Back to Costa Rica
Something about being on the road reminds me that I should keep up my blog. At this very moment I am back in Costa Rica (I came for a dear friend's wedding), and even more specifically back in the little town that first made me fall in love with Costa Rica when I came here as a 7th grade student 10 years ago. The years have certainly brought a lot of tourists and development to this once sleepy town. I remember it as being a large church square bordered by a few restaurants, shops, hotels and houses. It now has many more streets, all of them teeming with people, taxis, internet cafes, tour companies and colorful signs in English.
As I drove into town, I tried to get my bearings. If it were for the sign 'Bienvenido a Fortuna' I probably never would have known I was in the right place. I circled the plaza a few times, turning off onto side streets, trying to find something familiar, and past the fourth corner, there it was! Hotel San Bosco, the very hotel that we had stayed in ten years ago. It was unmistakably the same place, although a barbed wire fence now surrounds it and they've added a wing and a swimming pool. The open air, thatched roof restaurant where we ate all ofour meals is still there too, although it now looks like it has been wrapped in tin foil (perhaps to appear like a replica of the volcano?) I'm happy to be here, to find something that brings some positive, nostalgic memories.
The last week and a half have been interesting. I flew into San Jose on the Friday the 27th and went directly to the resort where the wedding took place. The wedding festivities lasted the entire day on Saturday, and included 3 meals, cafecito and dancing. It was truly a perfect day, sunny in the morning, stormy in the afternoon so we could siesta between activities. Susana and Jimmy got married under a beautiful, humongous tree. The only problem for me was that my bag didn't arrive which had in it the wedding album and all of my clothes! Thankfully there were a few over prepared women there and I was able to piece together a nice outfit to wear. It is always at parties like these that I remember how happy I am when I'm dancing. And it doesn't matter what kind: Salsa, Swing, freestyle, they played it all and I danced to almost every song.
On Monday I set out with the newlyweds and Susana's family on an adventure. A group honeymoon may not sound incredibly romantic, but we did have a ball. We went to Rincon de la Vieja National Park, where we did an incredibly strenuous hike to the crater of a (semi) active volcano. After that, I certainly don't feel any need to go to space. The land was so gray, rocky and desolate. Hardly anything grew, and just about the only living thing we saw near the top was a poisonous snake! How bizarre. The hike was quite an accomplishment in and of itself. There were a few places where the only way to get up a steep rock face was to scale it with the aid of a rope. Increible!
Last Thursday I finally struck out on my own. Compared to my usual travel this trip has been luxurious (and more expensive). Perhaps this is a sign that I am getting further into adulthood. I opted to rent a car to make transportation faster and easier, although more expensive than taking the bus. I have also been staying in the nice hotels that are still affordable, rather than seeking out the bottom of the barrel price. I have gotten quite a few surprised looks when I say I''m travelling alone, and it's true, I don't often see others on their own. Most people seem to be with their significant others and/or friends. One woman said to me "You're traveling alone? That is ballsy!" Which is funny because I had just been thinking to myself how 'safe' and not very adventurous I'd been being.
It certainly is interesting to be alone for many days. I have been writing in my journal a lot, and have finished all of the books I brought. I'm guiltily excited that there's a tv in the room where I'm staying tonight. I have probably been overexcited at any opportunity at conversation with anyone.
My first, and probably best interaction of my aventura sola was with the women who owned the hotel at the first beach I stayed. ALthough many foreigners own pieces of land near Junquillal, it is still a small place and feels very Tico. Especially compared to Montezuma where I went next, which is beautiful, but designed as a tourist destination. All of the Ticos I saw there were working in service or hitting on blonde beach babes. But in Junquillal I met Silvia, and spent the mornings over breakfast talking politics and global issues (in Spanish). She graciously and sincerely said that my accent was really good and was thankful to have someone who was really trying to speak Spanish. A lot of travellers in Costa Rica don't. I have been trying to do all of my business in Spanish, but sometimes Ticos respond to me in English. It's very interesting. Anyway, I have spent the last four nights listening to the waves as I fell asleep, and tonight perhaps I'll see a volcanic eruption!
Ciao until next time.
As I drove into town, I tried to get my bearings. If it were for the sign 'Bienvenido a Fortuna' I probably never would have known I was in the right place. I circled the plaza a few times, turning off onto side streets, trying to find something familiar, and past the fourth corner, there it was! Hotel San Bosco, the very hotel that we had stayed in ten years ago. It was unmistakably the same place, although a barbed wire fence now surrounds it and they've added a wing and a swimming pool. The open air, thatched roof restaurant where we ate all ofour meals is still there too, although it now looks like it has been wrapped in tin foil (perhaps to appear like a replica of the volcano?) I'm happy to be here, to find something that brings some positive, nostalgic memories.
The last week and a half have been interesting. I flew into San Jose on the Friday the 27th and went directly to the resort where the wedding took place. The wedding festivities lasted the entire day on Saturday, and included 3 meals, cafecito and dancing. It was truly a perfect day, sunny in the morning, stormy in the afternoon so we could siesta between activities. Susana and Jimmy got married under a beautiful, humongous tree. The only problem for me was that my bag didn't arrive which had in it the wedding album and all of my clothes! Thankfully there were a few over prepared women there and I was able to piece together a nice outfit to wear. It is always at parties like these that I remember how happy I am when I'm dancing. And it doesn't matter what kind: Salsa, Swing, freestyle, they played it all and I danced to almost every song.
On Monday I set out with the newlyweds and Susana's family on an adventure. A group honeymoon may not sound incredibly romantic, but we did have a ball. We went to Rincon de la Vieja National Park, where we did an incredibly strenuous hike to the crater of a (semi) active volcano. After that, I certainly don't feel any need to go to space. The land was so gray, rocky and desolate. Hardly anything grew, and just about the only living thing we saw near the top was a poisonous snake! How bizarre. The hike was quite an accomplishment in and of itself. There were a few places where the only way to get up a steep rock face was to scale it with the aid of a rope. Increible!
Last Thursday I finally struck out on my own. Compared to my usual travel this trip has been luxurious (and more expensive). Perhaps this is a sign that I am getting further into adulthood. I opted to rent a car to make transportation faster and easier, although more expensive than taking the bus. I have also been staying in the nice hotels that are still affordable, rather than seeking out the bottom of the barrel price. I have gotten quite a few surprised looks when I say I''m travelling alone, and it's true, I don't often see others on their own. Most people seem to be with their significant others and/or friends. One woman said to me "You're traveling alone? That is ballsy!" Which is funny because I had just been thinking to myself how 'safe' and not very adventurous I'd been being.
It certainly is interesting to be alone for many days. I have been writing in my journal a lot, and have finished all of the books I brought. I'm guiltily excited that there's a tv in the room where I'm staying tonight. I have probably been overexcited at any opportunity at conversation with anyone.
My first, and probably best interaction of my aventura sola was with the women who owned the hotel at the first beach I stayed. ALthough many foreigners own pieces of land near Junquillal, it is still a small place and feels very Tico. Especially compared to Montezuma where I went next, which is beautiful, but designed as a tourist destination. All of the Ticos I saw there were working in service or hitting on blonde beach babes. But in Junquillal I met Silvia, and spent the mornings over breakfast talking politics and global issues (in Spanish). She graciously and sincerely said that my accent was really good and was thankful to have someone who was really trying to speak Spanish. A lot of travellers in Costa Rica don't. I have been trying to do all of my business in Spanish, but sometimes Ticos respond to me in English. It's very interesting. Anyway, I have spent the last four nights listening to the waves as I fell asleep, and tonight perhaps I'll see a volcanic eruption!
Ciao until next time.
posted by Eva Hathaway at 4:40 PM
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