Alajuela

That's where I really ended up these past few days, in Alajuela, just outside of San Jose.  I like to say it out loud:  Alajuela, Alajuela, Alajuela.

I took a bus from San Isidro to San Jose.  I would have taken another bus from San Jose to Alajuela, but the bus terminals were far apart and I didn't feel much like walking.  A taxi it was... and though I should have taken a taxi from one bus terminal to the next, I took it all the way to Alajuela... too expensive, I should know better.

Still, somehow I managed to have a conversation in Spanish with the driver.  I understood about eighty percent of what he said, which was quite strange.  I was sitting there thinking, why is it that I can understand him so well?  Maybe he was being easy on me, with simple words.

Volcanic rock is cut and used as pavers here.  In this shot, the steps on the right are volcanic rock.

I was to meet Kristen and Mary there, but arrived a few hours before them.  So I dropped my stuff at the hotel, and went off to wander.  I like the town... the streets are more narrow than in San Isidro, and it gives it a nice intimate feel.  The main park in town has no traffic, when strolling by at night you mostly hear conversations.

Heavy rain fell not long after I started wandering, and I took refuge in a church for a couple hours.  I had plenty of time to take multiple pictures so that, I dunno, maybe I would get one that wasn't blurry... but I didn't, so this is what you get!  When I think of folks coming into Catholic churches and signing the cross and all, I think of older people doing so.  But not here, mostly it was people younger than me coming to pray.

The next day was coffee plantation tour day...

First, you pick the beans off of the bush...

Soak them for a bit in water, which makes the outer shell a little weaker and helps to sort out the bad ones.  Then run the beans through a machine that removes the outer shell...

While the beans dry in the sun before roasting (the different strengths of coffee, from a mild morning blend to a dark roast, is determined purely by the amount of time you roast the beans), you might look at some flowers:

or some interesting tree bark:

or maybe have a look at trees from two sides of the earth at once:

The next day we went to Poas National Park, where there is a volcano crater, and it was essentially a bust.  Cold blowing rain, not much to do but drink coffee at the snack bar and watch the instructional video a couple times.  We did try though, and were there not clouds in the background in this shot, you would see a very impressive volcano crater filled by an acidic lake behind the girls:

I did get some earth activity in though... I was awake for and felt this:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7736933.stm
My first earthquake!

Looks like I'll be with the flap in Nicaragua tomorrow, after a brief consideration of Panama.  Maybe a night in Granada, and it sounds like there's going to be some beach involved.  I have no idea what kind of internet access I'm going to see over the next few days, but I'll try.  Until then...

Comments

[Oolong]

Whoa, it's been about a week since I checked in and you've added lots. I'm liking your flora and fauna material, even if it's just the domestic pets. That photo of Chacho turned out nice... black dog against the colorful background. Most of us hunters back here in wow have gorillas now. Do people keep monkeys there? Or are they all wild?

[John]

As far as I can tell, they are all wild... never seen anyone with one. There are three types around here from what I can tell... spider monkeys, the white head ones in the Quepos post, and howlers. I saw a howler first day out at the garden, never a spider.

[bernsly]

i like the tree from both sides of the earth.