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On Friday, I left my Spanish class early and hung out for a bit until I met up with some girls to head to Puerto Viejo with. With five of us, we split up into two taxis. Our first taxi ride was not very pleasant. Even though I stressed to the taxi driver that we needed to go to the bus station for Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, not Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui, he ended up taking us to the wrong stop anyways. I basically fell trying to out of the cab, and lost one of my flip flops along the way. I ended up just throwing the other one away because what was I supposed to do with only one shoe? When we arrived, I had a very strong feeling we were not where we were supposed to be and that was confirmed when we made it to the ticket counter. We rushed to find a taxi to take us to the other station. We sat in traffic for what seemed like forever, but eventually made it to the correct bus station. Unfortunately, the taxi driver had taken us to the wrong terminal. Upon our looks of confusion, one taxi driver was kind enough to give us directions to the correct terminal which was a couple of blocks away. We started following his directions, but when the route appeared to be sketchy, we turned back and stood hella confused on the corner. He ended up driving up in his taxi and reiterated his directions so we wouldn't get lost. Without that kind taxi driver, we would have never made it to the right terminal.
We arrived at the correct terminal about a half an hour before the bus was set to leave. Unfortunately, when we arrived at the ticket counter, all that was left were standing tickets. Keep in mind, this is a five hour bus ride. Not wanting to be separated from the other girls once again, we decided to just roll with it. We paid for the tickets, boarded the buses, and things were finally looking up. We were finally on our way to Puerto Viejo and the other girls no longer were freaking out (and rightfully so) since they couldn't get in touch with us. After about an hour and a half of standing, the two other girls and I decided to just sit on the floor. With all the jerks and turns and countless times I almost fell, I was over it. We were near a staircase in the back of the bus, so we ended up squishing near that. About three hours into the travels, a woman walked with her toddler to the back of the bus toward the staircase. We got up from the stairs and moved out of the way so the woman could get through. I assumed that she was going to exit the bus. Soon after, she pulled down her little girl's pants and the little girl proceeded to pee all over the stairs. Well, so much for sitting down. Interestingly, five minutes later, we made it to the quick pit stop for everyone to get off, stretch, get some snacks, and use the restroom. We reboarded and stood most of the way. Many folks got of in Calhuita, so we were able to find seats for the last 30-40 minutes of the ride there.
We finally arrived in Puerto Viejo that evening. Unable to find any authorized taxis and not knowing how far the hostel was, we ended up taking a pirata, which is basically a person who uses their personal car as a taxi. They tell you how much to pay them, rather than starting a meter, or a maria as they are called here. You basically hop in a stranger's car and pay them to take you somewhere. A little sketch, but we didn't have much of a choice. Some of the girls had utilized piratas before and assured us it was safe. We hopped in an soon arrived at the hostel of choice: Rocking Js.
Rocking Js is THE hostel to go to in Puerto Viejo. I received the recommendation from a friend, because it's where everyone goes. You have the option of sleeping in a hammock (the cheapest option), tent, dorm, or private room. It's known as the party hostel with an on-site bar. The hostel is basically outdoors with some roofs over the top. It's really chill and artsy, with mosaics covering every wall and piece of the ground. Though it's a walk from the main part of the town, it is right off of a beach, albeit a rocky one you probably wouldn't swim in. I knew as soon as I stepped in and got the key to my locker that was conveniently located next to my hammock that it could only go up from here.
Hungry, we settled in and then took off in search of food. Another student from the program had recommended that we check out this restaurant/bar called Hot Rocks, so that's exactly where we headed. Friday nights were karaoke nights, and in between eating and drinking, some of the girls and a couple of the boys we knew got up and belted some songs. I have videos, but I won't post them, out of respect for the fact that the boys were drunk and in respect of their identities. If they ask me to post them, I will later on. It was a good time. Exhausted, we headed back to our hostels and went to sleep in our hammocks and tents.___________
On Saturday morning, I woke up well before sunrise, one, because for my first time in a hammock, I didn't really know how to position myself to sleep, and two, monkeys were howling non-stop. Luckily, a couple other girls woke up as well, so we decided to go watch the sunrise along the beach. It was hard to see because of where it was at and how far we could get out without getting into the water, but it was beautiful nonetheless. After watching the sunrise, I headed back to sleep for awhile while the other girls prepared for their trip to Panama.I decided to sleep for awhile longer after watching the sunrise. I started the rest of the day by exploring the town. I first stopped into the supermarket to buy snacks as well as a towel, since I didn't have a beach towel for the beach or a towel for the shower at the hostel. It didn't cross my mind to pack one back in the states. I browsed a ton of the local shops. There was so much I wanted to buy, but I stuck to my mission: a postcard for my tutee back in the states and maybe gifts that were made in Puerto Viejo. My favorite shop was this store that had a little bit of everything. The majority of the projects there were made right there in Costa Rica. There were even a ton of natural products that I was sure my best friend back home (Alex Q) would love. After purchasing a postcard and a small wristlet (I really needed something smaller than my owl purse), I finished exploring the shops along the main roads and headed back to the hostel to research things to do in the area.
While I was researching, a Tico student from a local university asked to interview me for a project for his English class. I said sure. He and his classmates were interviewing English speakers for their conversations class to see what non-natives thought about Costa Rica.
On my way back to the hostel, I stopped at an art gallery/shop called Luluberlu. There were so many cool pieces of art that I wanted to purchase, but I didn't have the money. I really enjoyed browsing the shop. All of the art was created by local artists in Puerto Rico. I ended up buying natural soaps made right there in Costa Rica, which didn't cost too much. I wish I would have had more money with me to buy more. The art was beautiful and the atmosphere there was so friendly. Those artists in Puerto Viejo are very talented. My bestie (Alex Q) would have loved it.
The rest of the evening consisted of my getting caught in the rain, eating dinner, and then passing out it my hammock. The only notable thing I feel like was my frozen mojito that I had with dinner. It was delicious. Oh, and I almost forgot -- there were fire twirling people at the hostel. Pretty cool.
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On Sunday, I started the day early, hoping to get in some time at different beaches throughout the day. Despite having bought snacks, I decided to search for real breakfast. Upon walking around, there were not very many cheap options for the breakfast. I decided to head back to the hostel and eat there. Upon my return, right outside the convenience store across the street, a fight broke out between two guys. They were going hard at each other, one with a bat and the other with a giant rock. I passed them as they continued fighting. I heard a loud pop. I wasn't sure if it was sort of weapon, so I sped up to make it back into the boundary of my hostel. I ended up eating there, as they have cheap breakfast options.
The first beach I headed to was a beach located about a 15-20 minute walk from my hostel in the opposite direction of town. It was a nice yellow, sandy beach, that was not as packed as the other beaches closer to the town center. I laid out in the sun for awhile, then enjoyed the waves for awhile. I alternated like this for awhile until the heat and sun and humidity, that nasty combo, began to get to me. I headed back to the hostel, purchased a Powerade from the convenience store, and took a break from the sun.
The second beach I headed to was named Playa Negra. It is a small beach with black sand. Because it is often compared to Playa Jaco, another black sanded beach which is apparently beautiful, not many visit it. It wasn't crowded, so I laid out my towel and spent some time just dipping my toes in the pretty sand. I alternated between laying out in the sun and enjoying the waves. I preferred this beach over the other because the waves weren't as intense and the water was the perfect temperature. I stayed here for a couple an hours until the afternoon rain looked like it was going to begin. Not wanting to get caught in a downpour, I gathered my belongings and headed back toward my hostel. I stopped to get a drink to quench my thirst at the super market just as soon as it started pouring. I had forgotten my umbrella and rain jacket, so I waited it out for awhile, as many others did. When it was clear that it was not going to stop for awhile, I headed out into the rain and walked the rest of the way back to my hostel.
I hung out at the hostel until I ran into the girls again. They had decided to visit Panama that weekend as well. I joined them for dinner at a nearby pizza place. The pizza was so delicious, as were the desserts. We had a great, fun time, one of the few people in the restaurant, probably because it was pouring.
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Monday morning, I checked out of Rocking Js and headed to the bus station. This time, I was determined to get a seat. I bought my ticket and relaxed in the mini park while waiting for the bus. I took the bus home. On the return, traffic was backed up due to the protests in Limón. If there are people that know how to organize and protest, Ticos are up there. They have regularly scheduled protests. That Monday, they were protesting about wages, employment conditions, and governmental corruption. It was great to see this action being taken by the citizens. The other people on the bus thought it was great too. It was nice to be around people that didn't shrug it off or say that the people were just complaining and that they were causing trouble like I hear people say about protests in the US.
I eventually made it back to San José. I was out of cash (well that I brought anyways) for the most part, since I overestimated how often I would be able to use my card. There are taxis that take credit cards, but they are difficult to find. I was about to go on to a search when I was approached by a taxi driver asking where I needed to go. I told him Universidad Veritas, but unless he accepted credit cards, I couldn't take his taxi. This woman overheard me and said that she was going to Veritas as well and asked if we could share a cab. I explained to her that I needed a cab that took cards. She relayed that they are very hard to fine and offered to pay. I felt bad not paying anything, but she was insistent, so I hopped in the cab and rode to Veritas with her. Turns out, she is a local who lives in Puerto Viejo but had decided to go back to school and take classes at Veritas during the week. Since she lives and works in Puerto Viejo, she stays with a friend during the week since it would be a long commute. We arrived at Veritas and parted ways. I will always remember that act of kindness.
The first beach I headed to was a beach located about a 15-20 minute walk from my hostel in the opposite direction of town. It was a nice yellow, sandy beach, that was not as packed as the other beaches closer to the town center. I laid out in the sun for awhile, then enjoyed the waves for awhile. I alternated like this for awhile until the heat and sun and humidity, that nasty combo, began to get to me. I headed back to the hostel, purchased a Powerade from the convenience store, and took a break from the sun.
The second beach I headed to was named Playa Negra. It is a small beach with black sand. Because it is often compared to Playa Jaco, another black sanded beach which is apparently beautiful, not many visit it. It wasn't crowded, so I laid out my towel and spent some time just dipping my toes in the pretty sand. I alternated between laying out in the sun and enjoying the waves. I preferred this beach over the other because the waves weren't as intense and the water was the perfect temperature. I stayed here for a couple an hours until the afternoon rain looked like it was going to begin. Not wanting to get caught in a downpour, I gathered my belongings and headed back toward my hostel. I stopped to get a drink to quench my thirst at the super market just as soon as it started pouring. I had forgotten my umbrella and rain jacket, so I waited it out for awhile, as many others did. When it was clear that it was not going to stop for awhile, I headed out into the rain and walked the rest of the way back to my hostel.I hung out at the hostel until I ran into the girls again. They had decided to visit Panama that weekend as well. I joined them for dinner at a nearby pizza place. The pizza was so delicious, as were the desserts. We had a great, fun time, one of the few people in the restaurant, probably because it was pouring.
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Monday morning, I checked out of Rocking Js and headed to the bus station. This time, I was determined to get a seat. I bought my ticket and relaxed in the mini park while waiting for the bus. I took the bus home. On the return, traffic was backed up due to the protests in Limón. If there are people that know how to organize and protest, Ticos are up there. They have regularly scheduled protests. That Monday, they were protesting about wages, employment conditions, and governmental corruption. It was great to see this action being taken by the citizens. The other people on the bus thought it was great too. It was nice to be around people that didn't shrug it off or say that the people were just complaining and that they were causing trouble like I hear people say about protests in the US.I eventually made it back to San José. I was out of cash (well that I brought anyways) for the most part, since I overestimated how often I would be able to use my card. There are taxis that take credit cards, but they are difficult to find. I was about to go on to a search when I was approached by a taxi driver asking where I needed to go. I told him Universidad Veritas, but unless he accepted credit cards, I couldn't take his taxi. This woman overheard me and said that she was going to Veritas as well and asked if we could share a cab. I explained to her that I needed a cab that took cards. She relayed that they are very hard to fine and offered to pay. I felt bad not paying anything, but she was insistent, so I hopped in the cab and rode to Veritas with her. Turns out, she is a local who lives in Puerto Viejo but had decided to go back to school and take classes at Veritas during the week. Since she lives and works in Puerto Viejo, she stays with a friend during the week since it would be a long commute. We arrived at Veritas and parted ways. I will always remember that act of kindness.
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