Do you know the way to San Jose?

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Sadly, the time had come to say our goodbyes. Saturday morning came, the day I'd be traveling back to San Jose, on a bus, for 8 hours...alone. Neil's 3 week trip had ended too, but he wasnt coming back with me. He was off to go diving somewhere, and more adventures for him!

This was the only part of the trip I was nervous about. So many people asked if I was nervous traveling alone. No, no I wasnt. Only traveling from Panama back to CR not speaking the language....well, I was nervous. Plus I worried there would be some hassel at the border. Luckily, there wasnt.

The trip went like this....I said goodbye to Shen and Neil. Erick and I loaded into a boat, along w/ a driver and we made the 45 min boat journey down the river back to mainland. Once there, I waited about half an hour, met a random German guy named Michael who was living in Panama doing volunteer work for 8 months. I have to say....the guy told me he knew NO spanish prior to his trip, he had been in Panama since Nov....and now....March....he learned quite a bit! I was jealous! I spent my entire life living along the border of Mexico and what have I picked up? Really just "No abla espaniol" Sad....

I met so many people along the way who have inspired me to learn more spanish, even if its just a couple of phrases at a time. Plus the German guy Michael, obviously knew German....and English (because he was talking to me) so he was fluent in 3 languages!! I wish American schools MADE children learn more foreign languages at an earlier age. For me, it wasnt required until sophomore year of high school and by then, I was 15, stubborn and didnt want to "learn" anything. I had a "Everybody should learn english" mentality. Thankfully, I've gotten away from that and think of myself as more cultured and would like to learn!!

Anyway....Im off topic. Erick, Michael, myself and a driver got into a jeep like .... jeep and drove off to the bus station. My bus was supposed to leave at 10:00.....well....we stood outside for a while and I asked Erick if I'd miss the bus. He said "nah, buses here never run on time" ok, then.

Well, we were all in the jeep driving down the road when opposite of us we saw a huge bus...."SAN JOSE" it read.....i.e. MY bus. Dumb me wasnt paying attention. Erick and the driver spoke in Spanish, the jeep abruptly pulled onto the shoulder of the road and Erick said "thats your bus!" Me....I just confusedly asked "whaaaat?" then I added "you mean the one you said I wouldnt miss?" lol, I was trying to be funny. Not sure if he heard me.

Well, Erick runs into the middle of the street, flags the bus down and the doors open. I ask a stupid question "do I give the driver money" even though a few days ago I had bought a bus TICKET already. My ride was PAID for. Im such a dork sometimes. Well I turn to say to Erick "it was great meeting you..."etc etc. the goodbyes "Im coming with you" he said. I was confused. I thought this was the point he was dumping me off?

No....he rode w/ me until the border....helped me with that. Neil had said that entering costa rica they ask for your flight info LEAVING their country....which....I had lost....so I was nervous. But customs didnt ask anything of the sort. They just stamped my passport and said "Welcome back to Costa Rica" lol...just kidding. They probably mumbled something like "next" and then I was shoved out of there for the next patron.

Well....here was our goodbyes. I said bye to Erick, he had been wonderful....and patient with us. I would probably get annoyed having to walk tourists and volunteers through the whole custom process...lol. I wish I was more patient w/ people.

And so....I spent the next 7 or so hours on a bus.... it wasnt full so I had two seats to myself. There was no AC but all the windows were opened so it was increadibly cool and relaxing....I also realized that there were ALOT of Americans and Europeans on the bus. More so than any Latinos. On the bus ride down I was able to sleep nearly the whole way....well this time I couldnt sleep at all. I read somewhat, but mainly listened to my ipod and....texted. I would come to regret this once I got my cell phone bill but that is another story....(word to the wise...NEVER use your cell phone abroad!!!!!!!!! Not even to text!!! I got raped w/ charges)

I took pictures out the window, as you can see....some of the most beautiful country side I have ever seen or ever will see. Truly beautiful. Made me feel very sad to be leaving the next day. So much I havent seen yet.

Anyway.....the bus was supposed to drop us off at the bus station. For unknown reasons.....the bus just pulled over on a busy street and let everyone out....here was another part I was nervous about...the taxi ride back to the hostel. Why? Well....I didnt have any cash on me, and again, the language problem....well I got a taxi....he spoke to me in broken english and I spoke in my poor spanish, but together we figured it out! I had to ask him to take me to a bank so I could pay....the currency I decide to get out is Colones. I should have gotten out USD because when I got out of the taxi he gave me my total in USD. Well, I tried asking him what the total was in colones....he didnt understand. Some passerby that was walking by the hostel was nearby and the driver motioned for him to come here....he spoke english AND spanish and so he translated....and it turns out....I didnt have enough colones....I had to ask him to ask the driver to go BACK to the ATM so I could get out more money....embarassing. And since I already took out colones, I took out MORE colones. TO be honest, I have no idea the exchange rate, or what a colones to a dollar is.... i gave the driver a tip, but when I think about it, I think I tipped him the same as I paid for the ride...so I gave him ALOT more than I meant to....

Anyway....back in hostel....I wanted to explore the city on my own since it was my last day. I changed out of my sweaty clothes and walked out of the hostel and into the city to find food and hopefully suveniers for people. It was early evening, 6-ish. There was a concert going on across the street, live music. The streets bustled with people. Tourists, locals....people selling things. I could smell food on every street corner. Traffic was congested and horns were honking. And I was.....alone.

I kept thinking to myself "I am walking through the streets of San Jose alone!" It was exciting to me. No one knew I was a tourist, or didnt speak spanish or was a nervous foreigner. I tried to add confidence to my walk. Act like "one of them" I stopped at a few shops, always adding "buenas noches" before browsing around. Then even a cheerful "como esta?" Although....I'm a white girl so I am pretty sure I sounded nothing like a local.

Sadly....nothing appealed to me. But I kept walking. The hustle and bustle of the streets gave me an instant jolt, or high. Gave me the kind of excitement I have only felt a few times in my life. The first time being in paris when I was 16 when everything was so foreign, so new, so different, so.....unlike home. I felt it all over again being in the streets of San Jose.

Pretty soon I gave into my hunger. I settled into a chicken place and....ordered in Spanish! Well...sorta. The lady in the resturant didnt speak any english, which I was glad because then that would force me to use what little spanish I know instead of making it easy for me to resort back to my native tongue.

Before long I was ready to head back to the hostel and turn in. I was dead tired. By now, dusk has faded into night. Streets were still full of people, only now....do I remember how to get back to my hostel? I entertained myself w/ thoughts of "No one even knows where I am! Not one person on this planet knows where I am!" It felt sort of exciting to think I was so far away from my "normal life"

Back to hostel where I met my new room mates. Nice girls, one from Canada and two blondes from Sweeden....ugh, I wish I was blonde and hot and foreign!!! lol, Im such a plain jane. They were two nice sisters backpacking though Latin America.....gosh, I really need to do this! it is my dream to backpack somewhere!

Anyway, the next day I had some time to kill, walked around the park in San Jose, gave a 100 colones coin to a homeless man.....took a taxi to the airport and flew back home to Orlando....

where currently, I am dreaming up my next trip!!

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Photos

taken on the drive
back to CR

good pic
good pic for it being out the bus window!

beautiful
CR has some of the prettiest scenery!

Colones
I have no idea what this is in USD

Costa Rica
Costa Rica side of the border

zoomed in
a closer up pic of the unique bridge

on the bridge
take from the bridge on the rickety bridge

fav
this is one of my favorite photos that I took that day.....and it was out the bus window! its hard to get a decent pic out the window of a moving vehicle

Erick
Last morning I was in Panama =(

pretty ocean
after looking at the brown river for days....ive forgotten how pretty blue ocean is!

beach
I wanted to be out there sunbathing so badly and NOT in a hot bus!