I'm in Costa Rica!

Where to begin?! Where to begin?! Well I didn't get robbed, lost, or in trouble so that's good. I have gotten asked by everyone freaking Gringo here where to buy marijuana which I think is hilarious. I've been in San Jose, Costa Rica for a week now and there is so much to say already I am completely perplexed where to begin. It is very different yet strangely similar here. It seems as if I have walked through some science fiction time warp where familiar things now are skewed, like it is a blend of past and present. Technology is limited, hence, the reason why I am just now able to update. Internet cafes are few and far between and when you do find one the wireless connection is often unpredictable due to the sudden colossal rainshowers that can happen at anytime of the day. It can be frustrating but I like it. I like not knowing what time it is or what day of the week or not having instant access to everything.

What I don't like is my limited Spanish conversational skills. Unfortunately my conversations don't go any farther than asking where something is or explaining what I like, need, or want. And even then I don't get that right. Today, for instance I thought I was ordering pineapple juice, but due to my barnyard mule accent I was pronunciating jugo, the Spanish word for juice, as juega, the Spanish word for play. So instead I just kept telling the poor guy behind the counter that I play pineapple. It wasn't until after the third time I told him this that a nice lady standing in the back of the line finally just ordered the damn thing for me.

Speaking of pineapples, they are delicious here! I'm staying in this nice old Tico lady's house named Lily who gives me pineapple, papaya, mango, and banana every morning with the best coffee I have ever had. The food is amazing since everything they eat comes from Costa Rican soil. For example, I hate bananas. I think they are fucking gross, but here I love 'em. I eat a whole one a day and it baffles me at how delicious this bizarre shaped piece of fruit actually is here. The ironic thing is that bananas aren't native to Costa Rica. They were actually brought over from China, and now Costa Rica is the second largest banana exporter in the world! If I ever make it back to the states I'd like to stick to the Tico diet often referred which is referred to as comida tipico or comida cansado: fruit, rice, beans, coffee, and carne asada. Yum Yum!