because I was told that it was too dangerous to go out tonight as a single woman, I am now settled in my hotel, having shared my bottle of cheap sparkling cider and chips with my friends who are stuck here until midnight,with my books, my computer and myself. I was told today that I couldn't possibly walk the distance I went - it seems women must not walk more than a block here; perhaps that is why many women look like this babe. I love this statue with the local guys leaning on her on Avenue Central.
It was a gray day, but I walked as far as Avenue Central would take me and found a shabby park where people were actually running, holding hands and having picnics. I found this statue that seems to have had a hole shot in its head,but then saw another that made my heart race.
I walked back to the hotel and then went for my New Year's Eve meal at Tin Jo, an Asian restaurant where I drank a beer, ate Pad Thai, chocolate mousse and a black coffee. Then I took off down Avenue Central the other way towards the university. The sky looked ominous, but I kept on trekking and found some wonderful houses, all surrounded by circles of barbed wire fences.
Let us not get smug about our existence on this planet; Costa Rica is not without its problems of trash and homelessness, and I believe that there are fewer and fewer animals than we think. This is not the paradise that the eco-travel lore depicts. There is poverty and there are drugs,both of which drive the rising crime level so that taxi drivers have warned me, receptionists in the hotel have cautioned me, and I'm just as happy to stay put tonight although I DID really have my heart set on some sushi. Sigh.
I leave forPlaya Esterillos Oeste tomorrow and there will be no internet unless I hang at the bar on the beach which may be a real possibility if I get antsy; however, I'm bringing two and a half books, probably finishing the half tonight, and I'm planning total R&R - after my own fashion, of course.
And so, I wish everyone a joyful New Year; may you party your fill, hug and kiss old and new friends andremember all those resolutions in the morning with your aspirin... I yearn to be with close friends to bring in the new year, but this was an experiment that I will assess once I'm home.
Joy andLOVE!
to
No comments:
Post a Comment