Last night we drank (the cerveza pilsen costs approx. 400 colones) at the tourist bar of san pedro, here you can find expats, students, and horny costariccense men who will chat up the young women and buy them drinks. My mom bought a drink called guarana...it is the costa rican national drink and is brought to you in a shot glass with a accompanying glass of limonade. The waiter pours the two over a glass of ice and hovers closely with a toothy grin...he knows that americans tip (it is not the custom in costa rica) and expects fortune will smile on him. We drank with two students from the school, a world weary boy from philedelphia who was irratatingly pretentious and a sweet swiss girl who smoked all his ciggeretes and spoke softly.
The sun sets in costa rica quite early, 6:30 or so...the ticans do not practice day lights saving time so the days feel uncommenly short. At 6 we boarded the bus to Tres Rios..an old army-green schoolbus with seat covers ripped apart and leg space made for children. The drivers at 6 (rush hour) have helpers who scream out the destination of the bus to crowds waiting on the sidewalk. The traffic was awful and the sounds of honking and screeching tires drowned out the crooning ballads piped through the bus. The bus driver went off route to avoid a nasty buildup...and no passengers were fazed, costa ricans are aligned with the belief that fate is complete and unchangable and you see this manifested in every situation. It isnt complacency, it is acceptance.
At home our costariccense madre told us that it was her birthday..she threw an apron over her party dress and cooked us a quick meal of jucca frites (cut up pieces of fried vegetable..similar to fried potatoes) lentil soup, and salade..she then poured us some whiskey, ice and club soda..for the grande fiesta. Throughout our meal her family and friends arrived bearing gifts and salutations. These people were incredible animated and though it was difficult to understand them, it was fantastic to observe such a loving group of people. At times they would patiently attempt to describe a witty joke or family story to us and we would nod and smile and add our tiny scraps of learned spanish to the mix. Although we were alone in our own language, I felt very accepted and encouraged to be a part of the night. We drank the whiskey and felt content.
Tomorrow we are leaving on the 5 hour bus ride (2.50 american) to La Fortuna to marvel at the enormous strength that is nature..We will be sleeping in a hotel at the edge of a living breathing spewing volcano that trembles and roars at night.
Yesterday afternoon we went to the Mercado Central. A market crammed into a large windowless arena. Inside is is dark and rank and fresh and loud- and people call to you from cluttered booths to buy their wares. We saw many tokens of the saints molded from durable taiwainese plastic and bright glass stirring sticks to celebrate a girls quincienta...(her 15th year). There were women in printed dresses rimmed with lace selling a multitude of flowers...flowers like snap dragons and carnations pushed proudly to the front while birds of paradise and other local "weeds" filmed in dust were hidden in the corner. In the center of the Mercado were many resteraunts selling various unseemly gallo dishes...here in the heart of the mercado it stunk of carne and blood and cooking rice. Boys walk buy with pencil thin mustaches and hiss like snakes at the easy american women.
Tonight we are staying at a moderatly priced hotel in the barrio- San Pedro, the floor of our room is a grooved pine and the sheets are worn but clean. The bathroom is across the hall and the skinny old man speaks a broken english to tell us "americans' they speak through their teeth...to speak spanish you must open your mouth, open it wide and full".
Our bags are packed to leave the city..soon we will be in the costa rica that takes your breath away, far from gapped sidewalks and honking taxis..we will be in the land of virtue.
The sun sets in costa rica quite early, 6:30 or so...the ticans do not practice day lights saving time so the days feel uncommenly short. At 6 we boarded the bus to Tres Rios..an old army-green schoolbus with seat covers ripped apart and leg space made for children. The drivers at 6 (rush hour) have helpers who scream out the destination of the bus to crowds waiting on the sidewalk. The traffic was awful and the sounds of honking and screeching tires drowned out the crooning ballads piped through the bus. The bus driver went off route to avoid a nasty buildup...and no passengers were fazed, costa ricans are aligned with the belief that fate is complete and unchangable and you see this manifested in every situation. It isnt complacency, it is acceptance.
At home our costariccense madre told us that it was her birthday..she threw an apron over her party dress and cooked us a quick meal of jucca frites (cut up pieces of fried vegetable..similar to fried potatoes) lentil soup, and salade..she then poured us some whiskey, ice and club soda..for the grande fiesta. Throughout our meal her family and friends arrived bearing gifts and salutations. These people were incredible animated and though it was difficult to understand them, it was fantastic to observe such a loving group of people. At times they would patiently attempt to describe a witty joke or family story to us and we would nod and smile and add our tiny scraps of learned spanish to the mix. Although we were alone in our own language, I felt very accepted and encouraged to be a part of the night. We drank the whiskey and felt content.
Tomorrow we are leaving on the 5 hour bus ride (2.50 american) to La Fortuna to marvel at the enormous strength that is nature..We will be sleeping in a hotel at the edge of a living breathing spewing volcano that trembles and roars at night.
Yesterday afternoon we went to the Mercado Central. A market crammed into a large windowless arena. Inside is is dark and rank and fresh and loud- and people call to you from cluttered booths to buy their wares. We saw many tokens of the saints molded from durable taiwainese plastic and bright glass stirring sticks to celebrate a girls quincienta...(her 15th year). There were women in printed dresses rimmed with lace selling a multitude of flowers...flowers like snap dragons and carnations pushed proudly to the front while birds of paradise and other local "weeds" filmed in dust were hidden in the corner. In the center of the Mercado were many resteraunts selling various unseemly gallo dishes...here in the heart of the mercado it stunk of carne and blood and cooking rice. Boys walk buy with pencil thin mustaches and hiss like snakes at the easy american women.
Tonight we are staying at a moderatly priced hotel in the barrio- San Pedro, the floor of our room is a grooved pine and the sheets are worn but clean. The bathroom is across the hall and the skinny old man speaks a broken english to tell us "americans' they speak through their teeth...to speak spanish you must open your mouth, open it wide and full".
Our bags are packed to leave the city..soon we will be in the costa rica that takes your breath away, far from gapped sidewalks and honking taxis..we will be in the land of virtue.
VIEW 6 of 6 COMMENTS
I blew my knee out and I am on many pills
Hope you are having fun
Talk later