I am off to Cosa Rica.

 February 12, 2009

• 11:00 am leave Panama City
• 5:00 pm Costa Rica border
• 7:30 pm depart border
• 11:40 pm arrive San Jose, Costa Rica

 

I am off to Cosa Rica.

 

After a long bus ride on TICA bus we got to San Jose at 1 am (Panama time). It was a 14 hour bus ride.

 

I’m finding the Costa Ricans friendly. The taxi driver helped me out with Hostel Pangea was closed for the night. The hotel attendant provided me with information and polite conversation as I ate breakfast. The newspaper lady who went out of her way to show me where the TICA bus station was. The Quepos bus ticket attendant who suggested that I take the 6:00 am bus instead of the 4:00 am bus back to San Jose. The brother and sister who were selling their mother’s brownies. The temperature here is also more appealing as it was cool and breezy and sunny, making San Jose a pleasant place to walk.

 

Fortunately, San Jose is a wonderful city. The people are cheerful, approachable and friendly. The climate is temperate so there is not the tropical weather of the Panama City. It is interesting to go to the parks and museums and see how the nation puts forth its history, its accomplishments, and its culture. I attended the Numismatic Museum (a museum on the money of Costa Rica) and I was surprised how interesting it was. Money is not only a way of making commerce, it determines the value we place on services and things. And what images are printed on the money indicates what the culture values at the time, whether it is national figures, crops, animals, buildings, etc.

 

February 13, 2009

• Bus tix and
• Jardin de mariposas
• Parque Morazon
• Parque Espana
• Parque National
• Museo National de Costa Rica
• Catedral
• Museo de Banco de Costa Rica
• Internet
• Dinner

 

CR alguien te U.S.A.

 

A los arias no se les para. Gobierno carepicha!

 

Me duele la vida.

 

No al TLC (trato de libre comercio) El trato se eligio por el pueblo.

--Costa Rican graffiti

 

El que trabaja por la libertad y la Gloria no debe tener otra recompense que la Gloria y a la liberacion.

--Simon Bolivar

 

Another thing about Ticos, is that they call you “amor” when they disagree with you or have something unpleasant to tell you. Many of the other Central Americans dislike this as it thye put on a different face rather than being upfront with you.

 

Elogio de un inmigrante

Desde el fondo de los

Tiempos siempre hubo

Alguien ante que

Nosotros, alguien

A quien desplazamos,

Alguien que nos margin,

Alguien con quien luchamos y

Alguien con que al final nos confundimos.

--Victor Hugo Acuna, 1999

 

El futuro de Costa Rica es incierto. El panorama sombrio generado por el aumento de los problemas sociales y el cuestionamiento sobre la funccion social del Estado, no debe hacernos olvidar una de las principales lecciones de la historia: que la misma se construye con el accionar cotiando del todos los individuos, los cuales como sociedad siempre had luchado por forjar su propio destino.

--Museo Nacional de Costa Rica.

What a brave statement to put in a national museum.

 

February 14, 2009—Dia de San Valentin: Dia del amor y Amistad.

• Parque Sabana
• Bus Station
• 9:00 am leave San Jose
• 1:00 arrive Quepos
• Parque Manuel Antonio
• Quepos
• Groceries
• Post office
• Dinner

 

 

What a wonderful place Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio is. It has a bit of a jungle where you can see monkeys (squirrel, capuchin, spider), agoutis, morpho butterflies, sloths, lizards, iguanas, snakes, a fer de lance. And along side the park is a beautiful sandy beach to lay out on.

I walked through Manuel Antonio in flip flops through the forest floor. I wonder if it was such a smart thing to come here without boots and wander off from the established trail.

 

The only bad part of being here is that it is expensive--I paid $2.00 for a bag of Salvadoran corn nuts to snack on. I should have stayed in Quepos where there are more amenities, though where I am staying is quite nice: Hotel Plinio, nestled in the jungle.

 

What I have learned:

• Be embarrassed for God
• Stretch yourself
• Be open to others, talk to them, make conversations
• Be grateful, always
• Pray. Find time to be with God.

 

February 15, 2009

• Parque Manuel Antonio
• Catarratas
• Escondido
• Punta Catedral
• Quepos
• Dinner
• Hotel

 

February 16, 2009

• Manuel Antonio Beach
• Hotel
• Quepos
• Store
• Internet
• Dinner
• Hotel

 

La Ceiba

Arbol native de los tropicos del Nuevo y Viejo mundo. Notable por su altura hasta de 70 metros. Considerado sagrado en teimpos procolombianos. La ceiba simboliza: vida, perpetuidad, gradeza, bondad, belleza, fuerza, union.

 

I went out to the beach yesterday to lay out and relax. Though I put on sunblock I could only stand 15 minutes or so and in my mind I was thinking I was doing irreparable damage to my skin: causing my skin to age and laying the possibility for skin cancer. So I stayed in the shade and still got sun. I don´t understand how other sun worshippers who are so much lighter than I can stay out in the sun for hours...

 

I also made a mistake of going into the ocean with my walking shorts on. The surf put loads of sand into my many pockets. Sand is terrible for cell phones and digital cameras. So I spent the good part of 30 minutes in the shower washing out all the sand. What a pain.

 

Traveling alone

While traveling alone, there are a few times when I feel out of place. One was on Valentine’s day, though I was a bit tipsy. The tables were laid out romantically in red bouganvillias and red poppies, even though there were only three couples. The Ecuadoran girls I met at the Catarratas were surprised I was traveling alone. When I went swimming, it would have been nice to have someone to look out for my personal items as I took a dip. But being alone is not as bad as sharing the experience of the new lands and experience with someone.

 

I noticed my reaction to a US panhandler in Quepos. I was looking for a bank when he came up to me directly: “Are you from the US? Can I help you with something?”

I didn’t want someone following me to the ATM so I responded, “I’m looking for a pay phone to make a call.”
He asked, “Can I cand $.15 for colones as the pay phones don’t take US currency? (It was about ₵50)”

I was a bit confused and he asked again, “How much?”

“About ₵50, but I will take what you can give as I am looking for a bite to eat.”

I gave him ₵100 and then another ₵100. “Can I help you with your call?”

“No thank you. I have a ₵1000 prepaid phone card.”

“That will won’t last long.”

“that’s OK. I just want to say hello.”

         A while later I was at the public phone struggling to make an international call and using the prepaid card. The panhandler came up to me suddenly, “Did you make the call?”

I was slightly perturbed. “No, I haven’t. I called the card information number to get information.” I explained. He was eating an empanada and then he walked away.

The following day I saw him as I was walking to the ATM. He didn’t see me (or maybe he avoided me) But when he presented himself I was a bit annoyed. Apparently he came here for work and he was trying to scrape by by eating and getting back to the US. But my gut reaction was to scold him: What brought you here? Where is your family to get you back to the US? Why are you in are sort town and not in San Jose to talk to the US consulate to get some help? Where is your family to lend you money to get back? Judge, judge, judge….