Not really a bad place to be stuck in but I wanted to head further down the coast however everywhere seems to be booked up due to the holidays. So, I managed to extend my stay here until New Year's Eve and then I've got to leave as they have reservations. So ... I had a cunning plan, if everyone is going to the beach for New Year that must mean that the capital (San Jose) should be ok for hostel bookings .... yay, just had confirmation through that I'm booked in on New Year's Eve ! I had to be in San Jose on 6th Jan anyway so I'm just going to see a bit of it before I move in with "my new family". Hmm .... have to hang around on a gorgeous Pacific beach for a few more days, what a bummer man.
I am now fully recovered from my food poisoning and have got my strength back (I wasted 2 days without going on a boogie board, they are so much fun !!).
Here's a killer ....Over the past few months I've managed to keep rotating my book supply by using book exchanges which are fairly common anywhere there is some gringo with a backpack. Usually the deal is 2 for 1, you take in 2 used books and get one back. Or alternatively you just buy a book (all second hand) if you don't have any to exchange. Here in Samara I found a small selection of "second hand books" for sale, I didn't exchange, I just bought one. I have 3 books in my possession that I have read so I've just been down there and asked if they exchange, no, they only sell. So then I asked if I could sell them my books to buy others. No, we only SELL second hand books. Err..... how do you GET the second books to sell ?? I'm a bit confused and I have to go back in a bit so she can ask her boss if they can buy second hand books from me to sell in their second hand book section .... Is it just me or .... ??!!
My opinion of Costa Rica so far hasn't really changed from when I first arrived. In fact when I got the boat from San Carlos (Nicaragua) one of the first things I noticed was a woman (Costa Rican or Tica as they are called, Ticos and Ticas) had been over the border and was going home with a booty of clothes, beauty products and alcohol that she had bought in Nicaragua much cheaper obviously than here in CR. The Latin American version of a booze cruise I suppose. I accept that so far I've only done La Fortuna, Santa Elena and Samara so I shouldn't judge .... it's like a tourist visiting England and judging it on Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge and Harrods. But, this does not feel at all like Central America should feel, it doesn't feel like Central America. It feels like the USA but they speak Spanish (when I can convince them to).
Yesterday I did a 10 minute "awesome" count on the beach, how many times would I hear the word in 10 minutes ....
Even the Ticos don't feel or appear Central American to me !! Mobile phones to ears, US style clothing, chewing gum, driving 4 x 4's .... I suppose from their perspective the all mighty dollar has improved their life. I suppose from my perspective I'm just grumbling because this isn't a whole different experience (apart from, sun, heat, ocean, beach, language) from back home and that's what I'm out here for. Maybe once I get to San Jose and once I'm living with my new family that will help, I can ask them where the REAL Costa Rica is !
In the meantime I will continue to view this particular time as a holiday, enjoy the beach, enjoy the ocean and enjoy the sun !
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