Costa Rica Ch. 2
Trip Start
Aug 16, 2005
1
3
43
Trip End
May 02, 2006
San Jose, Costa Rica,
Costa Rica
Friday, August 26, 2005
I have mainly spent my time here in Costa Rica seeing friends and family which is wonderful, unlike past trips here, my main goal was just that, to spend time with people I don't see often. I'm glad I was able to take one small trip to the beach. Goodness sakes, without it I think I could lose my sanity here. The city is just too much, like cities anywhere I suppose. Only serves to further prove my DISLIKE of cities in general.
As I explained recently, Costa Rica is changing rapidly and unfortunately, not for the better it seems. I have asked people here if they feel the change as dramatically as I do since they live here, I wondered if it was as obvious to them. And the general consensus seems to be, yes. Costa Rica is a small country, I believe the population is right around 4 million give or take some, but the number of people with cars grows every day and the streets are just not built to support this growth. Worse even is the way people drive. All of Latin America I think is notorious for dangerous road conditions, bad drivers and such, but people here seem excessively impatient to me, angry, almost violent. I don't understand it. This is such a beautiful place. It's such a shame really. Well, I don't mean to dwell on the negative but this point has just been very vivid to me this visit around.
I will leave for Lima, Peru early Monday morning of the 29th and arrive there in the early afternoon. I am really looking forward to it.
Abuelo and Me
I will certainly miss some of the comforts I have enjoyed here, free wonderful food daily, the company of my family, free laundry (though much more primitive than we're used to in the states, no dryer, course no need for 'em really, the sun does a beautiful job and the clothes smell so good!), and my own room and privacy. I will not have any of these "luxuries" for some time once I leave Costa Rica and I'm sure it will be an adjustment but I welcome it.I am so excited to visit the ancient ruins of Macchu Picchu and the city of Cuzco. I have heard so many wonderful things. I expect to be moved and amazed. Also looks like I should prepare for some pretty cold weather. Cuzco is at a pretty high elevation and I'm told the nights are cold. I'll probably have to buy some cold weather clothes for my stay there. Not much room left in the backpack, however, I'm afraid! Man, that thing was jam packed when I left KC. And I really wasn't being a girl about packing either. I swear! Bare essentials folks!
One of the visits I particularly enjoyed was with an old friend Laura Fernandez and her family. Our families were pretty close and Wes and her younger brother Edgar of the same age were best friends. Hadn't seen her or her family in 10 years! Was so much fun to reminisce and laugh about old times. It is touching how much people remember about us Stanleys, the little details, makes me feel like perhaps we were missed as much when we left as we missed all that we left behind. The Fernandez have a beautiful home in Escazú and another home on a farm in place called San Jose de la Montaña which is in Heredia, where I used to live. Drove up to this old house today on their property. The house was built in 1870 and is just beautiful. There is a natural spring on the property which provides the water for the house, you can simply bend down and drink it straight from the mountain, as pure and cold as an Aquafina back home! Georgeous wild flowers, their own little greenhouse, just beautiful and the freshest, cleanest air you could breathe. It's THAT Costa Rica that I could live in and never need anything else I think.
Well, tomorrow is my last day here in Tiquisia. This will likely be my last entry for a while before I have stories to tell from Perú. ¡Hasta Luego!
