Costa Rica 26

Not much of a day, really.  Lovely weather, and very little wind.  Hot at times, then the wind picks up a little or some clouds blow in to obscure the sun and make it cool again.  I didn´t go far, but I usually don´t.  I just finished polishing off the two thirds of yesterday´s pizza that I brought home with me.  I guess this place has become home for me.  The people are so kind and the gardens are incredibly lush.  Luz-Mery heated the pizza for me in their microwave and served it to me on a plate with a glass of orange juice.  I feel overwhelmed with kindness, even though that is exactly how I would have done the same thing for someone else.  But you know, I hope that I never take the kindness of others for granted.  The pizza was still good, by the way.  And satisfying.

I went to Curi-Cancha reserve again, fourth time, and once again the young guy working there let me in for half price.  I spent almost one and a half hours.  Didn´t go far and actually sat quite a bit, though I reckon I must have got around three miles of walking.  While enjoying the hummingbirds a couple from France came and descended on the poor birds with their camera equipment.  I tried to engage them in conversation and they seemed a little bit friendly.  When they asked me if I´d seen the quetzals I replied that I was concerned that so many people crowding around their trees might traumatize them.  Let´s just say there was a long silence after that pithy little remark of mine.  Here is a link to Sinead O´Connor´s song, ¨Red Football¨, in honour of the quetzals and all they have to endure from foreign birdwatchers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwmYvc56wLI

I also saw a large black bird, rather like a huge chicken.  In Spanish it is called the pava negra.  In English it´s a black guan.  I like the Spanish name better  At a lookout point in the forest I had a chat with a visitor from Holland.  He was telling me how relieved he is that that ultra right maniac didn´t get elected in his country two weeks ago.  He thinks that President Dump is sending a warning by example of what might happen in other countries if they elect idiots like him, so the Dump might be, by default anyway, serving some sort of redemptive purpose.  I just described in an email to one of my readers that watching him self-destruct might be somewhat akin to seeing a python swallow a jackass.

I stopped at a small cafe for a cold drink on the way back.  I found myself for the second time that day downwind from a young American stinky male who doesn´t use deoderant.  Given how clean the Costa Ricans are they must have quite a lot of fun at our expense.  Who would blame them?  Then there was a huge mob of around tswdenty studdents, a lot of them overweight, all wearing the same pale green Costa Rica...Academy.  Funny how it is on those who inspire it that irony is always completely lost.

I´m thinking a bit more today about the difference between a tourist and a traveler.  I think I can sum it up quite quickly.  A tourist is a consumer.  A traveler is a student.