Costa Rica

I am once again intoxicated by travel. After a one year hiatus I am on the road again and overwhelmed by the sites, smells, some of them not so good, and charm of the people in glorious Costa Rica. My journey began on the morning of the 27th of February, 2012. I am now in San Jose, Costa Rica for two nights shopping, gambling, and a little party making, before I head off to the land of the Revolution.

By Central American standards San Jose is a nice capital city. But make no mistake. There ain't much to do or see. Most people stay here on their way to or from somewhere else, usually in Costa Rica, just like I am. I entertained the idea of transiting to Cuba via the traditional routes, Mexico and Jamaica when I stumbled on a great business fare rate on Taca to San Jose which flies direct to Havana. Not much more than a Coach class ticket going this way if booked well in advance.

I was not expecting much from Taca. But I was pleasantly surprised. The flights were on time, comfortable and the staff hospitable. I had to change planes in San Salvador which was easy peasy. I got a look at Salvador from the window and now want to add it to my list. To the left of the plane were wide expansive beaches, while to the right are ominous looking volcanoes covered by dense jungle. I am even considering trying to spend a day there on my way back to get that ever so important new passport stamp. It was hot...and humid. But that's ok. I can do hot and humid.

Arriving in San Jose was a breeze. I never ever check luggage anymore no matter where I go. Too many lost bags and wasted hours. I travel with a large backpack where I carry my most important belongings; the cameras and electronics, and boy are there lots of them. I have to find a way to simplify it for the next time. I was considering the Mac Book Air but its just a waste of dough. So I still lug around my 5 year old Mac Book which I just super charged with a new hard drive and double the memory in anticipation of loading and editing a ton of photos on this trip.

The flight from LA to San Salvador was 4 and a half hours. The connection to San Jose is less than an hour. There is a direct flight but it's a red eye and only allows you 5 hours sleep which you gets you into San Jose at the butt crack of dawn, way before your hotel will let you in.

After considerable research I found a delightful small private Hotel with an older facade that contains a newly minted and massive sports bar complete with at least 8 monitors. Arriving on a Monday I found the place pretty quiet which was fine by me. I finally checked into my room around 10 p.m. I rented the suite which is a very very comfortable room. While its an older building the rooms have all the amenities you need. Ass kicking AC. Two plasma screen TV's; one in each room, a bar, a jacuzzi and an incredibly comfortable King Bed.

I didn't need all of this but for the price I got it for, it was a steal. A comparable room at your local Marriott would probably run close to 400 bux. Here? 139.00. Hotel Dunn Inn. Its in a rough part of town but its not a biggy. You just taxi at night. You aren't doing much here anyways. Free wifi, internet station a restaurant and a sports bar. I will be back.

San Jose is an odd town. There is a bit of a creepy element here. Very old dudes come here looking for very young girls. You see a bit of that. There are a handful of casinos so when I got unpacked I rolled to one of the local casinos, threw down a couple of coronas and promptly lost 100 bux at the tables.

Woke up today with a pretty stiff headache from the jet lag and the party making, but it was worth it. Had a blast. Made new friends as I always do on the road and headed off today to see what I could see and it wasn't much. There is a beautiful Beaux Arte Opera house built in the 1800s that might as well be in Vienna; an astonishing building. I took a tour and dozens of photos. I wandered the streets and parks and took in the warmth of the Costa Rican people. There is one museum which I ran through in about 30 minutes. Uninspiring.

This evening I treated myself to some nice local cuisine before getting lambasted at the blackjack tables again for an hour or so before calling it a night. It's Havana in the morning and I am giddy with excitement.

Yes I said giddy. As always, excuse the typos, crappy grammar and fragments.