Lisa in London

Lisa and a great shot of Big Ben and the Thames River in London

This trip was everything I wanted and more. Grant and Josh are doing so many great things down here in CR that it is very inspiring. I hope to come back next year and stay longer.

I ended my trip with a dinner party at a UCR professor's house. Great people, great food, wine and mojitos. This place is awesome! I will return.

Located on the caribbean sea, Porte Viejo is a 4 1/2 hour bus ride from San Jose. Costa Rica just keeps getting better and better.

My seat mate on the bus trip was... Interesting. I found out he was from Denmark but he looked like a SoCal skate King. Black, Quicksilver shorts. Ratty, white wife beater tank that looked like he has worn it 7 days straight. Red sun inked over a black star tattoo over his heart. Short brown hair with crazy, stoner beard. He was also sporting a NY Yankee cap that was way too big for him. His name was Chris and he is a Communications Major at a University back home in Denmark. He's here in Costa Rica earning his internship credit.

We talked a lot about Costa Rica, the world politics (like always), and of course kicking it root down around the world. The most awesome part of our conversation went like this:

He asks me, "What do you like best about Costa Rica?" I shrug and respond, "The people. They are soooo welcoming, friendly and giving here. Great people."
"What do you like most?" He puts his index finger and thumb together in front of his lips and with the most awesomest stoner voice ever says, "The weed bro, the weed."
Never know what to say after that. "How's it compare to the weed in Denmark?"
"The weed in Denmark is skiddish. Garbage. That is why I started growing my own" he exhales.
"Isn't that illegal?"
"Yeah, that's why I only grow for me and it is inside so no one will know."

He then whips out a switch blade (I thought I was dead). "Want some cake?"
"Uh... Na, I'm good."
I pull out my book and dive right in with one eye on the page and one eye on my new stoner friend. He slices up a small pound cake and we cruise to the beach.

Today's blog is titled "Locker H56" cause that was my locker at Rocking J's, hottest hostel in the world. This is the best place for travelers from around the world. Everyone is here, even my new bud Chris.

There are several things that make this the coolest place for travelers. Here are a few:

1. The atmosphere. A total tossed salad here. We have met people from all over the world. All hanging together. All partying together. Pool tables, foos ball, and the sickest beer pong table I have ever seen. Last night was the owner's brother, Erik's birthday and the whole place was celebrating. The cops came at 1:00am to shut it down but they just built a bonfire on the beach and moved the party out there. The music didn't stop thumping till 4:00am. There was no sleep till Brooklyn (literally, they played every Beastie Boys song throughout the night).

2. The accommodations. Rocking J's set up is a brilliant process. You walk in through the bar/restaurant to get to the front desk that is off to the left. When looking out to the beach, two huge areas flank both the left and the right. No walls, just a floor and massive ceiling. Under each roof hang 40 hammocks that go for $5 per night. On the 2nd story over the restaurant is where the tents are located. You can rent a 1, 2, or 4 person tent for $4. That space is filled with at least 30 tents. They also have rooms there tucked away in corners that sleep 2 & 4 people for $7. If you wanted to do a group site, they have three group sites with hammocks, tables, and chairs. For meals, you can go to the restaurant or they have a full kitchen with 10 burners for cooking your own food. All of this located right on the beach and 30 yards from the water.

3. The location is perfect. Right on the beach. 10 minute walk to the Jaguar Rescue Center.

We made it back home today from our time on the coast. Had a great weekend.

Grant and I set out at 6:00pm to go to Walmart (if you viewed the photo journey on yesterday's blog, that was not in Salem) to buy a fridge.

Our cab driver talks us into going to a "closer" Walmart to save time. If he was talking about the Walmart in Salem, he is best person I have met so far here in Costa Rica. 45 minutes later and a route that seemed like we were freakin' Algrnon (the mouse in the book Of Mice And Men) we pulled up to a fortress of a store. 8ft steel gates surrounded the store and as we crossed over the moat to the parking lot, our driver was handed a parking pass from the knight that guarded the draw bridge. Total cost of the one way excursion was only $4.50 but it should of taken less time and $3.50 so Grant and I spent the 1st few minutes in the store discussing the principle of it all with utter disgust.

On to the fridge... Nah, let's talk about the Walmart townies. They are the same, just with latin flavor! The same jean cutoffs. The same black wife beater tank tops. The same Halloween make up. And the same half dressed kids running around touching way too much stuff for no reason (#sweartagawd).

It took us all of two minutes to get the fridge, boom, paid, and 40 minutes to get it out the store (freakin' language barrier).

Rather than sit around frustrated, Grant and I headed to the movies to meet up with a few of his friends. We went and saw The Dilemma starring Vince Vaughn (spoiler alert - it is not a comedy. Drama with some funny parts). The best part of the night was Grant and I smuggling in Taco Bell. Gosh, it felt like home.

Those of you who know me, know that I am a little dramatic but, this did feel like I was home. Some guy hustled us for some extra coin in the cab, Walmart townies, and now sneaking food into the theater... Home. I could do this here in CR. I needed it to feel like home though cause the next day I was on my own.

Out the door at 5am headed across town to meet a tour bus that will take me to a Doke Coffee plantation, Poas Volcano, and the rain forrest at La Paz Waterfall Garden. Today I felt so alive. I got my own taxi and gave the drive correct directions in espanol (nice). As soon as I hand the tour bus driver my ticket, BAM! The bus was stuck in the back. We go to the back of the bus for a look and the driver was just sitting there in is two door Hyundai with his head in his hands. He sat like that for a good ten minutes. I thought he was still sleep and didn't even know he hit the bus. The driver finally rapped on the window and said some thing like, "Uh... You hit my bus" (I don't Spanish so I was having a fake conversation in my head). The guy stared at him for a minute and said, "No sh!t" (still the fake conversation). But anyways... They put me in a taxi, I got on another bus and off I went to the mountains. Yeah, WU WU (I know it doesn't fit there but I always have it qued up for good times).

Doke Coffee plantation, cool. They served a big breakfast with samples of all their coffees. Tour, cool. Loaded up on chocolate covered coffee beans. Tried to climb a couple trees after that (Note to self, not good to eat a handful of straight caffeine and sugar after three cups of coffee).

On the bus, I was seated next to a lady from Missouri. Her and I started talking politics and she says, "Missouri, Texas, and Arizona should secede and form their own country." Uh, I left it at that till we got to the volcano.

At the volcano, we started chatting with a guy from Texas. Dude was Texas from top to bottom. Boots, Wranglers, buckle, burnt orange button up shirt, and big cowboy hat. We told him the Missouri lady's political dream and he yells, "I'm on board. I will run for President." I shimmied a few steps to the left (didn't have time to go back to the right), turned and sprinted up to the top of the volcano.

The volcano was still active (Yellowstone style) so if you have been to Yellowstone and seen St, Helens it was a bit of "been there, done that". But, then they take you to a lake in a near by creature that is absolutely beautiful.

Meanwhile, Missouri and Texas can't leave each other's side.

Back on the bus and to the rain forrest. AMAZIZING (Benchwarmers)! You start off with a bird sanctuary. I got a Toucan to sit on my arm. I asked it for Fruit Loops and it freaked out. What gives?

I made my way down the trail and we got to the butterfly house. Got to see some newbies coming out of their cocoon. Hella cool.

Next up were the monkeys. While in front of the rally monkey cage, I asked, "Didn't Ross have one of these"? Silence... I even heard Suzannah's crickets from here. So I giggled to myself and on to the next cage.

Further down was the snake hut. Not your average zoo snakes. These were some cow killers in there. Ran by and made it to lunch.

Buffet! Hay! Dude, who ever thought to put a buffet in the middle of a hike is hella smart! Pure genius! Well that is what my stomach said but, my legs were like, "We still gotta climb outa this". DAMN YOU THIRD PLATE OF FOOD!

I totally forgot I was mad at my stomach when we got to the big cats (wait till you see the pics). OMG.. big ass Pumas. Not your normal size 11s. These were the real deal. Next to them were the Jaguars. Coolest cats in town. Every kind of big cat was there (except for Wildcats, they suck).

Now our guide says, 400 steps down, 100 steps up! What the? Even I know that doesn't add up but, on I trekked.

This is were I missed Genesis the most. We do these things together and she was not there with me to take it all in (#teardowncheek).

...Okay, I'm back...

The waterfalls were amazing. Funny thing though. It started raining... Raining hella! I know we were in a rain forrest but give a brotha a break! "I live in Oregon", I yelled to the clouds. The plea fell on deaf ears cause I was soaked from head to toe.

Sprinted back to the bus and we made our way back to town.

Couple funny things happened on the way home. Our tour guide mentions that Costa Rica's 2nd leading industry is Call Centers. Huh? Yeah, and he says their biggest company is HP. Now I know why B. Barry is always down here hiding out in the jungle. Computers don't work on vines, my friend.

Our tour guide passes out a survey to each of us and Missouri tears off part of her's and writes down her email and cell number (I'm hella nosey, huh?) to give to Texas.

This is how the next five minutes go:

She writes her info down. I hum, suspect. She says, "What?" I give her the "you are shaky" look. She rebuts with, "We took some pictures together and he says he will email them to me." Insert second suspect hum here. I soon remember that she doesn't know me and what my juvenile hum means so we stare at each other for five uncomfortable seconds till I look away smiling. You all know I could have won the staring contest but she was embarrassed enough so I let her have a little victory. Hey, I'm on vacation.

I watched the awesome rain forrest turn into an urban jungle as we made it back to San Jose.

Transfer now to the city bus. It was rush hour and the streets were packed and the air was filled with black soot from all the bad exhaust. I felt like a little boy in England during the industrial revolution. At one point I coughed and said out loud in my worst British acsent, "I have a little bit of the black lung." Crickets for the second time today. As I looked around at the commuting zombies and thought that no one like my middle school humor but me, I made myself feel better by saying that they don't speak English. Yay for me.

I made it home and then I chirped out... I gotta say it was a good day.

We are headed to the eastern coast today so, I may be off the grid for awhile.