Day 1: Do you know the way to San Jose? I do!

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Life should be full of experiences. Some will arise from the opportunity to visit exotic places. Others from meeting extraordinary people or participating in unusual activities. But it shouldn't be forgotten that there are other such experiences closer to home. Travelling through the capital city at 03h30 on a Tuesday morning is one such experience. It's interesting to see the bare city devoid of hustle and bustle and without the traffic. It is, after all, a glimpse of the real city.

And so, instead of arriving at Heathrow three hours before my flight as advised, I was heading through the eerie, mist enveloped neon lit city as though it were a ghost town portrayed in some disaster movie, towards the airport where I'd be arriving some 2½ hours before check-in. I'm not sure why I really bothered - nothing was open and, being the third person in a deserted terminal building, waited almost an hour before being permitted to exchange my bulging rucksack for a boarding card. I didn't even get a prize for being the first person into Departures, the first person through passport control (which was closed!), the first person through security or even the first person to sit in the lounge waiting for the coffee bars to open!

I don't know anything about Heathrow's Customer Service Policy, suffice to say that there probably isn't one. There was only one coffee shop open at 05h00; this was only serving tea as both coffee machines were broken! The proper coffee shop was also shut, although they were serving breakfast to their own staff whilst we, the passengers, simply sat, devoid of drink and food, waiting for the flight to Madrid to be called - and in-flight food!

Spain or Hungry?

The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain, or is that the plane? I don't suppose Rex Harrison had been anywhere near Spain when he uttered those words but I can vouch, forget Sunny Spain - it's cold and it's raining.

We almost didn't leave Heathrow and I had fears over a repeat of my trip to Namibia in which I missed the connection due to problems with the plane. Repeated banging from the hold caused us to go back to stand though the cause couldn't be found. If you ask me, it was probably someone trapped inside! The pilot, convinced of the plane's safety, taxied in the rain and we took off into the beautiful blue sunshine apparently hovering over the snowy fields that were clouds. Shortly before the food was served, I realised that food was an optional extra - so still nothing eat. Instead, I opted for a sleep.

The remainder of the flight was bumpy and the descent into Madrid more like a ride on a roller-coaster! However, the landing was flawless and we taxied to what would be a disembarkation fiasco. We were asked to use both the front and rear doors on the plane. Nothing wrong with that, you may think, apart from the fact that the exits went to completely different places - mainland Spain at the front or connecting flights at the rear. Pandemonium broke out as the aisle, suitable for single file traffic now became a snarl-up as those at the front tried to move to the back and those at the back tried to move to the front. I was already seated three rows from the back (plane's tend not to reverse into anything and the tail section is almost always found intact!) and so had the most wonderful display of the passionate Latin character coming to the fore.

Later, in the terminal, after having found a delayed breakfast of Starbucks coffee (like water), chicken roll (I think) and chocolate biscuit, it was time to find the flight to South America.

Bored on Board

Waiting the terminal, I could have been in any airport in the world. It doesn't matter whether it was designed by Norman Foster for Norman Fowler, by the time the signs, posters, seats, shops, etc., have gone in, they all look the same! The only difference was that here, the announcements where in Spanish.

We were called some 30 minutes before take-off, row 24 to 37, first. This didn't stop the ensuing scrum attempt to sneak passed when they were in row 15! As I was in row 20, I had a little bit of as wait, but eventually made my way on board to my aisle seat.

Travel is a great leveller and a fantastic way to meet people. Seated next to a German, I was surrounded by Dutch, Swiss, French, Spanish, Costa Rican and others. It was interesting to listen to the various languages and sneak a peak at the different newspapers!

However, there was a 12½ hour flight ahead and no entertainment. Thankfully, I'd got 24 hours of jazz on the iPod, enough Japanese puzzles to satisfy me and hopefully plenty of food being served to keep me happy!

The meals proved surprising pleasant although I have definitely been spoilt by travelling Singapore Air and Emirates where there is plenty of personal on-board entertainment available. Despite the fact that we'd be flying in daylight the whole way, I'm afraid to say that I switched on the iPod and dozed almost the entire way, only waking for food and drink!

We headed off across the Atlantic towards New York before turning south west where, almost half a bottle of red wine later, we crossed the South American coast near Aruba. The weather is far different to that in Spain and there were stunning views of the sandy beaches lapped by the blue Caribbean Sea. And finally, after some 5700 miles travelling from Spain, we finally came in to land in San Jose, Costa Rica.

Deja Vu - Another evening meal!

For the first time ever, in my experience, we disembarked and found ourselves in San Jose Airport's Departure Lounge! It was most odd to be met by a sea of faces before going through Passport Control, which, incidently, was completely painless and very quick! It took a little while for my luggage to arrive in the confines of the baggage area but then, I was the second or third person to check in. Finally, rucksack on back, I headed into the unknown that was the hot and sticky Costa Rican night.

There's currently four of us on the trip - a couple from Sheffield and my new room mate, from Essex. We're advised that tomorrow, five others will join. However, in the comfort of our hotel for the next two nights, we're all getting cleaned up with a view to hitting the night spots - OK, I admit it, with a view to getting something to eat and drink - our third evening meal of the day!

From the outside, the hotel looks nothing special. Once through the security gate though, the inside is another story with polished solid wood everywhere. Our room isn't big, enough for two single beds and a bathroom, but it's functional. An hour later, all four of us head of into the hot night air looking for something to eat.

There's little to see as we walk down the main street. The usual suspects are there - KFC, MacDonalds, pizza parlours, Chinese restaurants - and we even saw a Costa Rican restaurant! So, after finding a local restaurant and dining on re-fried beans, strips of beef and local beer we all retired to the hotel ready for our first exciting day.

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Photos

View across San Jose
Taken from the National Museum, tonight's restuarant is in the foreground and the hotel in the midground.