Puerto Jiménez-Dos Brazos

Mon 19th 0910 Slept fairly well, bit hot and sticky, woke up a few times in night, finally got up about 0815ish as figured might as well.

Having coffee and had biscuits, had chat in Spanish with hostel woman (tho I obviously have a long way to go as eg I asked her how to get from Cartago to Alajuela and she told me how to get *to* Cartago) which was nice, offered her a biscuit cos I'm so nice.

She said lots of people from this hostel seem to go on to Dos Brazos hostel including "woman from other night" . Hope I'm not gonna get to sit and listen to the "valley girls" again. Do wonder how/if I might get on socially in DB but things usually work out and if they don't it's hardly end of world.

Not packed yet as being nice to the couple in dorm, no rush. Topping up G5 and power bank and will do K1 in a bit as I think it's all off-grid at DB hostel.

Had quick poke last night and may be able to top Claro SIM up online/via the SIM itself without needing to go into a shop with cash. I am going to wait and see if I have Claro signal and "need" it while there before topping up - there is a 15 day "packet" that would just fit nicely with my remaining time if I don't top up until Wednesday. If this fails or there's no Claro reception, worst case I can probably find a Claro shop in San Isidro before checking in at airbnb.

Feel super hot and sweaty just sitting here. But I hope there will be breeze etc at DB hostel and if San Isidro is a bit cooler this is probably my last three days of this kind of weather.

1022 Packed a bit ago, managed to get everything into my main bag. (Had to loosen straps to make the 'cap'/'lid' sit a bit higher.) Have an empty disposable water bottle elastic-banded onto the sides, since if I can get there without losing it it will be handy to have an extra biggish bottle to refill.

Killing time slightly edgily. Will probably leave about 1030. Based on everything everyone has told me this place in DB will be fine and really the walking is the thing, but undeniably slightly concerned it will be weird.

1802 Glass at right side of camera screen looks cracked. No obvious reason for this to suddenly happen. Still works and screen has had some minor glitches for a while but not ideal but not huge issue.

Sitting in *very* dark (solar lights are dim as fuck) common area with coffee. On the whole very favourably impressed.

Met (she spoke to me; I was feeling edgy) young German woman called Sandra at bus stop for the minibus and we chatted a bit. She's been just about everywhere I have in about half the time. She was at the hostel next door to Blue Bike in Samara (where I met Michel) and she liked it so much she stayed a week *and* is going back for three days right at the end of her trip.

Us plus a couple of locals in minibus, plus some supplies for (as it turned out) local shop in DB.

We hiked up together (the "office" was closed but luckily - as I was mildly busting for piss - some woman who might just be a neighbour, not clear, heard us and let me use the bog) - I carried one of Sandra's extra bags. Stiffing hike and got feet wet crossing a river but not "terrible" and kind of fun. Not *critical* that I wasn't doing it alone but it was nice to be with someone.

Haven't paid yet. Despite my worries about it being weird it is super low key. I might as well say here now I've arrived (and hope I don't jinx it, but I want to record everything honestly day by day) it is "clothes optional" here except in kitchen area. However, I haven't yet seen anyone in any kind of not normal-beach-type-wear. Shown round by nice young French (I guess) woman - a volunteer? - and she also recommended a trail which I did and when I got back I cooked (had kitchen to self) about 330pm-ish and just as I got back had chat with German 50ish volunteer who told me (first time it was mentioned) you could hike naked here if you wanted and that owner does so with just boots on. This vaguely intrigues me but isn't massively up my street. Main thing is that there isn't a really weird "everyone/half the people are naked as I'm just eating" vibe.

Dorms are semi-open-air but it's fine. Small lizard thing on my curtain when I went to change after shower. Apparently you can get a good view of sunrise from top lookout (*something* like Gottagetout) and I just *may* see if I feel brave enough to do that and get up at 0450 as recommended. Amazing views (and lovely breeze) from up there, and to slightly lesser extent Valle Frijol trail, during day at least as saw this afternoon.

The off-grid no-refrigeration aspect invites comparisons with place in Quepos. At USD14/night (assuming that includes tax) compared to 20, I think this is way better - the private trails seem really cool on first glance, way better than having the not-private beach at Quepos. However, the after dark lighting etc was better in Quepos, and to be fair I did have a whole (if "shack like" ) room to myself there. Both a worthwhile experience I think.

I could see myself wanting to stay on if nothing sours this but although I *could* cancel and rebook airbnb my gut feeling and how I'm trying to play this mentally is that this is a nice experience but not something I want to drag out excessively. I can always come back if I really want to.

50ish German volunteer (haven't been asking for names and no one has offered - not *ideal* but in my current social skills state I find it easier to remember names if told them once people have "taken shape" by speaking to them for a bit) said the hostel laundry (sheets etc) has to be taken down to town and back each day. That said, there are washing lines here and a sink where I can do some of my own and I will do some tomorrow (probably). Given that have treated myself to a change into my clean pair of trousers. :-)

Gas also has to be carried in/out in bottles up the stiffish trail so we're told nicely to use it economically and eg cover pans when cooking and not over-fill kettle when making coffee. (Coffee not free; I've brought the little I had spare, figuring I'd do without rather than lug up a full packet if it ran out, but they also sell it at CRC200/spoon, and they sell eggs and cold beer - limited supply apparently, I heard someone say they got the last one earlier - at 1500 etc.)

I did meet owner after I cooked incidentally, seems a nice enough chap (and not at all "weird" , for the record).

Wifi (no password, as presumably only guests in range) works, as advertised it is slow - I used it to dispute the hostel claiming I was a no show yday, fingers crossed this is fine and just sem-typical issue with second of two contiguous stays being "missed" by a hostel, and the speed was slightly painful. Good enough to make quite Signal voice call home though.

I may have Claro reception in at least some bits (eg in hills, not sure about here) but given wifi works and the 15 day packet will be perfect *if* I don't buy it til Thursday I am going to hold off trying to get it working again, given the basic wifi here seems adequate for my needs. I downloaded some library books in Libby before coming and wifi is probably good enough to get more anyway.

I feel *slightly* BNM sitting here on my own but not really, mixed German-French group playing canasta, a couple sitting together, a solo poss volunteer woman also looking at her phone and another couple cooking etc. Maybe (there is a whiteboard with guest list on) 15ish guests in total, dunno if that includes volunteers. Not full today, I think, but was full yday - they even put some people sleeping in the chill out area upstairs apparently.

Also it feels vaguely companionable sitting here "with" people and I have already spoken to people today etc.

1844 Just been to wash up coffee cups and "net/sock" (just "bolsa" in Spanish - asked hostel woman in PJ) and there's another guy in a hammock and genrrally yes it's not really BNM at all sitting here alone.

Incidentally hostel staff woman in PJ also told me yday (when I asked) that she had always been a bit nervous with dogs despite growing up in CR but when she went to US to work for a house cleaner as a while lots of homes had dogs and owner of business taught her that if you keep your hands "down" (rather than "up" in a kind of "keep off") position, dogs are much more tractable - down looks like you might stroke them, up looks like you might be going to attack. I am not 100% sure I got the Spanish right here (at first I thought she was talking about the dog's " hands" ie paws) and she may not be right anyway, but FWIW.

Will prob moved to bed 8ish.

I didn't shave after shower as no mirror in shower cubicle or toilet cubicle. It's fine here; I will prob shave blind/use phone tomorrow. No lights in shower or toilet cubicles AFAICouldS but will be fine to clean teeth later by torchlight (I have my actual torch in pocket, also both phones with flashlight capabilities).

I suspect going to bog in middle of night may be a smidge fraught here - not impossible, and at least there's only one small and probably friendly dog, but there's a no shoes rule in "dorm" (just a tiled patch of floor with a roof, really) so I'd probably end up going barefoot as I did when went for shower and the path is decidedly rocky in parts and that was doing it by daylight. All part of the adventure I guess. :-)

I suppose I could potentially put shoes on at edge of dorm but depends how much of a rush I'm in and how much I'm worried about torch flashing all over and waking people up.

We do get a towel here, which is nice.

1904 Multiple conversations in German going on. It is somehow mildly annoying (I think more because it seems slightly loud in aggregate) but not a huge deal, and not that I was feeling terribly BNM this is way better than English conversations going on round me.

1910 I am feeling a smidge tired. I am not going to bed just yet but given I'm not eating or drinking (except water) now I am going to go to the faff of cleaning teeth now and then I can just go to bed whenever.

1925 Done. Back in common area, maybe my imagination but there does seem to be a thinning out and perhaps general move towards bed.

Incidentally here and the toilet at the house "behind" the hostel office in town are the first places I've been in CR where you can (and indeed must, no bin provided) flush toilet paper - both had signs saying this. Oddly cool. :-) It said here you could flush condoms and tampons and something else, it didn't say you can flush floss but in the absence of a bin I flushed mine, I guess if the system can handle condoms a bit of floss isn't going to be a big deal.

Dunno if I'll be too edgy (legit concerns re safety, general "forest dark" willies) to go to try the sunrise at the lookout tomorrow but we'll see. I suppose while there may be *some* risk, at least if things go tits up it will be light soon after, unlike going out around sunset.

Oh, German guy said earlier that the stars look great from the little raised open air zone (where you can also watch sunrise). I might just pop up there before I go to bed, tho dunno if it is really cloudy or not.

1930 I think I am going to bed, I'm not "annoyed" but the social environment is entirely German speaking at the moment, I am not not tired and I do vaguely hope to be up early and brave enough to try this sunrise thing. The chances of me getting into a chat at this point feel like virtually zero and I am far from desperate to do so - not like, as I said, I didn't already have reasonably involved conversations with hostel woman this morning, Sandra and the 50ish German volunteer.

(Owner did make some comment about "nice to have someone who isn't German" when he met me - I don't think he meant anything unpleasant by it, but I wasn't quite sure what to say so sort of grinned or muttered, but although I think he and his wife have a little crude hut for privacy here and I doubt he is gagging for company, his remark does perhaps acquire some extra flavour in the context of sitting here now.)

Yeah, let's move to bed. Lizard thing was still there on my curtain when I went to get my stuff to clean teeth, BTW.

1943 In bed. Lizard was still on the "elevated" mosquito net (square topped, so to speak, not coming to a point) but I think it moved as I got in. Will charge phones on power bank in bed and can then charge power bank in common area during day tomorrow.