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.