Semana Santa, Holy Week! Hoardes of people started arriving yesterday. Every hotel is full. Backpackers caught by surprise wandered the streets hopeful. Some moved on. Others got lucky.
My friend from Italy finally stopped searching on the internet and went walking. Over an hour later, they came home excited. No hotel room but an apartment they could rent!
Strange and wonderful experiences. Strange: I’ve seen more “butt cheeks” and cleavage and tiny pieces of fabric attempting to conceal parts of women’s body. Women going to the beach decked out, hair and makeup perfect, scent of perfume overwhelming…to go swimming? Lots of ganga and alcohol! The hatch back of some cars holding a sound system, side to side and all the way to the top, cruising on full blast with the hatchback up. Easter, Holy Week celebration?? Really! Thumpa thumpa loud enough to stop conversation in the restaurants, perhaps damaging ear drums! WOW!!!
Wonderful! Friendly people generally! Lots of families traveling together. People in the hostel inviting me to join them for breakfast as they cooked for their family! Lovely!
More Magic, Ideas Falling Together
Two nights ago, I slept for 90 minutes and woke wide awake. I faint idea had been drifting in my mind. Earlier, I wrote about connecting with Hotel Colonial near the hospital I need for antigen testing prior to returning to the USA.
That night, pieces rearranged themselves and I could see things I hadn’t seen before! Hotel Colonial in the center of the city. Shuttle bus from here possibly getting in very late. Walk to the hospital. Get tested. Walk or taxi to bus stop. Bus to Alajuela. Walk or taxi to hotel in Alajuela. Taxi early the next morning to the airport? Lots of pieces to fit together.
Even though it was after midnight, I wrote to the hotel. Not only did I want them to know I was cautioned the 5 hour drive could take 8 and I’d arrive late, I had questions. First, I’d read they have a shuttle to the airport. They responded quickly that the shuttle takes 30 to 45 minutes and cost $28 US. Very reasonable!
Then pieces fell together. It felt much simpler to just stay there another night, enjoy being in central San Jose and looking around. But I didn’t know if I could cancel my other reservation. Yes…I was able to IF Hotel Colonial has space. They did and extended my reservation.
Then, for some reason, I let them know I selected them because they are so close to Hospital Clinica Biblica where I’ll get tested. Again, they responded immediately. They offer the test at the Hotel for nearly the same price as the Hospital with results in one hour. When would I like to schedule it?
So simple. Easy and flowing. Less transportation, walking, making more arrangements, bus tickets, negotiating with taxi. Everything I needed in one place…very strong sense of relief! Perfect!
Hotel...Disconnection tonight!
When I found out how many people were coming here and how crowded it would be, I got lucky booking a hotel that had two nights available. It really is lovely! It’s much more expensive than I normally would pay. But, it was available, close and the people seem really nice. However, the main drawback is it’s a hotel!
And it’s foreign owned so it’s a place of business rather than a place that feels like a home opened up to welcome you into their space!
That means I have had cursory information conversations with the staff, no conversations with guests and a feeling of being on my own here. That’s OK because I have a good relationship with me!
By contrast, I was in the hostel the past two nights. I met people from all over the world who shared experiences with me, travel stories, dreams of future trips, recommendations for places to visit, and questions about where I have traveled and what I like to see when I go on the road. CONNECTION! That’s the part I miss when not traveling. So nourishing!
Over the years, people have asked me if I stay in hostels to save money. Sort of, but mostly to meet people! So while it’s luxurious here, private, very clean and modern, it’s also isolated!
This afternoon, I went into a restaurant I had eaten in once. They were packed, very busy. After I walked in they put out the closed sign because they had no more space. Even in that hectic pace, I had three people welcome me and thank me for coming back again! Connection!
MORE MAGIC! I am going to the Puerto Varga park station in the morning but had conflicting times for when it opened. After a photo walk and early dinner, I walked to the bus office to ask. They had just closed the door! However, I noted a man standing near with a name tag for the bus line “MEPE”. I asked him if he could tell me.
Absolutely! The best source of information just happened to be standing there the moment I was there, the office closed and I needed help! He explained the schedule and when the bus would arrive. Perfect!
And that is the magic that continues to happen. So, it will be an early morning for me exploring a different part of Cahuita National Park!!!
Winding Down!
With my time and experiment here with photography winding down, I’m happy being more introspective. After exploring today, I came back to the hammock and finished a book. Ok, a book and a beer!
Tomorrow morning, I’m going to take the local bus North to visit the Southern part of Cahuita National Park I missed before. There is a park entrance station there but I had conflicting information about when it opens? So I asked the woman at the hotel here and she told me I should go to the other part of the park because it’s easier, blah blah blah. Yes, I’ve been there! I would like to see something else. It’s nicer, easier to get to, etc. So I did a smart thing, I shut up!
Once again, as during nearly all of my trips, I’ve received advice that is simply crazy for me. One man told me that this is the best place in Costa Rica, I don’t go anywhere else, only here! Why would you want to travel!?!? Another told me I really missed an experience by not going to his favorite spot: Dominical. From what travelers have told me, it’s over touristed and all-inclusive type resorts there. Certainly, that’s not my interest! Another loved the Luna Lodge area near Carate! No where else compares to this!! Other people have offered their suggestions on the “only” place to bother going.
Advice is only helpful if it’s relevant. And if people are not asking me what type of experience I like or what I’m looking for in this experience, it’s highly unlikely that what they TELL me will be relevant! I’ve learned to listen to what feels right for me! Ignore what others, ignorant of my priorities, advise me to do. Once again, it has served me very well!
Over the years facilitating programs for so many different types of companies, I’ve created actives that mimic my experience here. One involved coffee and a partner. The person going first asks their partner, “what kind of coffee do you recommend”? NEVER, I don’t believe it’s happened even once, did the partner respond by first asking what kind of coffee experience their partner likes.
It’s a natural tendency people have, projecting what I like onto others as if there is some sort of Universal agreement? So strange!
Several conversations over the course of my two week trip have reminded me of a conversation Carl Rogers had years ago. He’s the founder for the “Center of The Studies of The Person” and at one point, even facilitated a conversation between protestants and Catholics in Ireland to help people better understand each other.
Once asked if he was surprised by how poorly a highly evolved species like us humans communicate, he responded with this. He said that what surprised him is that as poorly as we communicate, we get along as well as we get along!
If you want to make a study that will improve your life, your relationships and the life of people around you, consider learning more about that!
Ciao! Happy Easter/Semana Santa!