Still stuck in Central America

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Right... New update. In Costa Rica now for those who didn't know that. Been here for about a month and a half now. Was really tired of Mexico, partly because it was low season and I didn't get too much work, which meant not enough money and too much time being idle, which again meant spending too much time at my favourite waterhole, Bar Ranita. I also got a bit tired of the diving and working, especially since the guy I worked for was a bit too interested in making money, not making sure that the courses were done as best as possible. I would however recommend doing a few dives there if you're in the neighbourhood, especially doing some cenote dives, diving in freshwater caves in the jungle. Nothing like diving in crystal clear water seing stalagtites, stalagmites and fossils. Not recommended for claustrophopics, though.

Anyways, like I said, a bit tired of Mexico, so after some chatting to Kelley, a friend of mine who lives in Costa Rica, I decided to head down there, not really sure about what to expect, what to do or how long I would stay there. But then she got me a job at her parents' diveshop in a place called Playa Hermosa. She also let me live in her house, which was nice, so I didn't need to worry about finding a place to live. When I moved in we were three people living there (plus a dog). It is a two bedroom house, so I am sleeping on a mattress in the livingroom. Since then another guy has moved in, so now we are three guys, one girl, a dog and occasionally a cat. Cheap rent, though, only about 50 dollars a month, so I am actually able to save some money.

Diving here is great, visibility is so-so, but there is loads of marine life. Some of the stuff we regularly see is: white-tip reef sharks, spotted eagle rays, octopus, scorpionfish, various kinds of moray eels, turtles, etc. My biggest problem here is really the lack of a social circle. Since this is a fairly small place (and not a huge tourist destination) and most locals don't speak much English and some of those who do prefer to speak Spanish, getting to know people can be hard. It also doesn't help that I live almost a mile away from the town centre and I don't have a bike or a phone, so it is a challenge keeping in touch with people.

At the moment I am planning to leave Costa Rica. I've been trying to get a working visa for Australia, but it seems to be difficult to get one, the latest news is that I need to get a chest x-ray in San Jose in order for them to process it and the consultation and x-ray costs about 130 dollars, so I am about to give up on the whole Australia thing. If it doesn't work out I might head to Spain, Greece, the Red Sea or maybe Africa instead. I am only working until the middle of July at the dive shop, so by then I need to have sorted out something... Anyway, I will keep you guys updated on where I go and what I'm doing. Adios

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