San Isidro-Cartago

Sun 26th 0941 At Musoc terminal, airbnb host brought me over here in his car - they advised me to come here instead of Tracopa or Transportes Blanco. Got ticket for 1030 bus for CRC4345,  hosts were blowing a bit hot and cold about whether there'd be space (it's Sunday and lots of students travelling back IIUC vs "semana santa" so maybe they're not) but I seem to be OK and I think I should have a seat.

Rationally or otherwise, genuinely sorry to be leaving the hosts and their pets. Did manage to stroke all four pets this morning at least. This sadness does feel a bit silly, but really it is probably (as I always say) better than being glad to leave or having neutral "meh" feelings about it. Not inconceivable I would stay with them again on another trip, and if approaching fresh (eg newly-ish arrived and heading vaguely over to Limon) I might also ask about this cabin they told me about my first night.

Have to change bus in El Tejar (a suburb of Cartago - a city I cannot feel confident about remembering where the stress goes when pronouncing) but this seems inevitable based on quick poke online and I think it should be fine - get bus there to centre and then not too much of a walk to accom (hostel or whatever it actually is).

Incidentally while what I wrote above it true, it's also probably good that I didn't stay an extra night - I can't help feeling I might have worn out my welcome one way or another, or made a floater or something like that.

If didn't already say "everyone" here seems to refer to "Perez Zeledon" instead of "San Isidro" . Hosts explained that PZ is the "region" (canton, perhaps) and SI is the capital, and although in most regions the canton and main city (eg Puntarenas region/city) share a namen here they don't. That's fine, except it seems to me PZ is used when *the city* of SI is what is really meant, eg signs here about buses San Jose-Perez Zeledon. Sure, the bus goes to capital of PZ region, but isn't it more usual to name the city the bus goes to, ie San Isidro?

Maybe I have missed something, or maybe this is genuinely quirky (not bad).

FTR gave worn-yesterday two tone blue RS top a quick water-only rinse in sink yday and am wearing it today - it is probably given material and colour the most comfortable top I have if it's warm, and while it's not necessarily super warm here I am still in "assume it's warm" mode. I hope I don't have to grovel in depths of bag to dig out fleece as we cross cerro de la muerte (hhos - the bus is probably not heated and it is apparently very high).

Definite lurking mix of "trip's not over yet, make the most of it" vs "I kind of wish I was just home rather than having to grind out the rest of the trip and (the main " grindy" bit) all the little lurking individually trivial "adjustments" /pending tasks/desires when I get home, things like getting back from airport to flat, making sure I "repack" enough to visit parents without having something left in London, read meters, adjust back into semi-normal routines etc - all this stuff is fine and as I'll prob visit parents for a bit under two weeks there will naturally be a kind of gradual "return to normality". At same time while I do want to see them, it's a shame (Easter+cheap flights mandate the current situation) I have just the one night back in London and it would perhaps in some ways have been nicer to have 2-3 days in London to settle in a bit before the minor upheavel (sp!) of travelling to parents. But just waffling and trying to capture thoughts, not complaining as such.

I feel slightly itchy, probably a heat kind of thing.

Incidentally during walk yday in reserve I put my hand on a tree to steady myself (I wasn't quite falling, but sort of) while going downhill and a sharpish but luckily short and isolated spine pricked my right index (?) finger. Doesn't hurt much and not too worried about it but noting, could have been nasty if there'd been one of those " poison frog dart spine" trees with its massive clumps of long (not poisonous) sharp spikes.

We stopped on way over this morning so I could return ("devolver" - guy told me, in passing) the two bottles to local supermarket and got my 1k back, which was nice.

1000 Looking at map I could probably walk from El Tejar to accom, but barring problems I will get a (presumably local) bus to las ruinas or maybe just "Cartago" (unclear if i can ask this) and walk from somewhere more central.

I don't think I got my ticket cheaper for getting off in El Tejar instead of going on to SJ, but I think that's normal.

1018 On bus. My bag actually fits in the overhead rack with only the mildest bit of squishing! It is hot on here but I guess once we're moving it will be fine.

1022 Gah. For the first time, the seat number on the ticket is actually used, so I just had to move. Bag is still where it was, it's kind of fine as I can *see* it from here whereas I couldn't see it when I was in seat under it.

1204 15 mins rest stop, pretty must as hosts advised. Got off for not really needed toilet stop. Hanging around outside bus to stretch legs and also catch driver to ask him to drop me in ET when he returns.

1912 OK. Everything is actually fine. I was being a bit of a whiny bitch this afternoon and although I feel better there's a lurking sense of dissatisfaction.

I did ask the driver to drop me in ET and he seemed to understand. I was watching Google Maps (of course the ET I had located may not have been right one) and he didn't. Mild panic setting in. I rang the "request stop" button (labelled with a symbol of a tree, for reasons which escape me) and the scrolling LED at front showed it but it took ages (traffic?) before we pulled up somewhere. Thanks to GM/GPS I could at least see I was on edge of Cartago. Asked driver if it was ET and he said that was "detras" and I just checked now and that does mean "behind" . Thanks mate, real helpful!

I wasn't too worked up about this, it was broad daylight and it felt fairly safe and although I could maybe have got a bus if I'd faffed, I just decided to walk. Didn't try to take "clever" route, I used Manhattan metric style route walking along main road into centre of Cartago (this bit mostly flat) to roughly where train station is (no trains middle of day AFAICT), which is the bit I could have done by bus in theory, then turned north and slogged frankly quite a long bloody way uphill to the hostel (I will call it that though not sure what it really is).

[There are a couple of maybe Canadian guys here who are doing nothing wrong but the walls seem paper thin and I am constantly hearing their inane conversation.]

Checked in fine, a couple of guys sitting outside who I spoke to thinking they might be family, paid bill mostly in USD but the odd non-multiple of 20 in CRC.

Room is quite nice, no fan which is mild shame, door onto ground floor terrace but that's a mixed blessing as people (eg the guys there when I arrived) sit out there so it feels super un-private and I need to keep curtains shut.

Went back out starting to feel vaguely whiny and walked down into town centre (ie where I'd already been, but without bag) and thought I'd have quick look round and eat in a soda or maybe mercado municipal and then come back. A not-v-helpful printed folder in room showing nearby tourist stuff had inculcated a vague feeling of "fuck, there's all this semi-cool stuff which I 'should' see but I have no fucking idea how to get there and I only have two full days and everything's probably booking up solid and I also need to move on and sort that out" etc etc.

Long story short, I saw (but didn't go in, as feeling knackered and didn't want to be stuck walking back in dark, tho it wasn't that late) the ruins, I struggled to find a soda, at least on open one (there was a kind of one I didn't like look of as no proper menu prices and a fried chicken place but was trying not to eat something like that and by time I realised there were no other options - mercado shut btw - I had gone past them), although quite a lot of people about vaguely round MM and train station there was a slightly scuzzy slightly agressive young guys hanging round shouting (at me? no fucking idea) at the odd passer-by etc and it wasn't nice. Maybe all a Sunday thing.

I wasn't starving - had breakfast at airbnb anyway - but maybe low blood sugar kicking in a bit as I was being whiny and I also said "fuck it" and just walked back up the bloody hill to the hostel, tried one restaurant on way - had to go in and ask to see menu in order to realises prices not acceptable. Thought I'd get snacks but had already semi-realised no mini super markets (several bars tho) at all near hostel. (Loads of big chains like McD and KFC and Taco Bell in centre BTW, but didn't want that.) In the end I trogged another km to a mini supermaket identified (albeit with wrong name) on OSM and bought some Imperial Ultra (just cos airbnb host recommended it last night) and some Takis Fuego (first for ages) and some snacky biscuit junk and came back to hostel and put beer in fridge and ate junk and watched YT and started to feel a little better.

I have had a shower/shave and will probably go get beer and have it (alone or willing but far from desperate to chat) on terrace out front of room in a bit.

I really do need to get plans roughed out and eg book a hostel in Alajuela for last night and see about maybe extending here a night - location is a bit sucky but not terrible, not much cheap stuff available and today was just bad with the bag and transit hassles etc - and so forth. I am half thinking I may "do" San Jose museums etc but (prob mentioned this before) maybe commuting in for the day from Cartago or Heredia or Alajuela on the train, now I know it exists. Maybe if there is cheap accom in SJ centre-ish and not here or Heredia or Alajuela I won't, but I need to sort of think about this.

I am feeling a bit tired and I may not stay up super late. While it *was* good at the airbnb, I did also perhaps feel a bit "socially on" all the time and maybe that's tiring. Plan for tomorrow is to get up "not insanely late" (eg 10am would be fine, I think), trog into town and (not nec in this order) have food, wander rounds a bit, visit the ruins, see if I can find a train timetable (prob one online, but worth checking) and where the entrance to the station actually is - I hope all the scuzzy fuckers won't be around tomorrow, but who knows? - and maybe see if I can spot any tour companies.

I will ask staff/owner/whatever here about how to get to Irazu (volcano) by public bus tomorrow night if I can't find a tour agency or don't like what they're offering. I would then plan to go to Irazu Tuesday (my last full day here at present) and maybe if I sleep well etc I might ask staff/look on booking.com tomorrow evening if I can book an extra night, and then maybe with that extra day I can manage an excursion out to one of the other semi-cool sounding places in that folder in my room.

I haven't looked at guide book re Cartago yet, maybe later tonight or tomorrow.

So I sort of "need" to be doing at least a look over accom options here/Heredia/Alajuela/SJ even if I don't book tonight, but I may or may not force myself to do it.

I think I'll get properly dressed and maybe go get my beer, although the Canadians are out there and saying things like "I don't think you're supposed to eat the seeds" so I'm slightly worried I will get drawn into a conversation or something when I'm not really feeling exactly at my best.

To be clear(ish), I think this is a sort of family-run small hostel/hotel, there isn't the "classic" backpacker hostel and there are family members around and the "common area" is I think sort of family area too. There might be a small dorm but I am not sure.

It is shared bathroom here (and there may only be one) but it is quite nice and the water (not that I'm *that* bothered, but it is kind of nice) is actually almost too hot in the shower. I don't know exactly where/what, but as I was checking in owner type woman did say something about washing my clothes "there" or something, so I may ask about that and do it tomorrow night. No point doing it tonight as I don't have enough dirty stuff yet. If I do extend a night it might make sense to postpone the wash another night too, as the "getting stuff dry" deadline moves out by a day then.

1937 It feels really late, but it isn't. This seems to be a constant theme here. As I think I keep saying, it's probably not so much the day length as the fact that daylight runs from 6am-ish to 6pm-ish (v approx) which is perfectly "symmetrical" but means the daylight ends "early" by my standards - even getting up relatively early as I am most of the time here, I am not usually up at 6am.

1955 OK, left glowing feedback for airbnb and have also booked an extra night here with free cancellation until end (midnight) of tomorrow - maybe I could have negotiated a better price by going direct but this way at least I have it semi-locked-in.

2006 OK, have booked dorm bed at hostel with free airport shuttle in Alajuela for the one night before flight. This is USD14 inc tax and I could have had a private room actually pretty near airport with breakfast included for USD15 inc tax so I feel a bit foolish, but I have free cancellation (both offered it) so can change mind later but at least have something.

It may be nice to be in a "potentially" social environment the last night instead of a private room in (I think) someone's home. Walking to the airport is prob awkward with busy motorway type roads even if the private room was almost walking distance (hell, ignoring no facilities for pedestrians, central Alajuela *is* walking distance of airport really). Given checkout is 11am and my flight is 1825 I am not entirely sure the free shuttle is really "worth it" as does it mean I am going to be at the airport at 1130ish killing time all day? Maybe they'll let me hang around a bit longer past checkin as long as I vacate my bunk. Then again, I didn't check checkout at private room and the reality is I am unlikely to risk things like trying to leave my bag while I go out for a last wander round and a lunch in a soda in Alajuela before going to the airport. Maybe I would risk this, I dunno. Basically it's likely to be an unsatisfactory situation anyway so no point getting too worked up trying to polish it up etc. Also as I say I have free cancellation until (not incl) 4th April so I can change my mind (and I may want to stay in Alajuela more than one night, esp if I do decide to try visiting SJ while staying in Alajuela - this accom is cheap enough etc) but at least I have this semi-sorted.

2256 Went out to get beer, ended up talking with the Canadians - father and son, very into archaelogy (I think father may have an actual career connection with this). Nice guys actually.

I put my beer into freezer and drinking it in room now.

Had some slightly confusing advice from them and hostel owner about getting to Irazu but you may need to book, so gut feeling is will maybe discuss this more with owner tomorrow and perhaps book it tomorrow. She also mentioned my new booking, I did say I might cancel but prob wouldn't (perhaps imprudent, but I think fine). There is apparently a bus to Irazu just round corner but TBH dubious about this and not entirely clear how it all fits together.

Perhaps a bit silly to be having this beer but I am semi-enjoying it (just oddly aware of needing to go to bathroom to clean teeth after and feeling it's a bit late).

2317 Cleaned teeth. I mentioned "cas" to the Canadians and with their superior searching skills they found it's guava ("common" Spanish name guayaba), so that's good to know.

Was quite nice to have a chat (bit edgy as we're supposed to be quiet after 10 and woman owner - this is billed as a "homestay" on booking.com conf email btw - has to go to work at 6 but the father seemed insistent we could keep talking quietly but I'm not sure how quiet we were). Frankly deeply dubious about my ability to visit anything from here but trying not to worry, tomorrow I will get up moderately late if I want and go look at ruins and worry about buses and bookings for volcanoes tomorrow evening. And if the extra night here turns out not to be "needed" for local tourism (tho it prob will be if only for abortive attempts at bussing it out to somewhere or other) I can use it for an experimental train "commute" into SJ (which Canadians say is Indian-style chaos) for a day's touristing there, although based on looking at accom earlier I suspect Alajuela is a better base given the existence of (depending on what I fancy) a cheapish private room or a cheapish dorm with some prospect of socialising. Heredia is (a bit randomly) the other place I might put in time in before I go but I have no idea what accom is like there - if it is cheap it may be a good base for commuting to SJ from too.

Anyway, let's go to bed. Free coffee in kitchen anyway apparently, so there's that in the morning. Yawning.