Costa Rica Again 1

We had to get up at three this morning so I could catch my 6:22 am flight to Costa Rica, only to discover when I arrived that my flight was delayed by two hours.  That was still okay, though I did feel sorry for poor Alonso having to get up so early for nothing.  I walked around the terminal for quite a while for exercise then had breakfast in one of those crappy and overpriced restaurants for which airports are famous.  The flight was less than two hours and I arrived in Costa Rica before ten. 

There was a nice couple seated next to me.  They were speaking Spanish to each other, and I was sure from their accent and appearance that they were not Colombian but Costa Rican.  We were chatting afterwards and, yes, they are Costa Rican.  Both countries, despite their surface similarities, are decidedly quite different.  I think that because Colombia has quite a strong military, and that Costa Rica, not having a military, is a pacifist nation, has probably had some effect on how people develop and express themselves.  The people of both countries are very beautiful, but they are different kinds of beauty.  The beauty of Colombians is like the beauty of diamonds or emeralds, hard, brilliant, dazzling.  The beauty of the Costa Rican people is more soft and luminescent, rather like the gentle beauty of pearls and opals.

I did not get the room that I asked for at the bed and breakfast, but it isn't so bad and I am staying here only for one night.  I went for a long walk today, stopping in the cathedral for a bit of quiet time.  Here are some images:














Then I passed through the central square in front and walked to the edge of the town and back. A kind security guard introduced himself, Carlos, when I asked for help when I was lost.  The people here are lovely.  Since the temperature was over thirty degrees, I was feeling pretty hot and tired after an hour and a half of walking, so I sat more than two hours in a cafe with my artwork.  I did some more walking around, and paused to admire some of the lovely green parrots that fly and squawk in town, and chatted a bit with a friendly German couple, also watching the parrots.  After the walk I went to eat in a Mexican restaurant,  I at first was the only customer, then a young white guy came in speaking Spanish to the staff.  I asked where he is from.  Turns out he's an American from Arkansas who works travelling throughout Latin America as a kind of teacher's aid.  We got into a long and interesting talk about social issues and political and spiritual matters.  He's a Christian with the Methodist Church.  Soon, his mother and several family friends came in and they invited me to join them.  Very kind and friendly people.  It turns out they are here in Costa Rica doing volunteer work, helping to build and repair houses.

I am back in my bed and breakfast.  It's been a long and pleasant day.