My feet hurt….

Wednesday dawned bright and clear in San Jose. The rainy season is over and the hot, dry season has begun. We had our Catalyst planning meeting for 2008 on Tuesday, our grand fiesta on Tuesday evening and Wednesday was a day to let it all soak in.

In the morning I went to the west side of town looking for transportation to the western part of the country on the Pacific. There were no cars available for hire and I took a taxi to the bus station. (The day before a taxi driver ripped me off to the tune of about $10, but I just gave it to him in my heart and blessed him with an early gift.) This day I carefully watched how I paid. When I arrived at the bus station I discovered the next bus was sold out and I had to wait two hours. That was ok and I walked into the central city which was about a ten minute walk. There I was able to buy a little bag I needed and a soccer jersey that I have wanted for years. Both together were $11. From there I went to a little soda (small restaurant) and had my favorite Costa Rican meal – Gallo Pinto con Huevos (rice and beans with a fried egg on top.) It set me back $3 with a Fresca to drink.

Afterward, I continued a little while in the market looking at the infinite array of products and stuff. In this market you can buy everything from squids to live chickens, dogs, tropical fish for your aquarium or premium sea bass for your dinner. In between you can buy clothes, flowers, coffee, souvenirs, toys, appliances, and chicken feet (or heads.)

Finally, it was time for me to get to the bus station for my 2.5 hour ride. I got on the bus and decided to sit in the very front seat where the best view of the prettiest drive on earth. Within two or three minutes a ten-year old girl was ordering me to move. I said, “no.” Then she summoned the driver who came and asked me for my ticket and promptly showed me that I had an assigned seat on this bus. “Oh,” I said sheepishly. I was sitting in seat 3, but was assigned seat 48 (of 48.) I got my things and went to the back of the bus.

Two and a half hours later I arrived at my destination. The place was where we recently had our Fall retreat, Punta Leona. Security is pretty tight there and they would not let me in. Here I am in the middle of nowhere and just got dropped off by a bus on the side of a highway and I was stranded! After talking to three people and reminding them of the amount of money I had been responsible for in their business this year, I was allowed in. By this time it was 3:30 in the afternoon and the last bus back to the city was scheduled to come by at 5:15. Well, I went out to my favorite spot on the rocks that I had written about in October here and at 4:40 started my trek back to the road (about two miles.) Some of this way I had to go on foot and some I had to catch a ride. I got to the road at 5:20 frantically worrying I had missed the bus. Earlier, I had met an American scientist by the name of Illar. He was locked out of Punta Leona as well and told me he would come back and check on me at 5. When I arrived at the highway I did not see him but he was there waiting on me with another refugee (his word) that he was trying to help.

Gratefully the bus was late and I did not have to have his help. When the bus came however, I did not have a ticket and had to pay my fare to the driver. I was wondering if I should take this bus or not because there was not a seat available and I could see about ten people already standing. My idea of fun is not standing in the aisle of a bus, through the mountains, over a 7,500 foot pass, for two-and-a-half hours, but that is exactly what I did. Take my recommendation. Don’t do it yourself or your feet will hurt like mine did. I think I walked half a day and then stood up for the other half, or so it seemed.

When I arrived back in San Jose I was sweaty, sticky, miserable and my feet were t-i-r-e-d!! I took a shower, went to Pizza Hut for a Veggie thin crust pizza and then promptly laid down. This morning the train came by at 6:15, blew his horn SIX times and I woke up. I knew another train would come by in an hour and be my snooze alarm so I turned over and waited for round two.

I had a breakfast meeting at 8, another meeting at 10 and then it was off to the airport for a ride I had an assigned seat for…. Once again UPGRADED to business class courtesy of Delta.

Don’t you wish you could travel with me?? I thought not. Just come read about and save yourself the rigor. Until my next flight of fancy…. Merry Christmas!

~ by phil underwood on 20 December, 2007.