The Bus Station

I looked about as touristy as I have since I got here. I had my backpack and my camoflage boonie hat and my shiny blue swimtrunks on,(no, they are not those ones that Richard Simmons wears, you know, where half his butt is hanging out, thankfully someone in the garment industry had the wisdom to not make those in my size.). Besides that sterling outfit choice, I had that confused big galloot look that I really try to avoid when I am in Latin America, but keeps showing up from time to time.

I went to the ticket counter and asked to buy a ticket to Playa Samara,(Samara Beach). The lady told me in Spanish that I needed to buy my ticket from the bus conductor and not her in a tone that said I was stupid. I wanted to ask her why she had a job sitting behind a counter that said "tickets" if I was buying the tickets from the driver? Was she just there to put ignorant gringos in our place? But, like so many other times, I just grinned the big galloot smile and said "Gracias".

The bus station is really cool, because there are all these little stores and restaraunts and vendors walking around selling things. This short chubby guy that was selling potato chips came up to me and said in very clear Spanish, "You-are-going-to-Playa-Samara-Right?". I felt like Forrest Gump for a minute. I replied, "Si, a Samara." My big galloot brother then said, "The-bus-leaves-at-10-am-ok?", Then he held up ten fingers to make sure I got the point. I grinned the dumb grin again and said,"gracias."

So I waited around for about 30 minutes and the bus finally showed up. The chip guy came back:"This-is-the-bus-for-Samara-OK?", and he proceeded to point at it. "Gracias, maje! muy amable!",that's Costa Rican Spanish for "Thanks Dude! You´re one of the good ones". Seriously, though, it touched me that he went out of his way to help me, he didn´t even know me and he was not an employee of the bus lines. He was just a guy selling potato chips.

I took a seat in the back by the back door. I was not shocked that there was no AC or bathrooms, but there were snacks. First the jello guy came on the bus, they call them "Gelatinas", and they are in plastic bags, you rip them open with your teeth and suck the icy cold jello through the bag. I decided against this. Then the chip guy came on, it was my Big Galloot brother who had got me on the right bus,(its a secret organization, click here to read more). I felt I had to buy a package of chips from him, it was my duty, and they were only 200 colones, which is less than 50 cents.

Finally, we were off to the beach.

Juanito

Next Costa Rican Entry: The Bus Ride