Out and about in San Jose

---

I arrived in San Jose more than a week ago. My first several days were spent with a limited amount of travel. Then three days before Christmas I went to the Walmart with a friend. I walked through that store thinking that it looked so similar to most of the Walmarts I have seen in my lifetime. The place was packed also like most Walmarts I've been to. We took the bus back and settled in to the hostel.



Then on friday night I went with two other people from the hostel to the big mall in Escazu. The guy at the front desk said that it was close so since there were three of us we figured a taxi wouldn't be that bad three ways. So we hoped in a cab and he drove us. Throughout the whole trip we were all staring at the meter as it slowly but surely crept up. It hit 5 dollars and we were like well are we close? Then at 10 dollars we were like now what are we gonna do? We were too far in to give up now but still frightened by the ever growing fee. Finally just as we hit 12 dollars we arrived at the mall as we were pulling in I saw the same bus that had taken me to Walmart leaving the mall cost 60 cents. We went into the mall and bought our tickets to MI4. We then walked around the mall before seeing the movie. Looking at the cinemas fare I decided on nachos. The picture had jalapenos on it and anyone that knows me knows absolutely no jalapenos. So I asked the guy could I have my nachos jalapeno free. He shrugged and informed me that the cheese came pre-jalapenoed. I asked if he would let me taste test it. He did and I decided that the peppery heat was not deadly but I did order a larger soda then I had originally intended. We saw the movie and headed to the bus stop not willing to pay 12 bucks again. (since the traffic was worse it was actually possible that it would be higher)

Just as we reached the bus stop the bus we needed pulled in and we hopped on it. It headed down the street and as we approached the highway I prayed that it would turn right the way back to San Jose but unfortunately it did not as it made a bee line for Santa Ana. I turned around swiftly and informed my fellow travelers that though we were on the right bus we were going in the wrong direction. We had to wait like another twenty minutes till we were off the autopista to be in a spot that allowed us to cross the street without navigating 8 lanes of traffic. We finally caught a bus going in the right direction and managed in the dark to return to our hostel.

On Christmas day I made the decision to go to Walmart and look for clothes. On my way there I stopped in a lingerie store and inquired as to the availability of my bra size.. The lady that was working there told me very snootily that she did not. I took her bad attitude kinda personally. I then entered the Walmart and entered the woman's clothing department where after several minutes of searching I was informed that there largest size was a ten. Foiled again I bought some candy and iced tea before heading back to my hostel.

Today there was a parade down the main road to downtown San Jose and as I wanted to see a movie and maybe finally buy some clothes. The guy at the front desk told me how to get to the new bus stop. The only problem was that that involved crossing the parade route which I could not do. I started walking up the street hoping I could find a place to cross it. It was a parade on horseback with the required number of drunks. I actually saw a man buy a plastic stool put his beer under it as he settled himself into it. He had just gotten himself into it when I heard a really loud crack as the chair shattered and he landed on his beer crushing it. I also bought the least cowboyish cowboy hat ever made. I finally reached the end of the road (a little over a mile) and then I realized that I would have to walk the next eight blocks too. On the way I stopped in another lingerie store and received the same dismal treatment. This time I chalked it up to small chested self loathing then anything to actually do with me. I reached my bus stop hopped on and arrived at the mall. I spied a chain store that I had had luck in before and headed in actually finding reasonably priced clothes that fit. I then entered the mall making a beeline for the movie theater. I was online to buy a ticket when I noticed that the movie was at 530 not 330 so I left the mall. I saw a lady doing hair braids with thread on the street so I got one before catching the bus praying that the parade would be over. Alas it was not so I walked the 2 miles back. It wasn't till I sat and then tried to get up again did I realize that I could not walk.

So that is my fun time so far in San Jose.

---