Sweaty with a Smile

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this is the post we've all been waiting for ...

"What the hell was I thinking? I love it here and I'm never going home!"

Today we shall subtitle: The Agony and the Ecstacy. I woke early at 5am because that's just what happens these days. I don't think I've had a night of sleep more than 5 hours since I left San Francisco. I wanted to make sure I caught the early bus so I wouldn't miss the ferry to the Nicoya peninsula.

The morning began with the taxi driver taking me to the wrong bus station where I stood in line for 15 minutes before I thought to ask a local if this was the right place to buy a ticket for Puntarenas.

{If I haven't yet mentioned this, I don't recommend anyone travelling to Costa Rica without some Spanish under their belt. So few locals know any English (even hotel owners) despite the fact that the economy here is supported heavily by tourism. It is truly frustrating to do anything here as the Spanish I once knew is slow to return and meanwhile everything is as clear to me as Arabic or Chinese. Fortunately today was a good day for language as I somehow regained words and conjugations in leaps and bounds}

As luck would have it, I managed to get another Taxi to the bus station that had buses for Puntarenas. I made the 7am bus with a minute to spare. {Surprise of the day: Public transportation leaves on time here ... for the most part}.

The 2 hour bus ride was uneventful ... if uneventful means a large over-packed bus careening around narrow mountain roads with oncoming traffic and no guardrails. I managed to have an erratic conversation with the woman in the seat next to me though I couldn't tell you what we talked about. Today I relearned the art of nodding and smiling when you have no idea what the other person said, mixed with a small chuckle for good measure.

When I arrived in Puntarenas it was sweltering. Like crawl-out-of-your-skin hot. I ran into Adam and Liam from the hostel in San Jose who were on their way to Mal Pais for 7 weeks of surfing. We passed the time drinking Orange Fantas, talking about Costa Rican culture (i.e. making up stories for all the people milling about) and hiding in the shade. Oh, and the town smells like sewage. Fun fun!

We then embarked on the 1.5 hour ferry ride to the peninsula complaining about the heat the entire way. Fortuntately for us, the ferry sells beer. Mmmmmmm, ice cold beer.

On the other side, we went our seperate ways. They chose to spend $35 dollars each for a taxi across the peninsula whereas I opted for the $2 public bus where I learned the meaning of the phrase ¨packed in like sardines¨. Can we say hot? I mean, when even the locals are complaining about the heat, you know you are in for some trouble.

I again managed to have a disjoined conversation with the two women next to me on the bus. I was remarking about how I like that all the Costa Ricans are attractive people mainly because they are full of life and smiles. Of course, in Spanish I said something more like, Ï like you alot. Costa Ricans. No sad. Large smiles. Big life.¨ But, y´know, I got the point across. Whatever.

But then ... then, I tell you ... I received the golden ticket. I arrived in Montezuma after 7 hours of dreadful travel and though it is hardly off-the-beaten-path, it is a lovely little paradise on the coast and I will now call it home for the next 3-13 days. I found a room on the beach with hammocks and exotic birds just outside my window and fell in love with that which is not San Jose. So, to consecrate my love, I promptly lathered myself up and headed for the sand where I spent the next two hours bathing in hot, sweaty glory.

Motezuma is a small village which is honestly less than a quarter mile long and only a block deep. Nestled into some mountains, it is a mecca for backpackers, hippies and other roust-a-bouts. So far, I like it. And even though it is full with travelers, it doesn´t feel crowded.

I am quickly losing my interest in trying to write all this as it is 8pm and its prime time to be sitting on the beach in front of my room in shorts and a t-shirt. Jealous? You should be. Soon I will tell you all about the waterfalls, the beaches and the wildlife preserve at the end of the peninsula!

Sorry!

(Not.)