Costa Rica Day 1

Estoy in Costa Rica! After taking SUCH a long trip to make it to Reunion Island this past winter, I came to associate tropical climates with never-ending flights, but suddenly, after only 5 hours of flying, I found myself once again in a tropical climate and a dirty but quaint city full of typically crazy city drivers. I felt very comfortable. I am traveling with someone this time (that may have helped make the plane ride shorter), and she had never been out of the country, so I got to witness her excitement over her first palm trees, first view of an island from a plane, etc. with the same excitement that I had felt my first time. We stayed our first night at a home-y hostel that greeted us with reggae music and a laid-back atmosphere. The walls in our small room were neon green and yellow and people had drawn on them. I instantly knew I was going to like staying at hostels, especially after chatting with some of the other guests here. I met a a girl from California and one from Australia who make jewelry and sell it to fund their travels (from April to December they are driving around South America!). I caved and bought a ring...nothing like supporting fellow travelers and getting nice jewelry out of it. :) I also was able to practice some Spanish, but I find it frustrating not to be fluent in the language. I always feel empowered in France, and now I am anxious to learn Spanish quickly so that I am not just "an American tourist" in a foreign country. Most of the people here have been so friendly, but while I ate the most delicious home-made pancakes at the hostel this morning, I felt inadequate because I could hardly speak with a guy from Argentinia and a gal from Italy and they clearly saw me as inferior because I was American. But, I will not let that discourage me. Oh, and my friend tried her first coke with real sugar (as opposed to the high-fructose corn syrup American variety) and loved it so much that she ordered two. Who would have thought that there are better and worse varieties of sugar-water? And she was astonished that my fish was served head and all. I am used to it though, but had to laugh as she tried to pry its fried jaw open to see all the teeth. :) So far so fun, and now we leave this hostel to journey out of the city and in to a quieter, less touristy area by the beach. Hasta luego!