Hola companeros,
Ya estoy acqi! I am here! Yes, Mom & Dad, I am safe. The flight into San Jose was straight forward and I had plenty of opportunities to marvel at southeners while on my layover in Charlotte. Flying over the Gulf of Mexico was beautiful and the entry into Costa Rica was gorgeous. Its a country filled with mountains, volcanoes and rich lush forests of eucaplyptus. Sooo pretty!!! Upon arrival at San Jose airport, I started to wonder if I was in the right place - the entire aiport was filled with Americans and I had to search hard to find faces that looked like they might be local. I suddenly understood why people refer to this place as ´little America´.
The taxi trip to the hotel was straightforward and the cab driver offered to be my ´personal´ guide when I get back. Alas...I had somehow forgotten this part of being a gringa while travelling down here. Needless to say, I will not be taking him up on his offer but he did tell me all about some good places to check out. My hotel is a cute center run by the Quakers that also serves as a peace center and is conveniently located right beside the Court building. On my way to go buy my bus ticket to Nicaragua, the taxi driver on the way back tried to charge me $20 for a trip that should have cost $3. It was my own fault - I didn´t ask how much before I got in (since I knew how much it had been on the way there 15 minutes earlier) and then made the mistake of telling him I had only been in the country a few hours. Total novice move. I managed to get into a good argument with him and we eventually split the difference. Jerk. Alas...I had somehow forgotten this part too of being a stupid tourist. Hmpf!
Off to Nicaragua today - 8 hours in a bus watching the Costa Rican countryside roll by. I am so excited!!! I will touch base from Granada when I arrive! I love you all - besos y abrazos!
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