I am up dark and early once again. I am going to Costa Rica for vacation. This trip was booked way back in the Spring. The original plan was to spend the 2 weeks exploring rain forests and volcanoes, but all I want to do now is slow down and spend a few days just relaxing. We’ll see what pans out.
My MacBook is not travelling with me this time. It has become an extension of me, even more so since I started this blog. I might not be able to download my photos and write as I wish. So readers, once again, my daily blog might not show up every day. Rest assured, the entries will appear in time.
I settled into Hostel Pangea. Not all hostels are created equal and this one's nice!. Years ago, a friend asked me what it is about 5 star hotels that I don't like. My usual travel mode includes backpacking and sharing dorm rooms. Though this is very easy on the pocketbook, the savings is not the primary reason to hang out at backpacker joints. It's the people you meet along the way: likeminded travellers who take time to experience the culture along with the sights.
With transportation and next night's bed booked, I head out to check out central San Jose. The ambiance is very much like other Latin American cities. Auto Mercado, the local supermarket, is a block away. mingling among the locals in an everyday setting surrounded by food is one of my favourite travel activities. I find three variations of vegetarian tamales. This is a good sign that I won't be starving here in Costa Rica.
What are all those dresses doing suspended up in the air? It isn't only me who find this a curiosity. The locals are also snapping away.
I meet up with Andres and his new wife, Sue, for dinner. He and I first met five years ago in Ollantaytambo, Peru while clambering over ruins. Dinner was at Rosti-Pollos, which is a local chain, akin to Swiss Chalet. The table was covered with local grub: plantains soaked in honey, fried plantains with cheese, fried cheese cubes, something that looks like a taco salad but am told that it is very local (what is it called again?). I watch the coffee filtration process through a cheesecloth on a stand with fascination. Andres tells me of a dry rainforest. Is he pulling my leg?
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