Itīs my last night in Costa Rica, just got done saying goodbye to good olī Doble Cero, the best bar ever. Vince and I sat there laughing about this past semester, all the things we saw and did and what we thought Costa Rica was going to be like when we got off the plane early in the morning on Friday the 23rd of August. The second weekend here I managed to round up 9 gringos and we all went to Tamarindo beach for the weekend. It was a good trip, before we all started breaking off in groups and making enemies. I remember telling Vince and Jeff that at the end of the very last weekend of the year I wanted to go back to Tamarindo with all of us from that trip, just for kicks and to reflect on the year. Things change, like how I leave tomorrow at 430 in the afternoon for Chile, Jeff is back in the states and Vince is following me in about a week. Itīs life, and itīs good. It makes me not want to be so concrete about my plans for France after I graduate, but then again itīs something I really want to do so Iīm pretty sure Iīll go but who knows. Earlier this afternoon when I was packing my things I was happy to see that I can still fit a years worth of stuff into my big purple duffel bag and my backpack. Iīll have to work on sizing that down after I go back to Reno.
So hereīs some reflections on my 3.5 months in CR:
Costa Rica isnīt all itīs cracked up to be, and the central valley where I live is as dumpy as any other area in Central America. Still, the parks and the beaches are so beautiful and fun, and the people are so different, that itīs been worth it even though Iīm bailing.
Ticos (Costa Ricans) take better care of their hair than anybody. There are hair salons everywhere, which means thereīs a market for them. One of my favorite moments regarding Tico hair was when I was at Nosara a couple weeks ago and after waking up on somebodyīs front yard this Tico I was camping with washed his hair and busted out his little sack of hair gel, to get that special look before he went swimming in the ocean.
Imperial beer ice cold tastes like a little bottle of heaven, and nobody serves it up colder than Doble Cero. Man, Iīm gonna miss that place.
The music here generally sucks, latin dance crap so go figure. But earlier today Vince and I were walking over to another friendīs house and passed by the soccer stadium, where written in black spraypaint on the wall it said, īKILL THE POORī which is of course the first song on the Dead Kennedys first record, and the writer was nice enough to paint the DK logo next to his artwork.
Playa Samara was my favorite beach. Iīll probably come through Costa Rica again, most likely when Iīm on a long trip through Mexico and Central America, and when I hit CR Iīll probably head straight there. Hopefully Joel will still have his restaurant and cabinas and will let me sleep in the shack behind the restaurant for free again.
Iīve made some great friends and had fun experiences with many people this semester, and earlier tonight Vince and I were sitting in the bar talking about who we thought we were ever gonna see again. We both have our thoughts, but of course itīs equally likely that weīll see nobody as it is weīll see everybody. I think Iīll be on the other side of the planet someday, maybe in Indonesia or the Philipines, and Iīll see one of my bros from USAC fall 02 Costa Rica Heredia, and weīll sit and talk and wish we had Imperials to go with the conversation but then again that would be everything and if we had everything we wouldnīt be able to enjoy how fun it is to want things you canīt have, and who wants that? Nobody.
So Iīm gonna cruise up out this piece pretty quick here, Vince and I back up to Corrineīs apartment where Iīll pull up a nice stretch of floor for the night, and dream sweet dreams that sleeping on floors brings and when I wake up Iīll know Iīve slept my last night here for a while. Then Iīll go get some gallo pinto and haul ass to the airport.