January 28, 2017
I’m headed to the airport – just said goodbye to Ben. I will miss him but since we only get to see
each other on the weekends, this week will be like normal but with more
expensive text messages and no hope of meeting my daily FitBit step goals. I fully intend on seeing Costa Rica, through
the looking glass, as it were. If I
wanted to commune with nature and animals and those who don’t necessarily
understand me while sweating in the heavy humidity, I could simply go to
Mississippi.
I’m sitting in the Delta Sky Lounge as I got to the airport very early
to ensure a stress-free passage. When I
showed Delta my return flight ticket for Alaska Airlines, they said, “No
problem” and I fairly zipped through security arriving at my gate a full four
hours ahead of my flight boarding time of midnight-thirty. The Sky Lounge is very quiet with comfy seats
and great food and now that I’ve experienced it for the first time, I am
hooked. Gonna go peruse the buffet. Yes, I said buffet.
January 29, 2017 (7:00 am – 1:00
pm)
Sleepless flight. I’m in row 18
and the light outside the restroom is shining in one spot and that would be
directly into my face. I asked if they
could turn it off, point it elsewhere or at least dim it. I never realized how many ways you can be
told no. At least I caught up with my TV
viewing, watching Season 9 of Big Bang Theory.
It’s not as funny as it used to be.
Awoke tired but with the bonus energy often afforded travelers, I was
able to speed through customs like a visiting dignitary.
First impressions: cool and
windy at 8:30 in the morning. Costa Rica
doesn’t seem any more “foreign country” than Miami if I’m being honest. Just bought a bottle of water from a very friendly
lady, paying Lord only knows what as I don’t understand the exchange rate or
their currency – colonnes. For my change I received colorful bills and
two rather impressive coins. These coins
have personality as if they might have magical properties or allow me entry to
somewhere off-path and spectacular.
I was instructed by my hosts to wait at the airport for the other
attendees to arrive. Unsurprisingly I
got here first. There is nowhere to sit
other than this concrete bench so I guess my “roughing it” has begun. Via the wonder of Facebook Messenger, Zeke
Tyrus (of the San Buenas Writer's Retreat) gave me the scoop on the one restaurant at la aero puerto; Deli Malinche, where I
had a ham and cheese croissant, because I could recognize what it was and point to it, and a café con leche. Delicious. Not to take away from their culinary prowess
but if I’m being honest, at this point, I would have tried to eat a
boot or a dead body if you had melted cheese on it. Soy
Queso!
I’m sitting here alternately reading The Tangier Diaries, as
recommended by Zeke, and people watching.
I just marked a great passage, “The difference between our god and
theirs is us.” I’m experiencing some
truth while I wait.
After several hours I am hungry again so I am attempting to order food
at the restaurant. I pointed to what I
wanted (it was cafeteria style) but when I tried to ask if it was spicy I
couldn’t think of the word for ‘hot’.
Asking if it was ‘not cold’ caused confusion. My brain took over and used the only other
language with which I have any familiarity – American Sign Language. I abruptly signed ‘hot’, which is forming a
claw with your dominant hand, placing the thumb and fingers at the sides of
your mouth. Then you quickly turn your
hand toward the other person as if removing something hot from your mouth. The servers eyes widened in fear. Afraid this choreography was going to leave
me bereft of food, I smiled, pointed at what looked like tuna salad, smiled and
said, “Gracias”. She did not smile
back. Where, oh where, is Senora
Franklin (my high school Spanish teacher) with her side pony-tail and snide
attitude when I need her? Luckily I can
say chicken, watermelon, bathroom, ‘please’, ‘thank you’ and ‘I’m sorry’ in Spanish. Also, should the need arise, beer and party. I think I’m all set.
No comments:
Post a Comment