On the journey

By Guest Writer: Gurkhahere

I feel like home here. I feel like I know the streets. For the past three days, I’ve been seeing the same people every day. I’ve been walking down the same street, going to the same stores. I know where the shops are, where the bank is and where things are in the house. However, today was a little different because I leave for the volunteer site.

I’ll be honest that I didn’t want to wake up at 4:30, especially after going to bed at 1 am but I was more than happy to do so because I knew I was venturing into a new place, a new surrounding and a new cause that I rarely get to be a part of. I was excited, thrilled, and energized in the morning. A 20 minute taxi ride from home after picking up Kiel and Brandon took us to the bus stand in San Jose.

The four hour bus ride reminded me of Nepal. The mountains, the narrow highway, the dirt roads branching out of the highway, the small houses, and the snack stops actually made me nostalgic. Some mountains looked a little barren but most were green. Four hours of reminiscence of Nepal took me to Santa Cruz, a town northwest of San Jose. We had to wait for two hours for the midday bus to Ostional from Santa Cruz. I got two pieces of fried chicken for c2000 at a food stand. Apparently, my friend Kiel who is white was charged more. View full article »

By Guest Writer: Gurkhahere

Avenida Central in San Jose

Speaking of time, I had plenty on Sunday. The orientation wasn’t until Monday. So I decided to walk the streets of San Jose. I also needed a camera since I hadn’t brought one. I consulted my host sister for advice on where to go to find a camera. Turns out I had to visit another town, albeit close, to find a big electronic store. The plan was to first go to Zapote to buy a camera and then head to downtown San Jose. Then out I went with a mindset of being a tourist/traveler. I wanted to see what the city was like, what the people were like and what it was that made them unique in Central America. Costa Rica is arguably the most developed country in Central America besides being the most politically stable. The crime rate is very low. Btw, Ingrid had told me that presidential elections were to occur in February for which I could already see the spirits raised with rallies and people carrying flags and pictures of their favorite candidates. In recent years Ticos have made ecotourism their tool for development and economic development. They have taken great strides in conservation of some of the most amazing biodiversity on planet. While export of coffee and banana was the primary source of income for Costa Rica for a long time, income through eco-tourism has taken over in the last few years. Their adventure tours such as canopy tours, whitewater rafting, which I also plan to do, are some of the best in the world.

Avenida Central in San Jose

I caught a local bus at the bus station after a 10 minute walk from the house. After being on the bus for about 20 minutes I saw this really happening area and figured it would be the mall area where I was supposed to buy camera. I got off the bus and walked around. Turns out I was in downtown San Jose- in Central Avenue. After talking to a man, I found out I had taken the bus in the other direction. But whatever, I was where I wanted to be, just a little early. The Central Avenue and the surrounding area are vibrant. I was surprised to see that many people and that many shops open on a Sunday. People were just hanging out at the park, feeding the birds, watching street shows, selling DVDs, and just enjoying the nice weather. I took a stroll around the city’s core area. The city along with the neighborhood I was living in so reminded me of home. People look very much like Nepalis, which is why whenever I wanted to have any conversation people spoke to me like I was one of them, just another Tico. The streets are narrow, shops are very similar to those in Nepal in that you have to ask for what you want to see/buy. Unlike many big stores in the US, you can’t just look around, pick up stuff and take to the counter. Some other reminders of Nepal were trash just lying open on the roadside, although not as huge a pile nor as stinky as back home. Street dogs, open sewer lines and sudden holes on the pavement as you are walking were common sights.

National Theater in San Jose

However, San Jose has more developed infrastructures than Kathmandu. The roads are very decent, even in the neighborhoods. Eighteen wheelers frequent the freeways. Many households in San Jose and San Pedro have cars. Traffic lights are in great working condition and drivers and pedestrians mostly follow the traffic rules. The funniest thing is the green light for pedestrians whistles like parrots and with much speed before it goes red. I spent the evening in a bar again (c 4000 for 3 Imperials) as I couldn’t find a coffee shop in San Pedro. Seriously I didn’t…..

To be continued…….

On the Journey is very pleased to announce Gurkhahere as its first ever guest writer. In this post, and the series that will follow (hopefully ), Gurkhahere will share with us the memories of his recent trip to Costa Rica.  

How often can you have a great bar night with a bunch of people, all with varying accents, in a place where very few people speak English. Not often, right?- at least that hasn’t happened with me before. 

It is fresh. It is different. The refreshing air nicely complements the magnificent weather. People are speaking Spanish everywhere which makes me realize that I really am in Costa Rica. I’ve just escaped the cold DC weather and the daily hustle to be in Costa Rica and the first day (January 16, 2010) has treated me well.    

Just up the street from my house

 Costa Rica has exceeded my expectations of being a developing country. At times, it reminds me of back home while at others it makes me wish my home was like this. The streets are well paved, the mercado is well organized, cars are decent and of course the bars are superb. There is a freeway here, although without shoulder but only a few high rises. Streets are fairly clean and there are neighborhood guards to patrol the streets at night, who greet you, every time you walk by with a simple buenas noches.

The street I walked everyday

 At the San Juan Airport, I got picked by Ingrid, a very nice woman who spoke no English. I am proud to say that we had a nice conversation on the way to the “home.” Go me! Seems like my attempt and the desire to learn Spanish finally paid off. We drove along the freeway, through downtown San Jose and into San Pedro to get to the “home.” She showed me a few landmarks along the way, including Hospital Mexico, which is apparently the biggest hospital in Costa Rica (hun?). We also drove by the Universidad de Costa Rica, a huge and the most renowned university in Costa Rica. Ingrid mentioned that the university is very competitive. She showed me a couple of parks where people just hang out, play futbol, basketbol, and bicicleta, and basically just hang out with families on Sundays. Downtown San Jose was pretty lively with people just hanging out on the streets. The stores were closed but bars were open. Seems like the Ticos have their priorities figured out.   View full article »