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Published: June 20th 2017
Geo: 10.0704, -84.5041
We've awakened to a clear and beautifully blue sky. So pretty!
We need to get on the move because in Costa Rica's rainy season (June-December) the rains are usually in the early morning, breaking in the early afternoon, start again in the late afternoon and end in early evening. No, we aren't normally so concerned with the weather, but this trip will be the first time we've rented a car in Costa Rica. The roads here are mostly okay, in the urban areas anyway, but the people drive like maniacs - seriously. Seriously.
We need to have breakfast, take the shuttle back to the airport to pick up the rental car and drive back to the hotel to get our stuff and check-out. Today we drive to San Ramon.
Fortified with coffee and a very good free breakfast at the Holiday Inn Express which included the Tico special "gallo pinto" (a dish of beans and rice which translates as 'spotted rooster' for whatever reason), we've made our way to the Budget car rental facility. Between their English and my Spanish, (and their English is MUCH MUCH better than my Spanish) we get our vehicle. It is a 4-wheel drive manual
transmission Diahatsu Trios.
Before leaving the States we had verified our car insurance coverage with our insurance agent and one of our credit cards; in addition to those, there is mandatory Costa Rican insurance you must buy. Jeff and I were talking about the mandatory insurance and thinking that if someone hadn't done their research beforehand they would think they were being ripped off. It would be tough to be one of the guys behind the counter telling some suspicious American that, "Yes, we DO have to put a $4,000 hold on your credit card." Once all the paperwork is done, the fellow explains to us where different stuff in the car is located - including the first aid kit. I'm starting to wish I'd brought my bike helmet. Turns out what he really meant was the car's emergency kit...a reflective vest, reflective triangles, the jack and stuff like that. Whew. I was fine until he reviewed with us again the two numbers to phone "when" we have an accident. Enough!
I am proud to say that we safely negotiated our way back to the hotel!
Oh, I haven't really shared our vacation plans with you, have I? Well, this
first week we are staying in a small one bedroom apartment in San Ramon about 45 minutes outside of San Jose. Next week we will be in Heredia, a suburb of San Jose. We found both places through VRBO (Vacation Rentals By Owner). This week is the only week we'll have the car.
We are hoping to meet some expats (ex-patriots - folks who have relocated, long-term temporarily or permanently, from the US to Costa Rica.) This area, the Central Valley, is popular with expats because of its very temperate climate and lack of crime. Costa Rica is popular with Americans, in general, for many reasons: English is widely spoken, ATMs give you the choice of US dollars or colones, the wildlife, beaches, flora and fauna are amazing.
We'll also do some cool tourist stuff!
We have arranged to meet Ana and Norm, the caretakers of our apartment in San Ramon, at the plaza outside town. It is funny how you imagine something and reality is so different. For example, I imagined the plaza as an outdoor square - a park with trees, small shops around the perimeter, elderly men sitting on benches watching the gringos (us). But the plaza is a large mall - a real mall - with cinemas, a Burger King, Taco Bell, KFC and a bunch of stores! While we waited for Ana and Norm, I found two more (different) bank ATM machines and, still, no colones for me! Now it is weird because one of the machines said I had exceeded my daily withdrawal limit. Ummmm, I don't think so...not in any currency!
When Ana and Norm arrive, we follow them to our apartment. We stopped at a small convenience store (pulperia) so they could buy toilet paper for us. The apartment is actually the ground floor of a 3-level house. A finished, ground level apartment - with an awesome view!
They surprise us with gifts of a pineapple, a large papaya, bananas and these colorful red spiky fruits - which I simply cannot remember the name of. I remember eating something very similar in China with my brother John years ago. Do you know what they are? If so, be the first person with the correct answer and I'll bring you a little prize from Costa Rica!
It hasn't rained at all today. Ana and Norm are really nice and show us everything we need to know about the apartment. They are super excited that we can see the wonderful view - the daily afternoon clouds haven't rolled in yet which is very unusual. We can see all the way to Puntaneras and the Nicoya Peninsula - there is the Pacific Ocean.
Ana is a real estate agent and has offered to show us around the area sometime this week. We hope to take her up on that offer. They leave us to unpack and get settled in.
First, though, we need to get to a grocery store. We want to drive into San Ramon while it is still light and not raining. We rally our courage and head into downtown Ramon. We do find a grocery store and I had to laugh when I saw Jeff clutching a box of Corn Flakes because it was the only thing he recognized! Not really, but it was kind of overwhelming with everything in Spanish and it seemed to be a "stock up" kind of store as Jeff's Corn Flakes were wrapped together with a box of Fruit Loops.
And fruit loopy this adventure became! I went into the produce area and chose two of the biggest damn carrots I've ever seen in my life, and then picked out a head of leaf lettuce. The produce guy started jabbering away at me very fast and he put another head of lettuce in my cart. "No, gracias," I said "uno solo y no hablo espanol." ("just one, and I don't speak Spanish"😉. I put it back, HE put it into my cart again. What the ?? Then he disappeared. And suddenly reappeared with a young man in tow, "Hello," said the young guy, "I speak English, may I help you?"
"I think I'm okay, but he keeps trying to give me lettuce!" He replied politely, " If you buy one head, you get another for free." Ooohhhh! I really need to learn Spanish. The older man beamed at me and I thanked him. Then the young guy showed us that we bag the produce we want and give it to this other man who weighs it and writes the price on a tiny sticky and puts it on the bag. So I swallowed my pride and asked "Where is the bread?" which I can say perfectly well in Spanish, but am now feeling like the world's biggest gringo.
Jeff and I checkout just as the live DJ is starting to play (loud) at the front of the store! OMG. What an experience THAT was! We deliver our groceries to the car and drive home to Las Terrazas.
Before leaving the States we had arranged international coverage for my phone, but it isn't working so not only can I not call Verizon to bark at them, but I can't call my bank to set them straight. Oh, the best laid plans...
One plan that worked quite well, however, is dinner. I brought enough red lentils, rice and spices from home to make one of our favorite soups for dinner. I knew we'd be tired and maybe a little discombobulated and thought the soup would be a nice treat. I also made a ginormous salad with one head of lettuce (good thing I got two, eh?) and 1/3 of one of the biggest carrots in the world. Very tasty.
The rain has started...and it is time for bed.
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Robin Gard
non-member comment
Is the fruit rambutan?