Dos Brazos-San Isidro

Thu 23rd 0631 Outside lower hostel "office" waiting for 7am bus. Just hiked down, shoes/socks wet as expected after river but hopefully dry.

Bit of a fuckfest this morning. When packing suddenly (and luckily) realised had "lost" daypack, which had sunblock/insect repellent/water bottle/shell jacket in. Panic - short of time. Could scarcely believe it had been stolen but wasn't there. Semi-unthinkingly ran out to check round common areas and spotted/remembered it by kitchen food storage where had dumped it when cooking yday afternoon. So sorted but damn lucky I remembered.

Got up 5amish as needed piss, also semi-watched sunrise from upstairs of common area hadn't been into before. Quite cloudy, OKish. Fiddling desperately with phones. Naturally hostel wifi had no net access just cos it really mattered and up against time pressure.

Even with VPN disabled Claro won't let me go on the top-up website with no data allowance left. I did eventually manage to try to top up via text, got given a number to call and was offered the option to top up... one of a number of amounts, none of which matched what I wanted to top up, and no option to use my phone keypad to choose my own amount. I picked lowest 1k amount in desperation, entered my ccard details and... they told me (all this in automated Spanish BTW) they couldn't verify my bank and to try another card.

Absolute utter fuckers on multiple levels.

I am a bit stressed out (because it's fucking "airbnb+no mobile internet", the magic stress recipe) but also hacked off because I suspect this 9am bus won't exist. The one upside to that it with the extra four hours I should (albeit painfully, as not sure how) be able to top up the fucking SIM somehow and also leech some wifi (eg Los Dragones, probably) to WA the airbnb and tell them what's going on. With ordinary accom you just turn up any time after xpm that day and all good, but with airbnb the thing is virtually unfindable and you're pissing the hosts off as well (esp if as in this case they are apparently going to meet me at bus station).

FFS.

Trying to stay chilled, writing this has got me a bit worked up. TBH *if* the 9am bus exists I will at least be on the bus I told them, tho stressed at no net access to communicate with them, and if it doesn't it's annoying on multiple levels but it does probably give me time to sort out fucking mobile internet.

I believe Claro website would have let me top up the exact amount and might also have been more likely to work with my card (eg if there's wanky mandatory security check as part of payment, that can happen in browser but not via phone call) but as I say no hostel internet access even tho it *has* mostly worked and Claro won't let me visit the top up site with no credit, because they're fuckers.

0801 At bus terminal. *Inside* (where I couldn't get on Sunday) it shows no 9am bus, so I'm prob hanging round town til 1pm. The ticket office is supposed to open at 8 so with luck I can speak to someone soon. Los Dragones wasn't open when I came past but it is early.

Dos Brazos-PJ no problem tho the bus has broken down so a taxi colectivo 4x4 pickup did it instead - but paid same 4k and altho I sat in back saying virtually nothing (but it never felt appropriate to "interrupt" ) I earwigged on some moderately interesting Spanish/English conversation - semi-ex-pat German who has lived there intermittently for years chatting with driver, and later a prob retired prob ex-pat American who seems to farm bees, also (equally uncommunicative) local woman with baby at one point.

I asked to go to B&M and I also asked driver as getting out if he knew where I could top up and he said B&M caja 2, so with only minor faff I have topped up - had to do 5k as 4.5k not an option, they said I couldn't do 2k+2k+500 (*prob* a Claro restriction not theirs) but not end of world - woman misread my phone number from screen (I didn't try reading it out, perhaps should have) but I caught the mistake. I then did the USSD code menu thing to use that credit for the 15 day paquete and I think it has worked; I do have mobile internet but that may be some weird bonus thing, however after a bit I did get a message saying paquete applied and my credit was showing as 500 so I think all OK.

Not WAed airbnb yet, it's early and I will wait until I've spoken to someone at ticket office or until after 9 if they simply don't bother opening the advertised hours (it's just a home-laminated printout so you might hope it's accurate but who knows).

Does feel reassuring to have mobile data again tho.

0817 Right, paid 5915 for ticket on bus at 1pm, arrives about 630pm, 9am bus doesn't exist, need to be here at terminal 10 mins before, have messaged airbnb and they are fine to meet me at terminal there (I said what bus I am on) so although lots of waiting around and delays things prob mostly OK.

Airbnb guys has sent me photos of him and his car so fingers crossed this will all be sweet.

Hanging around here few mins in case more airbnb WA but will go see if Dragones is open then.

0847 Sitting in street in shade opposite Dragones. Took shoes and socks off one at a time and wrang (?) quite a lot of dirty water out of each sock - feels a bit more comfortable and should I guess speed drying process.

Unless I bring myself to ask about charging power bank in (say) Dragones I have to be a smidge careful with phones killing time til 1pm. I think there's a drop more power in the power bank (but it's not full as I had to use it in bed to charge both phones up) but don't really want to rely on that. I need *both* phones to work really as to do WA I need the K1 for WA and G5 as mobile hotspot as it has my SIM. Could swap SIM in an emergency tho real faff (need pin to open K1) or I could install the app to allow me to use WA web on the G5, but rather not do that esp as I don't think it is installed so would burn battery installing it.

Worth noting also that although this is a damn long bus ride (for next to no distance, really), I generally don't read on phone during bus trip anyway, preferring to stare out of window, get lost in thought and/or concentrate on sweating buckets. So it's not *too* bad as I mainly need to divert myself for the next 4 hours. I am *not* eg going to go sit on beach, it's a fair walk, I don't want to work uo a sweat and I'd rather stay off the street and esp round there while carrying all my possessions.

I am running down hidden cash now and got a heavily folded 20k out while waiting for ticket office to open, but the guy took it no fuss - I guess it's local and it's plastic, whereas a folded dollar bill is neither.

0904 At Rincon Sabroso - should have come here before really - getting pinto con huevos (fried, but could have had scrambled) and black coffee. 2.8k for pinto, assuming coffee OK and may hang on here for a bit etc etc. Fingers crossed this is edible but been meaning to try pinto anyway.

Nice semi-outdoor shaded eating area out front. If eg coffee is not insanely priced, this could be a good spot to loiter. Gut feeling is I may get biggish bottle of water at supermarket and some sweet baked things from bakery (meant to try it, but on Sunday when I decided to indulge it was shut) and take them with me for the bus.

0918 Very nice, rice is the sort I had at IIRC Montezuma hostel, fried eggs a bit crisp round edge but really very decent. I also spot a near-ish socket. I may ask (want to check price of coffee - if it's 600/cup I can guzzle subject to toilet concerns, if it's 1800/cup I may be more reserved and/or drink something else) if I can use it, but could see myself hanging on here til 12ish.

Kind of feeling like I might have a mild splurge wrt food/drink today, given this hanging round. Do need to be careful re bog but almost certainly one here and I expect there are going to be very frequent stops on ths bus given its speed. Especially this early I don't need to worry too much about the bus.

0938 Score. Just asked and it's 700 for a coffee or a jugo natural and I can charge my phone (actually powerbank - less pain if nicked/damaged/forgotten - it was down to 1/4 lights BTW), so having jugo de tamarindo and will probably have a coffee after etc. Minor party. Need to remember 700 isn't nothing - it's about a pound - but I'm feeling happy to spend a few pounds on a bit of comfort (I'm partly paying for somewhere to sit, being temporarily homeless) this morning.

0949 "El Rey" playing faintly from inside, nice traditional-ish version.

0958 Guzzled juice, as is my wont. Not going to rush but will get another coffee soon-ish. I will prob have a casado about 1130, it's a bit early but I don't want to be too rushed getting to the bus terminal (and buying water/snacks on the way). It isn't strictly necessary for me to eat so much but it will avoid any need to worry about getting food in SI - the one comment on the place suggests the hosts cooked for him, I have no idea if that's a paid extra, but given my pickiness and scope for giving offence I don't really want to be indulging in that if I can help it.

Fingers crossed I didn't leave anything in DB hostel but I obviously have *most* stuff so it's probably OK.

1003 Have asked waitress for black coffee as she came back from taking order of newly arrived people. Have also slipped shoes off under table in hope this will help my socks (on my feet) and shoes dry off quicker.

Given I'm surfeited with power and data (wifi here), I have installed the WA web app on G5 and given it a quick test. It's no more of a privacy loss than using WA app on K1 via G5 acting as mobile hotspot. I suspect (and in a way this is good, as it will reduce battery use) the WA web app on G5 won't notify me of new messages, but I can at least check explicitly if I want/need to without having to fire up the hotspot.

(I assume the real WA app wouldn't work on LineageOS, but I haven't tried anyway as I don't want it hoovering up my contacts on the G5 and generally spying on my activity constantly.)

1111 Just ordered casado de bistec, think I have managed to get salad undressed. Smidge early but still approx three hours since last ate (no, duh, two!) and at "worst" I will feel full, can't see myself being unable to finish.

3.5k, in theory including a jugo natural.

Feeling smidge jittery but of course I have loads of time and buying water/baked snacks is far from critical if I am rushed. Bit dubious about salad - was offered "ensalada rusa" when I said no dressing, subsequently looked that up and seems ridiculous to suggest, but I did say "ensalada verde" so fingers crossed. Hardly end of world if salad inedible and contaminates a bit of other stuff, given this is second meal etc.

I think plan for tonight is just to chill in room and go to bed early. Not going to bust a gut touristing it up in SI, will try to walk into town and have look round and if loads of obvious tours nearby may take one up. Will have a go at investigating onward travel tomorrow, just poss tonight/tomorrow afternoon depending how I feel.

1134 Casado v good, *didn't* get a drink with it which I think I should have done, but for all I know they will offset this when I settle up. Just ordered one explicitly. I plan to give fairly generous tip given I've camped here (albeit buying stuff at a not insanely slow pace) and they let me charge my power bank, but I may semi-adjust the tip to reflect this "missed" drink if it turns out like that.

I am thinking I might not buy a bottle of water. I have a little bit with me in my bag, and if I get desperate I can probably buy some at a stop on the bus - I also can't see why I'd be desperate given how much I've been drinking this morning. (TBH, in part this stems from feeling I could just have carried down my litre disposable bottle full from hostel this morning instead of leaving it behind in recycling if I'd *really* wanted to have "a lot" of water with me, so buying another one right now kind of grates, but I think it is also a bit silly anyway.)

I "expect" bill to be 7.7k if they're "fair" and give me one of the tamarind juices as part of the casado as menu says, or 8.4k otherwise. I am assuming there's no automatic 10% or 13% or both on this. On a fair bill, 20% would be about 1.5, so if I make it 9k that's not quite 20% on a fair bill. Maybe make it 9.5k then, that's a hair over 20%. Bear in mind AFAIK I am not obliged/expected to tip 10% generally, though I quite often (I'm a bit inconsistent) do, so even 10% would probably be kind of decent. I could just make it 10k but that feels a smidge OTT. Then again, that's about three pounds tip so not ruinous in absolute terms as a one-off and I have camped out here for a while and their prices are decent and the outside seating area is pleasant and while the staff perhaps not super smiley they've been nice enough to me (eg letting me use socket for charger) so maybe 10k it is.

I will ask the price of course, as curious to see what it is.

Temptation to rush off but I am going to stick on til 12, start "packing up" (get charger/powerbank back into bag, put shoes on) then pay and use bog, then head over to terminal via bakery and I'll probably still be there by 1215 with half an hour to kill.

I haven't done much "cafe sitting" on this trip, it's always felt too expensive (which it kind of is) to do as a rule, but I also haven't felt huge temptation.

1204 7.8k, which seems odd but not quibbling over 100. Made it 10k for reasons discussed, but also including feeling happy with this price as being what I expected modulo that odd 100.

1221 At terminal. Smidge later than thought but spent while in bog just to be safe and also bit of a queue at Panaderia Monar where I got two smallish bags of biscuity things at 900 each, which I paid for with change so these are mentally kind of "free" . :-)

Must say that altho it will (trying not to count my chickens) be nice to have a private room tonigh, the dorm at last hostel didn't really feel that un-private, what with being semi open-air, having no one in bed above me and having the rather dense mosquito net to enclose the bed.

1251 I think I am the only tourist waiting so far. Quite a lot of people here, hope bus isn't too rammed.

1652 Seems to be a rest stop but I didn't hear announcement, if there was one. Famous last words, but decided not to get off for a piss as didn't/don't need one and also wasn't exactly sure how long was left by time I noticed. Lots of bags left on bus and engine is still running so I assume we're not changing bus.

Haven't touched baked stuff, not hungry and it will maybe be nice to snack in my room with a YT video or something. Trouble (but also sort of good) with airbnb is that I'm never sure to what extent I "should" hang around outside my room to chat with hosts.

1657 We just pulled out. So prob 1.5ish hours to go. It is nice (notwithstanding possible hiccups) to know I am being picked up.

2255 Just guzzled all the two packs of baked sweet things in room on bed. Bit lardy.

Everything's fine, bus seemed to stop a few blocks short of terminal (everyone seemed to get out) but had map up so not too big a deal. Had WA chat with guy picking me up and he was waiting. He and his wife both seem really nice and I spent ages chatting with them when I got here. I only got off to have a shower and go to bed maybe 2200ish. Watching a bit of YT, will pop out to clean teeth (I have my own bathroom but access via hallway) in a bit and then maybe semi go to bed. They have two cats (one ginger tabby - perhaps the first I've seen in CR - and a fluffy black one of a breed I've forgotten, Chino??) and two little fluffy-ish ginger dogs (no idea what breed) that seem quite friendly.

I am slightly worried they are going to be a little *too* friendly, but OTOH this is great Spanish practice and it is nice to talk to people after a slightly (though not bad) "solo" time in DB and arguably PJ before that.

2345 Eyes kept wanting to close as watched YT so let's go to bed and read myself to sleep.