame somehow, but is good really as small denomination USD always good to accumulate even if I already have a fair bit. *Wasn't* shown to dorm and left feeling a bit peeved (guy who checked me in handed me off to another guy who in turn was eating and as he didn't offer I didn't like to ask) as if I didn't have a secure base yet. There is a bell on the gate actually, just a foot or so above my head and it's small and same colour as fence.
So I was walking round just trying to see the city a bit and feeling quietly hacked off. Walked through tiny chinatown, wandered a bit. Found myself in Mercado Central during this as already noted.
Crossing a street in a phalanx of people I was on the edge and a fucking aggressive driver was virtually driving into me - he'd been stopped but didn't like it, we hadn't all charged in front of moving traffic. Damn sure it wouldn't have been smart, but as I scuttled out of the way I found myself wishing I had a big fucking stone and I could just lob it right into the bastard's windscreen or something.
Anyway, came back to hostel and asked and told just to take any made up bed. And I got one in a corner of the slightly weird feeling dorm which is one huge very open room - some pseudo-walls - full of single beds so that's probably quite nice.
I got a couple of beers on way back, tried two supermarkets but mega queues so went to a mini supermarket and got them.
Oh, just before going into MC by accident I found a souvenir shop and went in to see about keyrings for nephew and niece. Over-pushy shop woman showed me a rack of plastic keyrings at 1700 each and didn't leave me in peace to browse so I said I'd come back. 1.7k felt insane, but no basis for comparison.
In MC thought I'd ask about keyrings and although not in sunniest mood I did find one stall where owner showed me some plastic-y ones for 1500+ but some wood ones with transfers on for 600 each. I negotiated - badly, but compared to my 1700 baseline every little helps - and got four for 2k. They are probably trash but it's not as if the plastic ones at 1.5kish are actually lovingly artisanally hand-crafted. Bit dubious as all four different and I don't need four and what if both kids want the same one but fuck it, at least I bought some so can semi-stop worrying about souvenirs now.
I was also going to buy some mani garapiñadas at a stall but after queuing up as they served v slowly it turned out you had to take a ticket with a number on - at a fucking market stall - and the woman was rude enough to just keep saying "number 3, number 3" when I tried to ask for what I wanted instead of, you know, maybe telling me I needed to take a number. So I huffed off - as I say, I wasn't feeling at my sunniest, not "good" but true.
So I think that's most of the day kind of written up. Don't feel overly tired now but will probably have this beer, I dunno about having the other beer but we'll see. Will prob go to bed earlyish. I might go have a shower and change clothes once I've had this beer then maybe have the other beer after if I feel like it.
PC group (two guys and a woman) were saying this area is pretty safe, but some (eg La California) are pretty sketchy and you eg shouldn't have your phone in your back pocket and it's close enough to just stumble into walking, but they assured me I'd notice even though I'm new to San Jose - so presumably this isn't just the very slight sketchiness (eg a couple of guys passed out on steps of La Merced) I've semi-felt at times today. Certainly a lot of places I've been locals have been openly using their phones, never mind having them in their back pockets, so they presumably don't fear crime too much.
Incidentally had feared this hostel would want USD20 key deposit and getting it back when I leave early would be an issue, but staff are here til 11pm and you only need key if you're out after that and I had/have no plans to go out after dark. Hostel guy (probably local) checking me in said there's nothing to do at night Mon/Tue *anyway*. So I didn't get a key and didn't have to pay a deposit.
As I say I feel kind of OK now. Maybe slightly tired. For whatever reason - probably a lot of small things adding up, like early start and annoying glitches with hostel check in and not being shown dorm and feeling a bit awkward and vicious circle stuff like feeling on edge on street and so forth (I do think the not-badly-meant-but-still-nerve-inducing "what are you looking for?" enquiries in market this morning set me on a vague "don't feel quite safe/feel like an obvious tourist" edgy mood and that fed into things). It's fine. I did at least see those couple of churches, I semi-attended a service (taking advantage of serendipity etc), I engaged in minor haggling in Mercado Central, I saw the gold museum as I'd wanted to and I had a bonus half-decent conversation I didn't expect tonight etc.
Biggish cockroach on floor but the odd one isn't a terrible sign I think.
Tomorrow may well go into MC and try to have breakfast at LG and also see if anyone is selling mugs and if I can get a Leyendas one as a souvenir, and I may also try to have olla de carne somewhere for lunch (some places in MC do it) and I may go to some random museum (eg jade museum is nearby) but no need to put huge pressure on myself, and frankly museums here are pricey and arguably not worth it unless I am really quite keen.
I don't think there's anything here even approach "deathbed regret" levels and while far from certain it is entirely conceivable I will be back in CR at some point and now I know the place is not so utterly terrifying as I had imagined the idea of putting in 2-3 nights here and doing a little sightseeing would be on the cards.
Oh, one of PC guys mentioned Mark Zuckerberg and that reminds me that one of the wooden dolls in the religious museum had a real "uncanny valley" quality to its face and looked rather (insofar as I do remember what he looks like) like Zuck...
I will probably aim to be up 8ish tomorrow, that's hardly late but it would probably be a good time (comparable to my day visit) to go over to MC for breakfast and it's still a slight lie in but isn't so late that getting up at 6 (or whatever) to get Alajuela train on Wednesday is going to feel more painful than necessary.
2034 Had shower and changed clothes, forgot to shave but never mind. Had briefish chat with Canadian woman (50ish) in dorm afterwards and now come downstairs for second beer, perhaps not prudent but also not terrible, before probably earlyish night.
Oh, PC woman spoke highly of couchsurfing website, which as always I keep thinking I should check out and then utterly forget about - I don't generally consider it and chicken out, it just slips my mind.
My throat feels a smidge sore but I'm putting it down to talking and maybe being slightly dehydrated.
Having quick poke at Google Maps I do wonder if the market I visited this morning thinking it was MC was Mercado Borbón.
Looking at GM again, La California starts one block east of here - I did therefore just skirt its edge earlier as the mini supermarket I got beer in was on calle 21, but I didn't see anything too obviously iffy. Worth knowing though, now I know where it is I can avoid it more easily. Backpackers hostel appears to be on the fringe of this area as well, though probably not really an issue.
2059 Skimming guide book. Might go to Barrio Amon/Otoya tomorrow just to look at the architecture (free!), maybe also jade museum but not forcing myself.
Not going to try outlying suburbs like Escazu and/or museums here in SJ on this visit - I'm not that fussed and I have other stuff I can see centrally. Could vaguely see myself staying a few days or more in say Escazu (perhaps an airbnb with a family or even an apartment renal) at some point, but right now, no.
Feeling vaguely sad (melancholy, not loser) despite broadly also feeling much better than I did earlier etc. Meh. End of trip stuff. When will I return, if ever? etc. But you can't see everything, as ever it's better to be sad than glad, etc, etc, etc.
It's also I think reasonable for last few days of trip to be low key, and TBH I half look forward to maybe trying to find one of those cups in MC tomorrow and perhaps (despite my reluctance to give them business - yes, stupid as it may be, they have a system and I didn't follow it and I *was* in a slightly shitty frame of mind, but at the same time they were unnecessarily hidebound and rude) buying some mani garapinado (incidentally want these as I think they were the same things as were part of a mixed nut type snack the airbnb hosts in SI served me and they were very nice) from that stall.
I do wish my Spanish were better but can only keep slogging along and maybe (hah, but you never know) this will encourage me to make more effort of various kinds (eg to listen to more full speed native Spanish stuff, eg web radio stations or more YT) once back home.
I do also feel I allowed myself to feel excessively "vulnerable" after all that "what are you looking for?" helpfulness in whatever this morning's market was. I will try to be more confident tomorrow. I suspect a good night's sleep etc may help.
I do kind of wish I had 3-4 nights here in SJ so I could kind of settle in, but compromise in this kind of area is inevitable in last few days of trip and at least I actually came here, when I nearly didn't. I am *not* in love with SJ and as is prob obvious, although it's all irrational temporary today only stuff, feel a smidge less comfortable here tha I did after my day trip in from Cartago, but all the same I do feel the place is basically OK and has a certain interest and potential and perhaps even charm. Modulo taxi issues at night (tho Uber/Didi might be an answer, plus in theory I ought at some point to pit my wits and Spanish against a SJ taxi driver) I could vaguely imagine finding things on sites like meetup.com to attend here and try to meet locals/practice my Spanish, but obviously that is not happening on this visit. If I do come back and either fly into SJ or come here mid-trip, I should probably consider putting in a decent amount of open-ended time here.
It is also, speaking more generally, probably true that using airbnb (or couchsurfing) might, while perhaps a bit stressful, have given me more opportunity to chat to locals and improve my Spanish.
Incidentally, and not slagging them off, although the Canadian father of the pair I met in Cartago had evidently travelled a lot, I do wonder if they were either on a hair-trigger alert for being ripped off or were somehow advertising their tourist status (despite them agreeing with my clothes strategy, mentioning it unprovoked), because in the short time I was with them they claimed to have been screwed over by a taxi driver in SJ, had someone distract them so they could be overcharged in a cafe somewhere else and got ripped off at a soda the morning they left Cartago. Maybe they were just unlucky of course. Touch wood I have been a little fucked around but not IIRC (maybe blog will reveal this as rose-tinted specs) like that. I think my Spanish is better than his, but he did seem fairly fluent, albeit with a very odd pronunciation at times.
Bit jealous of PC volunteers who I am sure will be super fluent (including "multiple locals chatting together" stuff) after two years here. But I also would kind of hate to do what they're doing, and in principle I could try to replicate this "integration immersion" kind of strategy in my own way, plus albeit more slowly I will maybe get there in the end. While I'm acutely aware of problems when I speak which need work, the listening aspect of things is also in principle very open to improvement by listening to (ideally non-contrived) recordings/videos of native speakers, as previously mentioned.
2125 Owner? is being a bit patronising with staff guy about not answering bell. The staff guy in question is someone I have blown hot and cold about, but on the whole he seems a decent chap and owner feels a bit arsey here, if technically in the right.
2130 Feel slightly pissed and need a piss, prob risk leaving not empty beer to have one. Finished skimming SJ in guide book, obviously lots I could see and for multiple reasons these days I seldom bother with the nightlife, but hey, I don't feel too bad about it. I've done fairly well with the time I've had, I think, both with respect to SJ and CR as a whole.
One of PC guys asked me how long I'd spent in Latin America in total. Initial semi-quick response was 2 years in last 10-15, then that seemed too much and I said maybe a year. Didn't nerd out trying to be precise then, but let me try now. Since 2006: 3 months in Mexico (non-contiguous, in month chunks) studying Spanish, 5ish months (broken arm terminated) in 2010(?), 6 weeks 2012ish, 3 months 2014ish (the 3 months after Christmas - before was Asia), 2 months 2018, 3 months 2019, 5 weeks 2020 (cut short by pandemic crap), 11 week 2023. So that's 3+5+3+2+3 months and 6+5+11 weeks, that is 22 weeks so let's call it 4 months so 20 months total. I probably miscounted - I am slightly pissed and this is not laid out for legibility - so two years was not utterly insane, and far closer to two than one. Of course, this is over a (somewhat scary, I feel old, etc etc, notwithstanding one of PC guys probably politely said I looked 36 when I said I was 46) 17 year period. Still, despite work and pandemics and so forth, I have spent about 10% of the last 17 years in Latin America, which is sort of cool.
I do want to be up early-ish tomorrow and probably will be, but it will also be nice to have a day without needing to worry about check in/out or transport crap. Today while hardly ultra-stressful (it all went to plan) was probably "worst" transport day left in trip - Alajuela from here is a bit of a pain with infrequent trains, but it is just one train, and on day of flight I should have free airport transfer and likely worst case is I spend hours killing time at airport etc and at least I don't have to be up super early.
To reiterate, I really do need to up my Spanish learning game when I get back home. It doesn't even have to be hard work, just forcing myself to listen and try hard to understand more "complex" stuff would likely pay dividends, and the increased familiarity would probably improve my speaking too.
I have been a bit slack with classes during my trip, but I did ask teacher once and she was busy, and it *is* kind of hard while travelling (if only cos I am in same time zone, whereas back home the difference works in my favour), and heavy use of dorms (while kind of good and financially savvy and personal-demon-busting) does genuinely impact privacy semi-needed for having classes during travel.
Just waffling of course. Will move to bed pretty soon.
As prob already said, after beers (prob) and misc conversations earlier do feel less fish out of water and more comfortable here. Not like I know everyone, but not such an utter stranger. Think PC guys leaving tomorrow (and don't delude myself we're best buds or anything, for all it was nice to chat with them) but still. And eg after that little witnessed passage with owner? I feel on the whole well disposed to that staff guy etc.
Am perhaps a smidge drunker (nothing insane - it's like 3 pints or so, prob less) than absolutely ideal but at this closing stage of trip nothing tremendously bad about it.
2207 In bed.
Didn't sleep brilliantly but not terribly. Got up a whisker before 6, had two cinnamon buns and finished milk.
Right now my eyes keep wanting to close. I did get some sleep and am sure it will be fine, I can always go to bed earlyish of course if i really want.
(The train service is infrequent enough and maybe also for budgetary reasons - it probably crosses a *lot* of roads in towns, like a tram track, certainly does in Cartago - there are no gates on the level crossings.)
0842 Moving again.
Yawning. Since being in San Isidro I have a feeling I've seen more people (still a minority) wearing masks. Maybe I'm imagining it. If I'm not, don't know if this is geographical or mask wearing just happened to ramp up across the whole country around that time.
0923 At hostel, all OK - seems rather nice really. Too early to check in but my bag just squeezes into a locker and I've dumped my passport in there and will put K1 in there before going out, but just having a coffee first.
Had to phone to get in as gate shut and couldn't see a bell, but not a problem. Really they couldn't have been nicer about letting me use facilities early etc.
0954 Second coffee, had shit so that's all good. Nice cat called Clea here. Will have this coffee and go out for some touristing, check in is 2.
Have extracted last hidden CR note - a 20k as all hidden ones were. I have maybe 30k (not counted) in my binder clip wallet and if push comes to shove I have USD in hidden belt. Not averse to withdrawing more if I need to, but seems to best and yet slightly scary to run down these somewhat heavily folded reserve notes first. As I say, the fact I have USD in reserve means I don't really need to feel too vulnerable to losing my wallet or a bill being more than I expected and not having enough money.
Dithering but I think I'll shove fleece in locker when I put K1 in there before heading out.
I asked about lower bunk as they let me in and was told it's all single beds anyway - I thought this, but makes their response earlier via booking.com messages seem a little unhelpful. Maybe I misinterpreted it. I hope they *do* have my reservation, they didn't take my name... Well, it still shows as confirmed on booking.com so probably OK. Nearly finished second coffee, it's 1015, so let's wash up etc and head out. Have had bit of poke at guide book on K1 so have some vague plans, but no major pressure - this is supposed to be fun!
1728 On hostel terrace with couple of coffees. Feeling bit more chilled but slightly shitty day. Probably me being slightly whiny.
Will write slowly and guzzle biscuits as I go.
So I went out. Thought I'd go and have gallo at Los Gemelos in mercado central. I *thought* (remember I didn't want to get phone out) I'd found it, but couldn't find LG and people asking me what I was looking for started to make me feel self conscious so I left. In hindsight [just had brief chat with a US 26yo - Brendon - who is part of a group of volunteers working in different CR high schools] after accidentally stumbling into MC this afternoon, I may have gone into a different market this morning - both are slightly not-quite-grid structured and confusing when you're not concentrating - I didn't see LG this afternoon either, but I wasn't trying to find it and I suspect it was there, it felt more how I remembered.
So although I wasn't really hungry I didn't eat this morning.
1903 Been speaking to those three Peace Corp (!) volunteers, they just went off to dinner with a friend who lives here. Having beer (710ml IO) in TV lounge, was sitting outside.
Feeling a bit better anyway. I am half wondering if tomorrow I might engage in a quest to locate a "Leyendas del Costa Rica" mug in a market as a personal souvenir - they have one here in hostel.
I went to Iglesia de la Merced, felt a smidge sketchy round there but fine-ish, went in and as there seemed to be a service starting didn't stay long.
Set out aiming to go to Museo de Oro (part of bank museum complex) and - not looking at map on phone remember - got the wrong square and ended up going into cathedral and standing at back watching a service in there (much reference to that "the poor will always be with you" and Mary (?) using the oil on Jesus instead of selling it and giving money to poor incident). I then ended up being forced to look at map on phone and realised I had wrong square and went over to bank museum, though it being underground kind of made it hard to find.
USD16 entrance which is 8.6k and charged 9.6k (it's written on ticket, woman didn't pocket the extra 1k) which pisses me off a bit. Also so many people wearing masks I actually asked if it was compulsory before I paid. Was also asked to wash hands on entry, tho not such a big deal in itself, and if I forgot to say the guard at entrance to national museum on my day trip here the other day did spray some gel on my hands.
I tried to stay positive during visit. Also a pseudo-milking thing where altho I wasn't ultra-enjoying myself I was trying to force myself to appreciate it instead of rushing round in a bad-ish temper. Also felt oddly a bit hungry which didn't help.
Gold exhibits moderately cool, to be honest for me the standout thing was a big model (diorama?) of an indigenous village about 800AD. It didn't say "in region X" but I spotted some model lithic spheres so maybe it was meant to be Diquis (sp). It just felt almost lovingly detailed, eg there was a red snake in some water at the edge of the forest, perhaps hundreds of people, etc. Not at first but as I had a last look on leaving the lower level I was also suddenly reminded of the model town in Paul Auster's "The Music of Chance" .
There was the usual smug preachy liberalism in a lot of the accompanying text around the museum and it undeniably annoyed me.
Modern art exhibit had some mildly cool stuff, eg a big wall covered with small paper images of fingers which rippled interestingly in the breeze from a fan. Numismatic exhibit on highest level OK but not exactly my bag these days. The small exhibit on piggy banks outside was oddly cool, although I find something a bit sickening about a central bank going on about how good it is to save.
I was told I was allowed to wear my cap, but only backwards! I just fastened it on my belt as annoying to wear backwards. Presumably security cameras everywhere. I also had to go through a metal detector on entry. Is this just paranoia or is it because of these valuable gold exhibits? There were a few of the metate stone grinding tables and those were quite cool, though not as good as the ones in national museum.
Afterwards I went and had a casado at Ave 2 - usual weird confusion there about asking for no dressing on the salad, but it wasn't dressed anyway.
About 1450 after I'd eaten so came back to hostel and checked in - got change in dollars, which felt a bit of a shame somehow, but is good really as small denomination USD always good to accumulate even if I already have a fair bit. *Wasn't* shown to dorm and left feeling a bit peeved (guy who checked me in handed me off to another guy who in turn was eating and as he didn't offer I didn't like to ask) as if I didn't have a secure base yet. There is a bell on the gate actually, just a foot or so above my head and it's small and same colour as fence.
So I was walking round just trying to see the city a bit and feeling quietly hacked off. Walked through tiny chinatown, wandered a bit. Found myself in Mercado Central during this as already noted.
Crossing a street in a phalanx of people I was on the edge and a fucking aggressive driver was virtually driving into me - he'd been stopped but didn't like it, we hadn't all charged in front of moving traffic. Damn sure it wouldn't have been smart, but as I scuttled out of the way I found myself wishing I had a big fucking stone and I could just lob it right into the bastard's windscreen or something.
Anyway, came back to hostel and asked and told just to take any made up bed. And I got one in a corner of the slightly weird feeling dorm which is one huge very open room - some pseudo-walls - full of single beds so that's probably quite nice.
I got a couple of beers on way back, tried two supermarkets but mega queues so went to a mini supermarket and got them.
Oh, just before going into MC by accident I found a souvenir shop and went in to see about keyrings for nephew and niece. Over-pushy shop woman showed me a rack of plastic keyrings at 1700 each and didn't leave me in peace to browse so I said I'd come back. 1.7k felt insane, but no basis for comparison.
In MC thought I'd ask about keyrings and although not in sunniest mood I did find one stall where owner showed me some plastic-y ones for 1500+ but some wood ones with transfers on for 600 each. I negotiated - badly, but compared to my 1700 baseline every little helps - and got four for 2k. They are probably trash but it's not as if the plastic ones at 1.5kish are actually lovingly artisanally hand-crafted. Bit dubious as all four different and I don't need four and what if both kids want the same one but fuck it, at least I bought some so can semi-stop worrying about souvenirs now.
I was also going to buy some mani garapiñadas at a stall but after queuing up as they served v slowly it turned out you had to take a ticket with a number on - at a fucking market stall - and the woman was rude enough to just keep saying "number 3, number 3" when I tried to ask for what I wanted instead of, you know, maybe telling me I needed to take a number. So I huffed off - as I say, I wasn't feeling at my sunniest, not "good" but true.
So I think that's most of the day kind of written up. Don't feel overly tired now but will probably have this beer, I dunno about having the other beer but we'll see. Will prob go to bed earlyish. I might go have a shower and change clothes once I've had this beer then maybe have the other beer after if I feel like it.
PC group (two guys and a woman) were saying this area is pretty safe, but some (eg La California) are pretty sketchy and you eg shouldn't have your phone in your back pocket and it's close enough to just stumble into walking, but they assured me I'd notice even though I'm new to San Jose - so presumably this isn't just the very slight sketchiness (eg a couple of guys passed out on steps of La Merced) I've semi-felt at times today. Certainly a lot of places I've been locals have been openly using their phones, never mind having them in their back pockets, so they presumably don't fear crime too much.
Incidentally had feared this hostel would want USD20 key deposit and getting it back when I leave early would be an issue, but staff are here til 11pm and you only need key if you're out after that and I had/have no plans to go out after dark. Hostel guy (probably local) checking me in said there's nothing to do at night Mon/Tue *anyway*. So I didn't get a key and didn't have to pay a deposit.
As I say I feel kind of OK now. Maybe slightly tired. For whatever reason - probably a lot of small things adding up, like early start and annoying glitches with hostel check in and not being shown dorm and feeling a bit awkward and vicious circle stuff like feeling on edge on street and so forth (I do think the not-badly-meant-but-still-nerve-inducing "what are you looking for?" enquiries in market this morning set me on a vague "don't feel quite safe/feel like an obvious tourist" edgy mood and that fed into things). It's fine. I did at least see those couple of churches, I semi-attended a service (taking advantage of serendipity etc), I engaged in minor haggling in Mercado Central, I saw the gold museum as I'd wanted to and I had a bonus half-decent conversation I didn't expect tonight etc.
Biggish cockroach on floor but the odd one isn't a terrible sign I think.
Tomorrow may well go into MC and try to have breakfast at LG and also see if anyone is selling mugs and if I can get a Leyendas one as a souvenir, and I may also try to have olla de carne somewhere for lunch (some places in MC do it) and I may go to some random museum (eg jade museum is nearby) but no need to put huge pressure on myself, and frankly museums here are pricey and arguably not worth it unless I am really quite keen.
I don't think there's anything here even approach "deathbed regret" levels and while far from certain it is entirely conceivable I will be back in CR at some point and now I know the place is not so utterly terrifying as I had imagined the idea of putting in 2-3 nights here and doing a little sightseeing would be on the cards.
Oh, one of PC guys mentioned Mark Zuckerberg and that reminds me that one of the wooden dolls in the religious museum had a real "uncanny valley" quality to its face and looked rather (insofar as I do remember what he looks like) like Zuck...
I will probably aim to be up 8ish tomorrow, that's hardly late but it would probably be a good time (comparable to my day visit) to go over to MC for breakfast and it's still a slight lie in but isn't so late that getting up at 6 (or whatever) to get Alajuela train on Wednesday is going to feel more painful than necessary.
2034 Had shower and changed clothes, forgot to shave but never mind. Had briefish chat with Canadian woman (50ish) in dorm afterwards and now come downstairs for second beer, perhaps not prudent but also not terrible, before probably earlyish night.
Oh, PC woman spoke highly of couchsurfing website, which as always I keep thinking I should check out and then utterly forget about - I don't generally consider it and chicken out, it just slips my mind.
My throat feels a smidge sore but I'm putting it down to talking and maybe being slightly dehydrated.
Having quick poke at Google Maps I do wonder if the market I visited this morning thinking it was MC was Mercado Borbón.
Looking at GM again, La California starts one block east of here - I did therefore just skirt its edge earlier as the mini supermarket I got beer in was on calle 21, but I didn't see anything too obviously iffy. Worth knowing though, now I know where it is I can avoid it more easily. Backpackers hostel appears to be on the fringe of this area as well, though probably not really an issue.
2059 Skimming guide book. Might go to Barrio Amon/Otoya tomorrow just to look at the architecture (free!), maybe also jade museum but not forcing myself.
Not going to try outlying suburbs like Escazu and/or museums here in SJ on this visit - I'm not that fussed and I have other stuff I can see centrally. Could vaguely see myself staying a few days or more in say Escazu (perhaps an airbnb with a family or even an apartment renal) at some point, but right now, no.
Feeling vaguely sad (melancholy, not loser) despite broadly also feeling much better than I did earlier etc. Meh. End of trip stuff. When will I return, if ever? etc. But you can't see everything, as ever it's better to be sad than glad, etc, etc, etc.
It's also I think reasonable for last few days of trip to be low key, and TBH I half look forward to maybe trying to find one of those cups in MC tomorrow and perhaps (despite my reluctance to give them business - yes, stupid as it may be, they have a system and I didn't follow it and I *was* in a slightly shitty frame of mind, but at the same time they were unnecessarily hidebound and rude) buying some mani garapinado (incidentally want these as I think they were the same things as were part of a mixed nut type snack the airbnb hosts in SI served me and they were very nice) from that stall.
I do wish my Spanish were better but can only keep slogging along and maybe (hah, but you never know) this will encourage me to make more effort of various kinds (eg to listen to more full speed native Spanish stuff, eg web radio stations or more YT) once back home.
I do also feel I allowed myself to feel excessively "vulnerable" after all that "what are you looking for?" helpfulness in whatever this morning's market was. I will try to be more confident tomorrow. I suspect a good night's sleep etc may help.
I do kind of wish I had 3-4 nights here in SJ so I could kind of settle in, but compromise in this kind of area is inevitable in last few days of trip and at least I actually came here, when I nearly didn't. I am *not* in love with SJ and as is prob obvious, although it's all irrational temporary today only stuff, feel a smidge less comfortable here tha I did after my day trip in from Cartago, but all the same I do feel the place is basically OK and has a certain interest and potential and perhaps even charm. Modulo taxi issues at night (tho Uber/Didi might be an answer, plus in theory I ought at some point to pit my wits and Spanish against a SJ taxi driver) I could vaguely imagine finding things on sites like meetup.com to attend here and try to meet locals/practice my Spanish, but obviously that is not happening on this visit. If I do come back and either fly into SJ or come here mid-trip, I should probably consider putting in a decent amount of open-ended time here.
It is also, speaking more generally, probably true that using airbnb (or couchsurfing) might, while perhaps a bit stressful, have given me more opportunity to chat to locals and improve my Spanish.
Incidentally, and not slagging them off, although the Canadian father of the pair I met in Cartago had evidently travelled a lot, I do wonder if they were either on a hair-trigger alert for being ripped off or were somehow advertising their tourist status (despite them agreeing with my clothes strategy, mentioning it unprovoked), because in the short time I was with them they claimed to have been screwed over by a taxi driver in SJ, had someone distract them so they could be overcharged in a cafe somewhere else and got ripped off at a soda the morning they left Cartago. Maybe they were just unlucky of course. Touch wood I have been a little fucked around but not IIRC (maybe blog will reveal this as rose-tinted specs) like that. I think my Spanish is better than his, but he did seem fairly fluent, albeit with a very odd pronunciation at times.
Bit jealous of PC volunteers who I am sure will be super fluent (including "multiple locals chatting together" stuff) after two years here. But I also would kind of hate to do what they're doing, and in principle I could try to replicate this "integration immersion" kind of strategy in my own way, plus albeit more slowly I will maybe get there in the end. While I'm acutely aware of problems when I speak which need work, the listening aspect of things is also in principle very open to improvement by listening to (ideally non-contrived) recordings/videos of native speakers, as previously mentioned.
2125 Owner? is being a bit patronising with staff guy about not answering bell. The staff guy in question is someone I have blown hot and cold about, but on the whole he seems a decent chap and owner feels a bit arsey here, if technically in the right.
2130 Feel slightly pissed and need a piss, prob risk leaving not empty beer to have one. Finished skimming SJ in guide book, obviously lots I could see and for multiple reasons these days I seldom bother with the nightlife, but hey, I don't feel too bad about it. I've done fairly well with the time I've had, I think, both with respect to SJ and CR as a whole.
One of PC guys asked me how long I'd spent in Latin America in total. Initial semi-quick response was 2 years in last 10-15, then that seemed too much and I said maybe a year. Didn't nerd out trying to be precise then, but let me try now. Since 2006: 3 months in Mexico (non-contiguous, in month chunks) studying Spanish, 5ish months (broken arm terminated) in 2010(?), 6 weeks 2012ish, 3 months 2014ish (the 3 months after Christmas - before was Asia), 2 months 2018, 3 months 2019, 5 weeks 2020 (cut short by pandemic crap), 11 week 2023. So that's 3+5+3+2+3 months and 6+5+11 weeks, that is 22 weeks so let's call it 4 months so 20 months total. I probably miscounted - I am slightly pissed and this is not laid out for legibility - so two years was not utterly insane, and far closer to two than one. Of course, this is over a (somewhat scary, I feel old, etc etc, notwithstanding one of PC guys probably politely said I looked 36 when I said I was 46) 17 year period. Still, despite work and pandemics and so forth, I have spent about 10% of the last 17 years in Latin America, which is sort of cool.
I do want to be up early-ish tomorrow and probably will be, but it will also be nice to have a day without needing to worry about check in/out or transport crap. Today while hardly ultra-stressful (it all went to plan) was probably "worst" transport day left in trip - Alajuela from here is a bit of a pain with infrequent trains, but it is just one train, and on day of flight I should have free airport transfer and likely worst case is I spend hours killing time at airport etc and at least I don't have to be up super early.
To reiterate, I really do need to up my Spanish learning game when I get back home. It doesn't even have to be hard work, just forcing myself to listen and try hard to understand more "complex" stuff would likely pay dividends, and the increased familiarity would probably improve my speaking too.
I have been a bit slack with classes during my trip, but I did ask teacher once and she was busy, and it *is* kind of hard while travelling (if only cos I am in same time zone, whereas back home the difference works in my favour), and heavy use of dorms (while kind of good and financially savvy and personal-demon-busting) does genuinely impact privacy semi-needed for having classes during travel.
Just waffling of course. Will move to bed pretty soon.
As prob already said, after beers (prob) and misc conversations earlier do feel less fish out of water and more comfortable here. Not like I know everyone, but not such an utter stranger. Think PC guys leaving tomorrow (and don't delude myself we're best buds or anything, for all it was nice to chat with them) but still. And eg after that little witnessed passage with owner? I feel on the whole well disposed to that staff guy etc.
Am perhaps a smidge drunker (nothing insane - it's like 3 pints or so, prob less) than absolutely ideal but at this closing stage of trip nothing tremendously bad about it.
2207 In bed.
Monday 3 April 2023
Orosi, Sunday/Ujarrás
Sun 2nd Apr 1558 On terrace with coffee, just had couple of cinnamon buns from Karameloz (4 for 900, felt like a bargain).
Think there is someone else in my dorm, not met them but bags etc. Slightly annoyingly they seem to have picked the bunk above mine, even though the other upper+lower bunk is perhaps free. Or maybe there's more than one person.
Not a huge deal but mildly disappointing and as I am leaving early in the morning I am going to disturb them a bit and it makes it harder to get up and check round.
Kept waking up (not bad, as such) in night. Was half awake round 7 but ended up staying in bed til maybe 720. Brief chat over coffee and apparently there was a parade for Semana Santa here at 10ish but I decided to go over to Ujarras instead as originally planned.
I have done a fairly solid bit of touristing today. Feel vaguely guilty at finishing by 3ish but that's silly. Also the vague "leaving here tomorrow, and the trip is nearly over" feelings coming into play no doubt.
Got bus over to Paraiso (a bit annoyingly it's 650 to there just as it is all the way to Cartago) and decided I'd walk to Ujarras. I came across a small procession (guy reading from bible over PA from a pickup cab, then some people carrying a figure of Jesus sitting on a throne - everyone holding bits of palm leaf etc, probably Palm Sunday but not checked) and watched that - vaguely tempted to push on, but decided I should see what serendipity had put in front of me.
Walk to Ujarras OK, no real dog trouble and quite a few cyclists (generally seem to be a lot round here, more on the Orosi-Paraiso road and quite a lot up road to volcano yesterday, sure being a weekend helps but cycling seems a moderately popular hobby - I'm talking people in "proper" cycle gear here, not casual commuter types) and cars and nowhere near as lonely as road the other day, plus I was fairly sure if desperate I could wait and eventually flag down a bus. Very steep going down towards Ujarras at last bit (and equally steep coming up on way back, of course) but some really nice views.
I decided against paying to go into the Ujarras mirador, I peeked through the fence to see the view-ish and it looked like a kind of picnicy area and given I got good views from the road and was able to use the toilets at the Ujarras ruins (site totally free to get into, quite a nice little park round the ruins) I didn't really feel the need to pay for the mirador. Went past Orosi mirador on bus back into Orosi but decided not to try to visit it - *maybe* another time, and to be fair I got some fairly spectacular views from the long hike the other day.
Ruins not huge but quite cool to see them. Tried not to milk the experience but did my best to appreciate being there and walked round a bit etc, probably only there 20-30 mins but I think that was plenty and the walk itself was part of the experience of course.
Got lucky with bus when got into Paraiso so was back in Orosi maybe 1330, I had been optimistically predicting my walk back to Paraiso *might* have been finished by then.
Went into Pali for food and snacks and beer, came back here and had some hot dogs (I decided I kind of fancied that, instead of eating out) and then went out and got the buns at K and went over to the museum next to church, figuring it would probably be open today (Sunday+specially religious Sunday at that) and it was - small but quite interesting, I felt a silly urge to photograph everything but tried to "relax" and pay attention to stuff and not get worked up.
Then back here for coffee and buns.
Took some laundry in when got back here 1345ish but other stuff not perfectly dry and it's at worst lightly spitting rain intermittently so have left rest out for now.
No major plans for rest of day. Gut feeling is I will have a shower and change clothes around sunset and at that point I can pack most of my stuff so I can semi-check round dorm without worrying about disturbing anyone and then just leave phone chargery stuff and toiletries loose for tonight/tomorrow morning and can shove them in bag before I go.
Vague feeling I should be doing more but really it's fine.
I didn't go on to Cachi, I *could* probably have got a bus on to there but I really didn't feel like it. It may well be worth a visit but I had seen the lake from the steep descent down towards Ujarras and given I wasn't too sure where to catch the bus (*not* that this was a huge factor in my decision) as well I really didn't feel like "spoiling" the day by overexerting myself and doing more than I "wanted" . Always next time etc etc.
1722 Showered, shaved, changed clothes, semi-packed. Rest of clothes still on line for now, if it doesn't rain they are borderline dry enough to pack/wear and have been for while but would still like to give them chance to dry further.
Hostel for tomorrow was still showing as confirmed on booking.com an hour or so ago so fingers crossed it is all fine.
Feeling semi-relaxed. Still have some more hot dogs but will cook them in a bit when kitchen is free and when I've had a bit more time for my stomach to process what I've already eaten. Got some beers for later too. Perhaps mildly indulgent but not insane.
1746 Just went to get fleece and suddenly noticed it was raining, so dashed out to get clothes off line. Not soaked, but should have just brought them in earlier. Have spread them on my bed anyway.
Quite a few people around though mostly solo-ish.
I saw another two different cats in the garden earlier, one very friendly. Think have photos of both.
More people (new, I think) coming in from outside.
1801 There seems to be a weird group of people around who all kind of know each other and are vaguely preciously American and introducing themselves to other people. I am not jealous nor is it "bad" , it just seems (only superficially I am sure) weird.
Possibly the older American woman is one of the owners, which would make some sense. I thought (and guidebook says too, incidentally) owners were Dutch, at least the bloke (never really spoke to his wife), although Julian seemed to think they were American.
Still vaguely anxiously waiting for the people cooking in the kitchen to finish. Not by any means hungry and it is hardly late but still.
1838 Had another four hot dogs, will have some more once whoever is washing up now has finished - feel slightly full so a pause won't hurt. Mildly overindulgent but can't finish it tomorrow and don't want to leave it etc.
1846 Fantastic. On verge of putting last four sausages in microwave and the power has gone out to the whole valley. 60s later and it wouldn't have mattered. I will give it 10 mins or so and then eat them cold.
1851 Some fuckwit out in the street seems to think it's amusing to be screaming.
1856 Power back on *just* as I was about to eat the hot dogs cold. (They are ready to eat.)
1903 Black cat coaxed some more sausage out of me. Not as much as yesterday as other people round and thought I might get into trouble. I feel irrationally guilty as it sits here looking at me, but it's not as if it's starving.
Feel mildly stuffed but not terribly so. Will have some beer in a bit once kitchen empty again.
1911 Someone cooking but popped into kitchen for 500ml Cezka (which isn't cheap, at least here - not expensive, but same as Pilsen, roughly) and a glass. Plenty of time for this and 710ml Pilsen also got and then maybe bed-ish - will try to remember to take two remaining cinnamon buns with me tomorrow morning.
Cezka can says it's made in Spain! Seems vaguely odd for an import to be same price as Pilsen. What do I know?
1948 Finished beer a bit ago. Back is (and was before beer) slightly aching for some reason. Someone else is cooking - it really feels insanely busy, though no one seems to be talking to anyone they aren't in a "group" (mostly couples I think) with already and hardly even that, so I certainly don't feel BNM.
Will have other beer once they finish in kitchen. No rush.
Realised this morning my very unlikely to be finished before end of trip bottle of sunblock (purchased here) is a terrorist-sized 125ml bottle. I emptied most of it into the 50ml bottle in bathroom this evening, will make a point of using the dregs from 125ml bottle for my daily applications and shouldn't therefore end up having to throw a significant quantity away (just anything adhering to the inside of the 125ml bottle by end of trip).
1957 Couple now eating at next table and black cat is trying to coax food out of them.
710ml Pilsen. Still have quite a lot of my litre of milk but not drinking it tonight, with luck I'll remember and have time to drink it in morning.
Turning keyboard gestures off the other day does (touch wood) seem to have exorcised the phantom auto-deleter. It shouldn't be necessary, of course, but at least it's a not particularly annoying workaround (I rarely used keyboard gestures even before this phantom touch stuff started up months ago).
2035 One guy just walked through but I am here on my own now. Beer nearly finished. Can't help feeling in some ways a bus to San Jose, which wouldn't have meant leaving so early or getting there so much before check in, would have been better. But (touch wood) this way I do go by a way I already know and hostel is v handy for station and likewise for departure to Alajuela on Wednesday, and of course it should (if all goes well) give me a full day in SJ tomorrow, whereas if I'd had a morning-ish here I'd just have been sitting around hostel or going for a vague mope about the streets here as a token way of "doing something" .
Information sheet on wall says there's a bus every 12-15 mins at my rough departure time. So fingers crossed will all be fine.
2045 Just been for piss and got bathroom stuff out of dorm to clean teeth. No one else in there yet but it is hardly late and there is the stuff on the upper bunk and someone's bag on floor. It's not a big deal.
Feel vaguely melancholy but that's fine too, all the usual reasons and as usual better to feel like this than anxious to leave.
Seeing (presumably hostel's own) guitar on wall reminds me if I didn't mention it some guy was playing it and his presumably gf filming him a bit on phone while I was talking to Julian (who messaged me yday to say he'd left some peppers in fridge and to help myself; I asked if he made it to Monteverde OK and he said yes, but conversation died there) and that was quite nice - he did a fairly decent version of Pink Floyd's "Wish you were here" and a bit of other stuff.
It hasn't been super social here except for Julian that first night, though have exchanged a few words with people and intermittently with 40-50ish looking German woman who is Spanish student. It's fine, just making observation - it doesn't feel like everyone else has been bonding with strangers etc, it's either felt really quiet or like everyone else is solo and not talking much or part of a small group/couple and not talking much outside of it.
2059 Finished beer.
If I had more time, would I stay on here? It is undeniably good value at USD11/night inc tax for dorm bed. There is - modulo dog fears as on "high mountain cross" hike - stuff I could do here, and I could go to Cachi and maybe hire a bike or something. (Some of this stuff might be easier from Paraiso or Cartago, but no idea what accom is like in P and even if C is easier, it felt like cheapest accom was USD20-ish place I was in - might get it for 20/night dealing direct - and that was approx 20 mins walk from town centre and even ignoring that it's USD9/more a day - yes, a private room though, but not entirely by choice - so the extra hassle and cost of getting buses from say here to Paraiso is kind of compensated. At the same time, and maybe this is a broader trip thing than just about here, at some point you kind of get sated with "lovely views over the valley" kind of stuff and while it's still *nice* it all kind of blurs into one. Maybe if you camped out here (not nec in this accom/a dorm - maybe renting a flat or whatever) for a month or two it would be sort of fine if it *did* blur into a vague "nice, relaxing, beautiful place" , but for a vaguely "moving around" trip this blurring doesn't feel great.
I am just waffling, I have no major point. I shouldn't overly milk sitting here for my last night etc. (Think explained this before, but by "milking" I am using it as shorthand for "this is nice and enjoyable in some way, but I feel I need to cling on to/get max out of the situation/experience when I might otherwise move on/go home/go to bed and by doing that turn the continued experiencing of it into a chore as I force myself to stay when my inclination is to leave" .) Maybe a minute or two, then will clean teeth and maybe send this before go into dorm and go to bed.
FWIW and not specific to Orosi, random in-my-head musical associations from the trip:
- "Oblong of Dreams" is my current HMHB earworm and crops up a lot.
- "Man of Constant Sorrow with a Garage in Constant Use" comes to mind whenever I see a garage with a no parking etc sign; some do say something along the lines (in Spanish) of "garage in use" , not sure if "constant" has ever been in there.
- Kirsty MacColl song "Designer Life" - "There's a big house high on a hilltop" comes to mind whenever I see such a house.
- "Forever autumn" from all the dead leaves around. (It *should* be jazz standard "Autumn leaves" , which I like, but it isn't.)
Probably some others but those are the ones that come to mind right now.
I don't think I'm quite at the point of milking sitting here but I am going to move towards bed, let's go clean teeth.
2128 In bed. No one else in dorm yet, all the signs suggest there is someone else sleeping here. This is hardly the kind of town (although it's certainly possible) where travellers go out partying late at night so fuck knows exactly where this other person is. It wouldn't entirely surprise me if they aren't here at all even at 6am, but we'll see. Anyway, it's all fine, let's send this and read in bed until I go to sleep as usual.
Think there is someone else in my dorm, not met them but bags etc. Slightly annoyingly they seem to have picked the bunk above mine, even though the other upper+lower bunk is perhaps free. Or maybe there's more than one person.
Not a huge deal but mildly disappointing and as I am leaving early in the morning I am going to disturb them a bit and it makes it harder to get up and check round.
Kept waking up (not bad, as such) in night. Was half awake round 7 but ended up staying in bed til maybe 720. Brief chat over coffee and apparently there was a parade for Semana Santa here at 10ish but I decided to go over to Ujarras instead as originally planned.
I have done a fairly solid bit of touristing today. Feel vaguely guilty at finishing by 3ish but that's silly. Also the vague "leaving here tomorrow, and the trip is nearly over" feelings coming into play no doubt.
Got bus over to Paraiso (a bit annoyingly it's 650 to there just as it is all the way to Cartago) and decided I'd walk to Ujarras. I came across a small procession (guy reading from bible over PA from a pickup cab, then some people carrying a figure of Jesus sitting on a throne - everyone holding bits of palm leaf etc, probably Palm Sunday but not checked) and watched that - vaguely tempted to push on, but decided I should see what serendipity had put in front of me.
Walk to Ujarras OK, no real dog trouble and quite a few cyclists (generally seem to be a lot round here, more on the Orosi-Paraiso road and quite a lot up road to volcano yesterday, sure being a weekend helps but cycling seems a moderately popular hobby - I'm talking people in "proper" cycle gear here, not casual commuter types) and cars and nowhere near as lonely as road the other day, plus I was fairly sure if desperate I could wait and eventually flag down a bus. Very steep going down towards Ujarras at last bit (and equally steep coming up on way back, of course) but some really nice views.
I decided against paying to go into the Ujarras mirador, I peeked through the fence to see the view-ish and it looked like a kind of picnicy area and given I got good views from the road and was able to use the toilets at the Ujarras ruins (site totally free to get into, quite a nice little park round the ruins) I didn't really feel the need to pay for the mirador. Went past Orosi mirador on bus back into Orosi but decided not to try to visit it - *maybe* another time, and to be fair I got some fairly spectacular views from the long hike the other day.
Ruins not huge but quite cool to see them. Tried not to milk the experience but did my best to appreciate being there and walked round a bit etc, probably only there 20-30 mins but I think that was plenty and the walk itself was part of the experience of course.
Got lucky with bus when got into Paraiso so was back in Orosi maybe 1330, I had been optimistically predicting my walk back to Paraiso *might* have been finished by then.
Went into Pali for food and snacks and beer, came back here and had some hot dogs (I decided I kind of fancied that, instead of eating out) and then went out and got the buns at K and went over to the museum next to church, figuring it would probably be open today (Sunday+specially religious Sunday at that) and it was - small but quite interesting, I felt a silly urge to photograph everything but tried to "relax" and pay attention to stuff and not get worked up.
Then back here for coffee and buns.
Took some laundry in when got back here 1345ish but other stuff not perfectly dry and it's at worst lightly spitting rain intermittently so have left rest out for now.
No major plans for rest of day. Gut feeling is I will have a shower and change clothes around sunset and at that point I can pack most of my stuff so I can semi-check round dorm without worrying about disturbing anyone and then just leave phone chargery stuff and toiletries loose for tonight/tomorrow morning and can shove them in bag before I go.
Vague feeling I should be doing more but really it's fine.
I didn't go on to Cachi, I *could* probably have got a bus on to there but I really didn't feel like it. It may well be worth a visit but I had seen the lake from the steep descent down towards Ujarras and given I wasn't too sure where to catch the bus (*not* that this was a huge factor in my decision) as well I really didn't feel like "spoiling" the day by overexerting myself and doing more than I "wanted" . Always next time etc etc.
1722 Showered, shaved, changed clothes, semi-packed. Rest of clothes still on line for now, if it doesn't rain they are borderline dry enough to pack/wear and have been for while but would still like to give them chance to dry further.
Hostel for tomorrow was still showing as confirmed on booking.com an hour or so ago so fingers crossed it is all fine.
Feeling semi-relaxed. Still have some more hot dogs but will cook them in a bit when kitchen is free and when I've had a bit more time for my stomach to process what I've already eaten. Got some beers for later too. Perhaps mildly indulgent but not insane.
1746 Just went to get fleece and suddenly noticed it was raining, so dashed out to get clothes off line. Not soaked, but should have just brought them in earlier. Have spread them on my bed anyway.
Quite a few people around though mostly solo-ish.
I saw another two different cats in the garden earlier, one very friendly. Think have photos of both.
More people (new, I think) coming in from outside.
1801 There seems to be a weird group of people around who all kind of know each other and are vaguely preciously American and introducing themselves to other people. I am not jealous nor is it "bad" , it just seems (only superficially I am sure) weird.
Possibly the older American woman is one of the owners, which would make some sense. I thought (and guidebook says too, incidentally) owners were Dutch, at least the bloke (never really spoke to his wife), although Julian seemed to think they were American.
Still vaguely anxiously waiting for the people cooking in the kitchen to finish. Not by any means hungry and it is hardly late but still.
1838 Had another four hot dogs, will have some more once whoever is washing up now has finished - feel slightly full so a pause won't hurt. Mildly overindulgent but can't finish it tomorrow and don't want to leave it etc.
1846 Fantastic. On verge of putting last four sausages in microwave and the power has gone out to the whole valley. 60s later and it wouldn't have mattered. I will give it 10 mins or so and then eat them cold.
1851 Some fuckwit out in the street seems to think it's amusing to be screaming.
1856 Power back on *just* as I was about to eat the hot dogs cold. (They are ready to eat.)
1903 Black cat coaxed some more sausage out of me. Not as much as yesterday as other people round and thought I might get into trouble. I feel irrationally guilty as it sits here looking at me, but it's not as if it's starving.
Feel mildly stuffed but not terribly so. Will have some beer in a bit once kitchen empty again.
1911 Someone cooking but popped into kitchen for 500ml Cezka (which isn't cheap, at least here - not expensive, but same as Pilsen, roughly) and a glass. Plenty of time for this and 710ml Pilsen also got and then maybe bed-ish - will try to remember to take two remaining cinnamon buns with me tomorrow morning.
Cezka can says it's made in Spain! Seems vaguely odd for an import to be same price as Pilsen. What do I know?
1948 Finished beer a bit ago. Back is (and was before beer) slightly aching for some reason. Someone else is cooking - it really feels insanely busy, though no one seems to be talking to anyone they aren't in a "group" (mostly couples I think) with already and hardly even that, so I certainly don't feel BNM.
Will have other beer once they finish in kitchen. No rush.
Realised this morning my very unlikely to be finished before end of trip bottle of sunblock (purchased here) is a terrorist-sized 125ml bottle. I emptied most of it into the 50ml bottle in bathroom this evening, will make a point of using the dregs from 125ml bottle for my daily applications and shouldn't therefore end up having to throw a significant quantity away (just anything adhering to the inside of the 125ml bottle by end of trip).
1957 Couple now eating at next table and black cat is trying to coax food out of them.
710ml Pilsen. Still have quite a lot of my litre of milk but not drinking it tonight, with luck I'll remember and have time to drink it in morning.
Turning keyboard gestures off the other day does (touch wood) seem to have exorcised the phantom auto-deleter. It shouldn't be necessary, of course, but at least it's a not particularly annoying workaround (I rarely used keyboard gestures even before this phantom touch stuff started up months ago).
2035 One guy just walked through but I am here on my own now. Beer nearly finished. Can't help feeling in some ways a bus to San Jose, which wouldn't have meant leaving so early or getting there so much before check in, would have been better. But (touch wood) this way I do go by a way I already know and hostel is v handy for station and likewise for departure to Alajuela on Wednesday, and of course it should (if all goes well) give me a full day in SJ tomorrow, whereas if I'd had a morning-ish here I'd just have been sitting around hostel or going for a vague mope about the streets here as a token way of "doing something" .
Information sheet on wall says there's a bus every 12-15 mins at my rough departure time. So fingers crossed will all be fine.
2045 Just been for piss and got bathroom stuff out of dorm to clean teeth. No one else in there yet but it is hardly late and there is the stuff on the upper bunk and someone's bag on floor. It's not a big deal.
Feel vaguely melancholy but that's fine too, all the usual reasons and as usual better to feel like this than anxious to leave.
Seeing (presumably hostel's own) guitar on wall reminds me if I didn't mention it some guy was playing it and his presumably gf filming him a bit on phone while I was talking to Julian (who messaged me yday to say he'd left some peppers in fridge and to help myself; I asked if he made it to Monteverde OK and he said yes, but conversation died there) and that was quite nice - he did a fairly decent version of Pink Floyd's "Wish you were here" and a bit of other stuff.
It hasn't been super social here except for Julian that first night, though have exchanged a few words with people and intermittently with 40-50ish looking German woman who is Spanish student. It's fine, just making observation - it doesn't feel like everyone else has been bonding with strangers etc, it's either felt really quiet or like everyone else is solo and not talking much or part of a small group/couple and not talking much outside of it.
2059 Finished beer.
If I had more time, would I stay on here? It is undeniably good value at USD11/night inc tax for dorm bed. There is - modulo dog fears as on "high mountain cross" hike - stuff I could do here, and I could go to Cachi and maybe hire a bike or something. (Some of this stuff might be easier from Paraiso or Cartago, but no idea what accom is like in P and even if C is easier, it felt like cheapest accom was USD20-ish place I was in - might get it for 20/night dealing direct - and that was approx 20 mins walk from town centre and even ignoring that it's USD9/more a day - yes, a private room though, but not entirely by choice - so the extra hassle and cost of getting buses from say here to Paraiso is kind of compensated. At the same time, and maybe this is a broader trip thing than just about here, at some point you kind of get sated with "lovely views over the valley" kind of stuff and while it's still *nice* it all kind of blurs into one. Maybe if you camped out here (not nec in this accom/a dorm - maybe renting a flat or whatever) for a month or two it would be sort of fine if it *did* blur into a vague "nice, relaxing, beautiful place" , but for a vaguely "moving around" trip this blurring doesn't feel great.
I am just waffling, I have no major point. I shouldn't overly milk sitting here for my last night etc. (Think explained this before, but by "milking" I am using it as shorthand for "this is nice and enjoyable in some way, but I feel I need to cling on to/get max out of the situation/experience when I might otherwise move on/go home/go to bed and by doing that turn the continued experiencing of it into a chore as I force myself to stay when my inclination is to leave" .) Maybe a minute or two, then will clean teeth and maybe send this before go into dorm and go to bed.
FWIW and not specific to Orosi, random in-my-head musical associations from the trip:
- "Oblong of Dreams" is my current HMHB earworm and crops up a lot.
- "Man of Constant Sorrow with a Garage in Constant Use" comes to mind whenever I see a garage with a no parking etc sign; some do say something along the lines (in Spanish) of "garage in use" , not sure if "constant" has ever been in there.
- Kirsty MacColl song "Designer Life" - "There's a big house high on a hilltop" comes to mind whenever I see such a house.
- "Forever autumn" from all the dead leaves around. (It *should* be jazz standard "Autumn leaves" , which I like, but it isn't.)
Probably some others but those are the ones that come to mind right now.
I don't think I'm quite at the point of milking sitting here but I am going to move towards bed, let's go clean teeth.
2128 In bed. No one else in dorm yet, all the signs suggest there is someone else sleeping here. This is hardly the kind of town (although it's certainly possible) where travellers go out partying late at night so fuck knows exactly where this other person is. It wouldn't entirely surprise me if they aren't here at all even at 6am, but we'll see. Anyway, it's all fine, let's send this and read in bed until I go to sleep as usual.
Sunday 2 April 2023
Orosi, Saturday/Volcán Irazú
Sat 1st 1648 At hostel terrace with coffee. Important stuff today went well but was (prior to eating - ham sandwiches, basically) feeling surprisingly disturbed by inexplicable mega traffic jam on bus back from Cartago-Orosi adding an hour or so to journey, leg hurting from sitting etc.
Woke up during night (including at 2230ish and couldn't believe it wasn't 3am when I checked time) but not in bad way as such. Was awake in bed before alarm so got up a smidge earlier, maybe 655? Got bus about 0730 no trouble, found place as expected in Cartago (tho it does head up past my Cartago accom so woman there's directions prob correct) and got some choripan and flautas at Musmanni right by queue and took advantage to double check right place for bus with M staff.
650 for bus from Orosi to Cartago, 1650 IIRC Cartago-Volcano.
Journey up a little interminable but quite nice views. Electronic ticket checked at vehicle entrance to park by guy who got on the bus to check.
Got off bus maybe 1010, not certain - photos prob help show this if it matters. I asked and return bus 1230, also one at 1515 but felt I really didn't want to be there that long or risk that bus not existing. It would have been nice to have an extra 15-30 mins up there but it was OK with the time I had.
Got quite lucky with weather, could see both craters from lower viewing area along their lip and the big crater from the upper viewing area (think little crater not in line of sight from there), and it was generally warm and sunny - took fleece off while slogging up road to higher viewing point, and tho I did put my gloves on to keep hands warm while doing lower viewing area I took them off later. Couldn't see Turrialba or much else in distance from the top but all in all I think I was reasonably lucky.
No water in either crater FWIW. Best views I think from upper viewing area. Not, to be scrupulously honest, utterly "wow!" views, but still, I am glad I went and it was cool to see the craters even if not "wow!" .
Did lower area first (upper area is very slightly "hidden" , TBH), went to upper area, I did a very quick visit to bogs and back to the lower crater viewing area after that and was at the bus 5ish mins before it started. Some minor not-a-big-deal confusion over whether the return trip was free or not - I asked another tourist guy and one way or another he misled me into thinking it was free to return and the driver (nicely) had to come and ask me to pay. Didn't feel too awkward or anything. I do wonder if it *should* have been free but prob not.
Back in Cartago I went over to municipal museum but it's shut for new exhibit work. Spent a few mins wandering round/sitting in ruins but did want to get back and seeing a guy going round soliciting money (no idea what for) sort of encouraged me to move.
Just missed a bus due to confusion and as already noted the bus I got was massively delayed (so prob was one I just missed).
So many people standing it was hard to get off the bus, but didn't seem to upset anyone as I squeezed through muttering "perdon" /"lo siento"/"disculpe"/"gracias".
I wanted to buy some snacky things for tonight and some hot dog buns for the sausages I have no rice left to cook. Got off bus a little early, went into Pali on N edge of town but the queues looked insane so I rather bad-temperedly left and managed to get what I wanted (felt fucking expensive, but I can't really say for sure it was down to the specific supermarket) at Super Norte as I came through town.
Football match taking place on field in middle of town, had seen kids practicing there yday etc but tonight it seemed to be an adult/young adult proper match and quite a lot of people spectating.
Having coffee now, may have some hot dogs later, we'll see. Want/need to wash tonight, ideally before properly dark, as there are facilities here for hand washing and lines to dry on, and then with luck that will mean I have enough clean clothes to see me through the rest of the trip. I will prob wear a wool top on flight as I did on flight here IIRC and having worn orange top with some reasonable comfort today I may wear the other blue wool top tomorrow.
Paid for the extra night tomorrow no problem, 6k which I think is fair for USD11 (and they give receipts here, so no worries about false claims of no show turning up) and I broke a 20k doing it.
1834 Done laundry, bit of a faff but if it doesn't rain (stuff on uncovered line to dry) will be good to know I'm sorted for rest of trip. Copying photos off camera memory card, had 4 hot dogs and now having 500ml can Cezka 5% bought with my misc alcohol purchases first afternoon.
Would be good if one or ideally both of my phones had big enough microSD cards fitted that I could keep a copy of *all* photos on them. The primary storage would still be external SD cards kept in two different places (one on my person), but this would be an extra copy and it would reduce glitches caused by phone internal storage filling up as I shuffle stuff around.
The Cezka is cheap-ish I think, but it seems a reasonably flavoursome lager, unlike Bohemia - maybe just prejudice on my part though. (Had it before I think, eg poss bought some way back in Grecia.)
Black and white cat came into dorm while I was fiddling with memory cards, and (one of?) black cats had a bit of fuss a few mins ago as I sit here on terrace.
Wearing fleece BTW.
Drinking beer out of a glass (with sunflowers on, and I half suspect it to be the same line as the "cow" glass I had in Uvita) which may add a small touch of luxury to the process.
1846 Thinking tomorrow I might go to Cachi or Ujurras (sp) - hopefully an easy bus or two bus hop, just have a wander round. Maybe do the Orosi viewpoint nearby. I think this whole area would definitely repay a visit on a future trip (and being near Cartago, it would sort of fit with travel to/from Carribbean side - I have vague thoughts of doing the Bocas del Toro boat in one direction or other and combining that with a visit to C side of CR and a visit to Panama. I've been to Panama but only in the most box-ticking sense, and it was a long time ago as well. Would definitely not just be retreading old ground - as is always a risk in eg Argentina, not that there aren't huge chunks of A I haven't seen - and based on talking to people on this trip though not necessarily super cheap it is cheaper than CR.
In some ways it is a shame to just scratch the surface of this area but at the same time the more you see the more it becomes "more of the same" , so perhaps it isn't such a bad thing if I end up coming back at some point and seeing some of the other stuff.
Finished that beer a bit ago, will prob have the 710ml can Imperial Original in a few minutes. Do want to be up early-ish (if only as I will need to be up 6ish to get bus back to Cartago in time to get train to SJ - tho I now feel a smidge less uneasy at the prospect of having to get a bus to SJ, I'd rather get train if I can) but it's hardly late nor am I getting massively pissed.
I haven't heard back from hostel in SJ about their "threat" to cancel if I didn't reply - I did reply, but no word from them. Not deeply worried but not ideal.
1855 OK, just asked Rafa, to get to Ujarras (sp) or Cachi I have to change in Paraiso. But I have been through Paraiso and it is nearby and not too "scary" . There may be a Ujarras-Cachi bus as well. Gut feeling is, since there are ruins at Ujarras which sound interesting and "easy to find" , I will go there first, then energy permitting maybe see about a bus over to Cachi and see if I can have a gander at the lake. I do at least feel I know this area well enough that although I'd rather not be out after dark, if I eg end up changing bus in Paraiso at 6pm and getting back into Orosi at 6:30 or 7 I am not going to be shitting myself (except for some minor dog related nerves, tho in Orosi most do seem to be shut in).
Let's have that other beer. Not saying I won't buy more tomorrow etc - vague "end of trip" excuses make it OK, plus I am hardly drinking loads anyway. Will set an alarm for 7 before I forget and can always choose to change it later if I remember.
Sod it, last two sausages as hot dogs first. This leaves me two bread buns free which I can snack on tomorrow, and tomorrow I will eat out and/or have junk.
1909 Black cat charmed a few bits of sausage out of me. :-) Beer.
Cat has actually tipped kitchen bin over and is (I think) licking juice off sausage "skins" (as noted before they are individually wrapped here) and/or the container. Haven't the heart to stop it (they are ready to eat in packet so it's not raw meat), though it looks in excellent condition and probably lives here and gets fed well etc.
Prob already said but have stopped uploading photos to Google Photos - I am virtually out of space and deleting all the really old pre-trip photos *might* lose the only copy of something old and while I'm abroad I can't check to see if there's a takeout of all the old photos sitting on my PC back in London.
1959 Had some bizcotelas (not whole packet), feel bit bloated and was while finishing beer. Having little bit of leftover milk (only a small 1l pack) got first day mainly for coffee. Black cat hanging round. Said goodnight to Rafa, he's off tomorrow and I said I might not see him on Monday as leaving early but thanked him for everything.
Notwithstanding black cat hanging round I might go half to bed soon - I think (certainly did an hour or two ago) I have dorm to myself again, might watch a bit of YT in bed and then move properly to bed.
Shower earlier was cold (if there's any force to water here heater does nothing) but brief and not unpleasant. I didn't exactly want a shower at that point but as I was changing all clothes to max out number of dirty clothes (I swapped trousers for clean pair, even tho not strictly necessary - but be nice to have clean pair for flight) it seemed smart to have a shower before putting clean clothes on - it isn't super hot here, but the "change clothes at evening shower instead of morning as when at home" approach seemed to fit well here.
Minor faff washing three separate times (trousers, then tops, then underwear) but I do broadly feel given the iffiness of hand washing it's smart to keep underwear separate, and while I could have done trousers and tops together I don't usually, and the dedicated laundry sink was a bit large and hard to get decent depth of water in so didn't push it today.
(I keep dirty tops and dirty underwear separate in different dry bags, as prob noted. before. Trousers, only having two pairs, I generally don't shove in a dry bag when dirty but just swap to the clean pair when I'm read to wash the dirty pair.)
Owners seem to have returned from their beach excursion of a day or two, the (nice enough) big dog - Peanut, I think - is back and also a smaller black/tan dog that's probably theirs too. Black cat utterly unfazed by these dogs.
Reflecting on toast last night reminded me of Tamarindo and feeling insanely hot and sweaty - quite a contrast to here.
Also thinking recently that my well-intentioned and also quite reasonable plans to buy bit of fruit to supplement my diet (eg bananas in Grecia) kind of fell through and I stopped bothering. OK I did get those watermelon segments in Quepos etc but still. This is probably not that big a deal, and I think there's a semi-genuine "dorm" excuse here, but it really wouldn't have been that hard to buy just one or two bananas or apples or whatever when in supermarkets or whatever and just eaten them while walking down street or something.
My diet hasn't been great while I've been on holiday, but probably not utterly terrible. Obviously all the casados cooked in soya or palm or whatever oil but still, would have been hard to avoid. All the sugary snacks probably biggest weakness, but I *am* on holiday and I think I've just about erred on the right side in this area. We'll see how my weight looks when I get back home but the evidence of my belt would suggest I have probably not put on weight and may have lost a little.
2016 Bit bloated, feel OK - lingering "end of trip" ish sadness etc etc, but OK. Think will clean teeth and maybe go lie on bed and maybe actually go to bed in a bit.
2032 Cleaned teeth. Not in mood to watch YT so will probably actually get into bed and read and fall asleep as and when feel like it. Will leave alarm set for 7am and hopefully won't snooze past that much - as I say I need to be up 6ish on Monday to go to San Jose using train, and although no day after that should have a mandatory really early start it's also vaguely nice if I am up early to make most of my remaining time.
Dorm here (which is just me again tonight - and if not obvious, just me and Julian first night) does have fan on wall but it's completely not needed in this weather. It is actually very pleasant, especially in bed.
Do feel neither phone battery is lasting as long as it ought to but they seem borderline OK and I do have my power bank to help stretch things if necessary, plus can probably charge phones/powerbank while loitering round airport and once on the flight I don't really need to use phones very much as I will prob be watching films on plane entertainment system or maybe just listening to music on phone as I try to fall asleep. Not to mention the vague always (to me) indefinite prospect of charging at seat using USB port there.
Anyway, bed. It's 2036. If anything occurs to me etc later I'll just shove it in tomorrow's entry.
Woke up during night (including at 2230ish and couldn't believe it wasn't 3am when I checked time) but not in bad way as such. Was awake in bed before alarm so got up a smidge earlier, maybe 655? Got bus about 0730 no trouble, found place as expected in Cartago (tho it does head up past my Cartago accom so woman there's directions prob correct) and got some choripan and flautas at Musmanni right by queue and took advantage to double check right place for bus with M staff.
650 for bus from Orosi to Cartago, 1650 IIRC Cartago-Volcano.
Journey up a little interminable but quite nice views. Electronic ticket checked at vehicle entrance to park by guy who got on the bus to check.
Got off bus maybe 1010, not certain - photos prob help show this if it matters. I asked and return bus 1230, also one at 1515 but felt I really didn't want to be there that long or risk that bus not existing. It would have been nice to have an extra 15-30 mins up there but it was OK with the time I had.
Got quite lucky with weather, could see both craters from lower viewing area along their lip and the big crater from the upper viewing area (think little crater not in line of sight from there), and it was generally warm and sunny - took fleece off while slogging up road to higher viewing point, and tho I did put my gloves on to keep hands warm while doing lower viewing area I took them off later. Couldn't see Turrialba or much else in distance from the top but all in all I think I was reasonably lucky.
No water in either crater FWIW. Best views I think from upper viewing area. Not, to be scrupulously honest, utterly "wow!" views, but still, I am glad I went and it was cool to see the craters even if not "wow!" .
Did lower area first (upper area is very slightly "hidden" , TBH), went to upper area, I did a very quick visit to bogs and back to the lower crater viewing area after that and was at the bus 5ish mins before it started. Some minor not-a-big-deal confusion over whether the return trip was free or not - I asked another tourist guy and one way or another he misled me into thinking it was free to return and the driver (nicely) had to come and ask me to pay. Didn't feel too awkward or anything. I do wonder if it *should* have been free but prob not.
Back in Cartago I went over to municipal museum but it's shut for new exhibit work. Spent a few mins wandering round/sitting in ruins but did want to get back and seeing a guy going round soliciting money (no idea what for) sort of encouraged me to move.
Just missed a bus due to confusion and as already noted the bus I got was massively delayed (so prob was one I just missed).
So many people standing it was hard to get off the bus, but didn't seem to upset anyone as I squeezed through muttering "perdon" /"lo siento"/"disculpe"/"gracias".
I wanted to buy some snacky things for tonight and some hot dog buns for the sausages I have no rice left to cook. Got off bus a little early, went into Pali on N edge of town but the queues looked insane so I rather bad-temperedly left and managed to get what I wanted (felt fucking expensive, but I can't really say for sure it was down to the specific supermarket) at Super Norte as I came through town.
Football match taking place on field in middle of town, had seen kids practicing there yday etc but tonight it seemed to be an adult/young adult proper match and quite a lot of people spectating.
Having coffee now, may have some hot dogs later, we'll see. Want/need to wash tonight, ideally before properly dark, as there are facilities here for hand washing and lines to dry on, and then with luck that will mean I have enough clean clothes to see me through the rest of the trip. I will prob wear a wool top on flight as I did on flight here IIRC and having worn orange top with some reasonable comfort today I may wear the other blue wool top tomorrow.
Paid for the extra night tomorrow no problem, 6k which I think is fair for USD11 (and they give receipts here, so no worries about false claims of no show turning up) and I broke a 20k doing it.
1834 Done laundry, bit of a faff but if it doesn't rain (stuff on uncovered line to dry) will be good to know I'm sorted for rest of trip. Copying photos off camera memory card, had 4 hot dogs and now having 500ml can Cezka 5% bought with my misc alcohol purchases first afternoon.
Would be good if one or ideally both of my phones had big enough microSD cards fitted that I could keep a copy of *all* photos on them. The primary storage would still be external SD cards kept in two different places (one on my person), but this would be an extra copy and it would reduce glitches caused by phone internal storage filling up as I shuffle stuff around.
The Cezka is cheap-ish I think, but it seems a reasonably flavoursome lager, unlike Bohemia - maybe just prejudice on my part though. (Had it before I think, eg poss bought some way back in Grecia.)
Black and white cat came into dorm while I was fiddling with memory cards, and (one of?) black cats had a bit of fuss a few mins ago as I sit here on terrace.
Wearing fleece BTW.
Drinking beer out of a glass (with sunflowers on, and I half suspect it to be the same line as the "cow" glass I had in Uvita) which may add a small touch of luxury to the process.
1846 Thinking tomorrow I might go to Cachi or Ujurras (sp) - hopefully an easy bus or two bus hop, just have a wander round. Maybe do the Orosi viewpoint nearby. I think this whole area would definitely repay a visit on a future trip (and being near Cartago, it would sort of fit with travel to/from Carribbean side - I have vague thoughts of doing the Bocas del Toro boat in one direction or other and combining that with a visit to C side of CR and a visit to Panama. I've been to Panama but only in the most box-ticking sense, and it was a long time ago as well. Would definitely not just be retreading old ground - as is always a risk in eg Argentina, not that there aren't huge chunks of A I haven't seen - and based on talking to people on this trip though not necessarily super cheap it is cheaper than CR.
In some ways it is a shame to just scratch the surface of this area but at the same time the more you see the more it becomes "more of the same" , so perhaps it isn't such a bad thing if I end up coming back at some point and seeing some of the other stuff.
Finished that beer a bit ago, will prob have the 710ml can Imperial Original in a few minutes. Do want to be up early-ish (if only as I will need to be up 6ish to get bus back to Cartago in time to get train to SJ - tho I now feel a smidge less uneasy at the prospect of having to get a bus to SJ, I'd rather get train if I can) but it's hardly late nor am I getting massively pissed.
I haven't heard back from hostel in SJ about their "threat" to cancel if I didn't reply - I did reply, but no word from them. Not deeply worried but not ideal.
1855 OK, just asked Rafa, to get to Ujarras (sp) or Cachi I have to change in Paraiso. But I have been through Paraiso and it is nearby and not too "scary" . There may be a Ujarras-Cachi bus as well. Gut feeling is, since there are ruins at Ujarras which sound interesting and "easy to find" , I will go there first, then energy permitting maybe see about a bus over to Cachi and see if I can have a gander at the lake. I do at least feel I know this area well enough that although I'd rather not be out after dark, if I eg end up changing bus in Paraiso at 6pm and getting back into Orosi at 6:30 or 7 I am not going to be shitting myself (except for some minor dog related nerves, tho in Orosi most do seem to be shut in).
Let's have that other beer. Not saying I won't buy more tomorrow etc - vague "end of trip" excuses make it OK, plus I am hardly drinking loads anyway. Will set an alarm for 7 before I forget and can always choose to change it later if I remember.
Sod it, last two sausages as hot dogs first. This leaves me two bread buns free which I can snack on tomorrow, and tomorrow I will eat out and/or have junk.
1909 Black cat charmed a few bits of sausage out of me. :-) Beer.
Cat has actually tipped kitchen bin over and is (I think) licking juice off sausage "skins" (as noted before they are individually wrapped here) and/or the container. Haven't the heart to stop it (they are ready to eat in packet so it's not raw meat), though it looks in excellent condition and probably lives here and gets fed well etc.
Prob already said but have stopped uploading photos to Google Photos - I am virtually out of space and deleting all the really old pre-trip photos *might* lose the only copy of something old and while I'm abroad I can't check to see if there's a takeout of all the old photos sitting on my PC back in London.
1959 Had some bizcotelas (not whole packet), feel bit bloated and was while finishing beer. Having little bit of leftover milk (only a small 1l pack) got first day mainly for coffee. Black cat hanging round. Said goodnight to Rafa, he's off tomorrow and I said I might not see him on Monday as leaving early but thanked him for everything.
Notwithstanding black cat hanging round I might go half to bed soon - I think (certainly did an hour or two ago) I have dorm to myself again, might watch a bit of YT in bed and then move properly to bed.
Shower earlier was cold (if there's any force to water here heater does nothing) but brief and not unpleasant. I didn't exactly want a shower at that point but as I was changing all clothes to max out number of dirty clothes (I swapped trousers for clean pair, even tho not strictly necessary - but be nice to have clean pair for flight) it seemed smart to have a shower before putting clean clothes on - it isn't super hot here, but the "change clothes at evening shower instead of morning as when at home" approach seemed to fit well here.
Minor faff washing three separate times (trousers, then tops, then underwear) but I do broadly feel given the iffiness of hand washing it's smart to keep underwear separate, and while I could have done trousers and tops together I don't usually, and the dedicated laundry sink was a bit large and hard to get decent depth of water in so didn't push it today.
(I keep dirty tops and dirty underwear separate in different dry bags, as prob noted. before. Trousers, only having two pairs, I generally don't shove in a dry bag when dirty but just swap to the clean pair when I'm read to wash the dirty pair.)
Owners seem to have returned from their beach excursion of a day or two, the (nice enough) big dog - Peanut, I think - is back and also a smaller black/tan dog that's probably theirs too. Black cat utterly unfazed by these dogs.
Reflecting on toast last night reminded me of Tamarindo and feeling insanely hot and sweaty - quite a contrast to here.
Also thinking recently that my well-intentioned and also quite reasonable plans to buy bit of fruit to supplement my diet (eg bananas in Grecia) kind of fell through and I stopped bothering. OK I did get those watermelon segments in Quepos etc but still. This is probably not that big a deal, and I think there's a semi-genuine "dorm" excuse here, but it really wouldn't have been that hard to buy just one or two bananas or apples or whatever when in supermarkets or whatever and just eaten them while walking down street or something.
My diet hasn't been great while I've been on holiday, but probably not utterly terrible. Obviously all the casados cooked in soya or palm or whatever oil but still, would have been hard to avoid. All the sugary snacks probably biggest weakness, but I *am* on holiday and I think I've just about erred on the right side in this area. We'll see how my weight looks when I get back home but the evidence of my belt would suggest I have probably not put on weight and may have lost a little.
2016 Bit bloated, feel OK - lingering "end of trip" ish sadness etc etc, but OK. Think will clean teeth and maybe go lie on bed and maybe actually go to bed in a bit.
2032 Cleaned teeth. Not in mood to watch YT so will probably actually get into bed and read and fall asleep as and when feel like it. Will leave alarm set for 7am and hopefully won't snooze past that much - as I say I need to be up 6ish on Monday to go to San Jose using train, and although no day after that should have a mandatory really early start it's also vaguely nice if I am up early to make most of my remaining time.
Dorm here (which is just me again tonight - and if not obvious, just me and Julian first night) does have fan on wall but it's completely not needed in this weather. It is actually very pleasant, especially in bed.
Do feel neither phone battery is lasting as long as it ought to but they seem borderline OK and I do have my power bank to help stretch things if necessary, plus can probably charge phones/powerbank while loitering round airport and once on the flight I don't really need to use phones very much as I will prob be watching films on plane entertainment system or maybe just listening to music on phone as I try to fall asleep. Not to mention the vague always (to me) indefinite prospect of charging at seat using USB port there.
Anyway, bed. It's 2036. If anything occurs to me etc later I'll just shove it in tomorrow's entry.
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