Today was an adventure, as I had to make decisions about where to stay while attending the Spanish classes next week. The host hotel offered a discount but the only room available was regularly $90 per day and even with the discount, I decided it was better to stay here in the Hostel Pangea and arranged for Whilbirth, the taxi driver, to come pick me up every morning and bring me back every afternoon. Even at $16 per day for the taxi, I’m saving a huge amount, but I do have to get up earlier.
I’m amazed at how easy Spanish is coming to me and look forward to being able to speak better and then start traveling other areas. I’ve done well so far with my limited knowledge of the language and was able to order lunch, find directions, and even enjoy the afternoon at the Mercado de Centrale, fundar 1880 (that’s Central Market, founded in 1880). If you want fresh food you can get it there, including live chickens. It was a fun experience.
My walking tour of the down town area of San Jose was fun. The city is arrayed with a series of public parks (parque publico) every few blocks, which serve as gathering places for the Ticos. They are very lively spaces. The architecture of the city is varied, but the buildings I enjoyed today were all built in the 30’s and 40’s with a mix of colonial and art deco styles. There are several buildings that I found that I liked and then noticed ‘For Sale” signs on them. If ever there was a time when I wish I had the money, this would be a place that I would enjoy renovating one of these old buildings.
If the city of San Jose is bringing about such pleasurable experiences, I cannot wait to experience the other parts of the country. I found out that Immigration requires you to leave for only 3 days before returning again for another 90 day tourist visit, so instead of returning to the states, I’m altering my flight tickets so I can fly to South America and explore life down there for a bit, including exploring Panama.
A couple from California informed me that there are some awesome countries to explore if you enjoy the hostelling experience, so who knows where I’ll go next. For now, I’m going to learn Spanish, explore Costa Rica and then see where life takes me.
