Trip to Nicoya

The only way that we can live, is if we grow. The only way that we can grow is if we change. The only way that we can change is if we learn. The only way we can learn is if we are exposed. And the only way that we can become exposed is if we throw ourselves out into the open. Do it. Throw yourself.

— C. JoyBell C.   I can pretty safely say I have absolutely thrown myself!  When you sell most of your worldly belongings, pack the rest up and head out to a part of the world you have never been in, it’s a pretty good indication you have thrown yourself.    While I have been in Costa Rica a few weeks before, I rented this house from looking at pictures on the internet.  I had no idea if it looked like the pictures or what problems it may have lurking in it.  Luckily, for the most part it is a nice house.  We still have no kitchen lights but the dining area is open so we use those lights to see in the evening.  The house smells a little musty but that is typical for a tropical, humid area.  We got two small Glade candles for $8.00 to take the edge off.  But is has three large bedrooms with a huge closet in the master.  A bathroom off the master and a bathroom upstairs and a half bath downstairs.  Tile floors, fully furnished.  The master has a king sized bed, one bedroom has a queen bed and the other has two twin beds.  The villas here, about 6 houses share a pool.  A large pool.  Largest pool in Nosara I am told.  J   We needed to turn the rental car back in today.  Jacob has had a headache so he didn’t go with us.  I could not find any chiropractors in Nosara but we found a physical therapist who is from Switzerland and trained there that does muscle manipulation.  Her place is right up the hill so we made an appointment for Jacob to go there.  Jarred and I headed to Nicoya to take the car back.  It is about an hour drive, about half and half.  Half paved road, half dirt road.  It was nice driving back in the daylight so I could see some of the area I missed driving in the other night in the dark and the rain.  We drove down a side road and found a little private school.  The country side is absolutely beautiful.   Cows and horses grazing everywhere.  Passed a small  fishing village of Gaza.  This is a beautiful and diverse country for sure.  Here by the coast they have pineapples, bananas, mangos, papya growing.  Further up the mountains they grow potatos (papas), strawberries (fresa) and onions (cebollo) and many other fruits and vegetables.  They have diary and beef cows although the breeds are different here and I don’t know which cows are for beef and which are for dairy.  I do know that as I drove along and looked in pasture after pasture, that the calves were with their mothers and nursing.  No dragging baby cows away from their mothers here, to kill for veal or save all the milk for human consumption.  I LOVE that!!!   When Jarred and I got to Nicoya, we wanted to do a little shopping considering it is a big town compared to Nosara.  We bought a tiny little coffee maker for $20.00, a cutting board, I got more minutes for my phone.  We got some sunscreen, oranges, grapes and pears.  We laughed because the boy walking around selling the fruit told us the apples he was selling were from Washington.  Sorry, I don’t want Washington apples, I want Costa Rican manzanas.    We called Carlos to find out what time they would be in Nosara to pick up the car.  He said he was sending his guy by bus and he should be there.  Then he called us back and told us there was a deadly accident between San Jose and Nicoya and his guy would not be there until 3:30.  His guy was supposed to take us to the bus station.  We had no idea where it was.  The problem we were now facing is that the last bus for the day leaving for Nosara leaves at 3:00.  So we had to leave before the car rental guy got there.  After one unsuccessful attempt to leave the car in front of the hospital and an LDS church (Carlos didn’t like us leaving it there), we left it in front of a soda and a gas station.    Then we tried to figure out how to catch the bus.  We saw a bus come by and stop nearby, heading the direction we needed to go.   So we stood by the side of the road and waited about ½ hour for another bus.  It pulled over but wouldn’t let us on.  All Spanish of course so we had no idea why he wouldn’t pick us up.  I probably looked pretty drained but I’ve never had a bus refuse to pick me up because of that before.  We saw the police pull in across the street at a business.  Aha!  The policia.  They are supposed to help people, right?  I asked him Donde esta la autobus terminale?  Well, he understood me allright but I had no idea what he said in return.  He really tried hard, giving us hand signals over and over indicating a street in front of another one or something like that but we had no flipping idea what he was saying.  We thanked him and walked away, trying to decide what to do now. It is about 2:00.  Hmmmm, ok, I got it.  Flag down a taxi and have him take us to Nosara.  Here comes one!!!!   Cuanto es to take us to Nosara?  I think he said 35.  Was that 35000 colonies or 35 US dollars?  If it is 35000 colonies, that is $70.00 US.  No way!  I understand it is one hour there and one hour back but I don’t want to pay that much.  Donde es la autobus terminale?  Take us there.  Ok, wow, the bus terminal is nowhere close to where Carlos was telling us it was.  It is on the other side of town.  Two US dollars to take us there.  I can live with that.  Get in a line for tickets.  When we got up to the counter the guy says you don’t need tickets for the Nosara bus.   You pay when you get on the bus.  When a bus pulls up that has a sign that says “Nosara” on the front of it we climb aboard.  Something isn’t quite right.   People have tickets in their hands.  We ask a gringo looking woman if you need tickets for this bus.  She says yes. So we climb back off the bus, go to the ticket window.  No, you don’t need a ticket for the bus to Nosara the ticket guy told me again.  What?  Ok, climb back on the bus.  Luckily Jarred had the intelligence to ask the bus driver where that bus was headed.  San Jose!!!!  Oh my gosh.  This is a bus COMING from Nosara, going to San Jose.  So we get off the bus.  Jarred wants to go smoke a cigarette so he heads out of the terminal.  The terminal is all outside too by the way.  Some buses pull in, none say Nosara.  Then one pulls in and I ask the driver, “Nosara?”  Yes.  Ok where is Jarred.  I can’t find Jarred.  I’m getting mad at Jarred for having to go have a cigarette because this is the last bus of the day and if we miss it we will have to take that expensive taxi ride.  Where the hell are you Jarred??  I walk around a corner and Jarred is standing by the bus that we need to get on.  I tell him to get on it.  I am afraid we are going to have to stand all the way to Nosara but we get on and there are still a lot of seats left.  Thanks goodness!    The bus is an old converted school bus.  Remember those windows that slide down from the top?  We are relaxing and enjoying the ride.  The windows of the bus are open and the breeze coming in feels great and is keeping us cool.  Fifteen minutes into the journey, the afternoon monsoon hits.  Water is blowing in the windows in big drops so everyone starts shutting their windows.  If you remember, these windows are kind of between seats so you have to work with the people sitting behind you and there people sitting in front of you to close the windows.  The guy in front of us doesn’t seem to notice or care that Jarred and I are getting soaked from that window.  I finally tap him on the shoulder and indicate we need to put the window up.  He willingly helps.   Now the girl sitting behind us doesn’t like the rain at all.  We immediately had to help her close our mutual window.  That is fine with us.  The problem is, the window is not staying shut.  As the bus bumps along, the window jiggles down a little.  More bumps, the window drops some more.  Of course, I am willing to ignore it but the girl behind us does not like the rain at all.  So we are constantly pushing the window back up.  After awhile I give up and just hold the freaking window up.  Luckily the rain lets up after awhile and everyone opens up their windows again.  Awhile later, we hit monsoons again.  Rinse and repeat.   The bus ride is about 2 hours in total, longer than driving on your own but aren’t they always.  We get dropped off at the area we have come to find out is called “5 corners.”  It has five intersecting roads here so hence the local nickname.  Luckily it is not too far to our house.  We are worried about the rain hitting and we left eh umbrella with Jacob.  Oh yea, we wanted to buy one in Nicoya but it was $20.00 for a $5.00 umbrella.  I just couldn’t bring myself to buy it.  Anyway, we are almost to the house when the rains starts falling.  Whew!  We made it.    Also this day we get the keys to our sliding door metal gates so we can get to the pool and to the back of our place.  Yay!  The new property manager, Bhenga, is very helpful and nice.  We really like her.  Good riddance Alexandra!  Another adventure and another day done.  The metal gates keeping us caged in.