Farewells

I feel compelled to tell every Costa Rican I come in contact with that I'm leaving CR on Sunday. I don't know why I feel so compelled, but Costa Ricans are very polite and all act appropriately disappointed with the news. In the taxi today, I told the driver I was leaving tomorrow and he said, "oh! xohhutoieow manana sodfoite tarde lfnfk noche?" I fell back to my fallback position: big smile, nod, say "Si." He continued on that way for several kilometers. I grasped certain things. Finally I said, again part of this desire to part on good terms with every Costa Rican, "Costa Rica es una pais bonita." Every Costa Rican already believes this country is wonderful. The taxi guy seemed a little stumped at what to say in return, so finally he said, "Y la gringa es muy linda." I guess it's a fair trade-off, his country is beautiful and I am pretty. Thank you, taxi guy. Thank you, Costa Rica.

Our friend and pirate cab(that is, unofficial) driver Antonio just called me. His English is slightly better than my Spanish, but he wanted to know if the "problema con sus dinero" was resolved. I told him everything was fine, that the bank had replaced my money (I think I said something like "the bank returns my money") and he said, "Oh, Cullen, my family is very feliz about your dinero." He was genuinely horrified by what had happened. He didn't need to call and check on me. But he did. That's just one example of the kindness of most people here.

I counted my money--I had a $100 bill my mom had given me which I exchanged yesterday--and after buying gifts for folks at home and dinner tonight, I should have enough to pay my $26.00 exit tax. So, with a little help from my friends, I survived the monetary disaster and should be fine.

Daisy the cat (I don't know if that's really her name) has disappeared. I hope she is alright. I won't get to say goodbye to her, but I doubt she'd care anyway. Mine was just a nice house with good chairs and easy access through the hole in the screen. Sometimes she let me pet her, but I had to be careful because sometimes for no apparent reason she'd bite. And I never fed her, so she didn't love me.

I can't believe I'm leaving this warm (in every sense of the word) country. I will miss so much here. Even downtown Alajuela, which has a certain kind of chaos about it, has come to feel familiar. I hope to return someday, but I will most likely return as a tourist, and that means the experience will never be the same. Well, no experience can ever be repeated, now can it? But that desire to come back, to have a place here again, is very strong in me.

As is the desire to return to my familiar life. Mike asked what he should have at home for us when we arrive and my list surprised me: frosted mini-wheats, soy milk, a good loaf of bread, and some good cheese. Pretty simple stuff. I think I'll be so appreciative of my bed, my comfortable couch (the couch in my apartment here is furniture abomination--itchy, hot, with wooden bars between each cushion so care must always be taken when sitting down), my car. But I don't know, really. Just as I don't know for sure what I'll miss most from here.

So, adios, Costa Rica, una pais bonita. (could be un pais bonito. Could be something else entirely.) And Costa Ricans. Thanks.