Volcan Arenal

Volcan Arenal.

You went alone?!

I’m afraid to say this is becoming my life theme.

Yes. I went alone.

But why?

…why not?

It’s a good question I guess. Why? I suppose if I had to answer, it’s usually because I felt like going and there wasn’t anyone else around who could or wanted to.

I did it again last week. Last Thursday was a national holiday here in Costa Rica so naturally all the schools were closed. I already have Fridays off so I jumped at the chance at a full 2-day weekend. (haven’t seen one of those in a while because I work on Saturdays…) I packed up just enough clothes for a quick 24 hour trip and at 4:15 Friday morning I scarfed down some food, threw on some clothes and by 5 was catching the bus to San Jose.

The bus left sometime after 6:15 and after what I think was a gorgeous ride (I was dozing in and out for most of it) I stepped off the bus in La Fortuna. I was immediately attacked by a tour agency and ushered into their lair of maps and pretty pictures and “great deals!” Thankfully I made it out 5 minutes later with only a return ticket to San Jose and a free map of the town with directions to my hostel. I’ll concede that tour companies aren’t all bad. They do offer some cool stuff, but no one stepping immediately down from a 5-hour bus ride after waking up at 4 in the morning should be making any big decisions about zipping through canopies or exploring caves. Thankfully Mr. Tour Guide sensed that my mental state was fragile and did the decent thing in letting me off easy.

I checked in to my hostel then followed my stomach back into town. It pulled me around to a little café called “My Coffee” where I did something I never ever ever do. I enjoyed a cup of coffee and an amazing sandwich while I thought about what on earth I wanted to do (that’s not the thing. Minus the sandwich, I do that on a pretty daily basis). After my lunch though, before paying, I actually asked the owner of the place (who had been walking around making small talk with customers) what I should do. I usually keep to myself when I’m traveling alone, but my time with Sarah the previous weeks had taught me that striking up a conversation with a local (or anyone for that matter) can often lead to some great adventures. It did. The owner pointed me to another couple across the room and said they were going to the waterfalls and I should go with them. I didn’t give myself time to think too much about it. I just got up and walked over there and introduced myself.

Nick and Emma from Jersey and Minnesota were awesome. They were traveling around Costa Rica in a beat-up rental car (beat-up because they had full coverage insurance on it and were taking advantage.) We drove out to the “Cataratas,” bought our tickets and hiked down. I would try to describe it but awe-inspiring nature scenes aren’t my forte in prose. Water gushing and roaring, clear icy pools, glistening rocks. It’s all been said. But being there is just good for your soul. Something about jumping into freezing water is just…good. We spend a few hours exchanged travel stories and reader’s digest life stories and splashing around, then they dropped me back off at my hostel with friendly goodbyes and promises to upload some pictures on facebook.

I went for a run in the cool, cloudy evening and after dinner was asleep by 8.

(to be continued…)