Costa Rica, 05-06-2007
The best part of the day is breakfast: a shared plate of scrambled eggs with cheese and a mixed fruit cup with ice cream. After that, it’s five hours on a full shuttle including an older American with a plodding monotone voice that doesn’t stop talking for the entire trip. The only surprise for the day is running into, yet again, Matt and Laura during our 15 minute rest stop in Limonal.
So, that’s how we got our first stalkers.
But that’s cool, we like them.
The evening ends in some generic overpriced American hotel near the airport. We request the Hampton Inn, but the taxi driver ushers us into a hotel near it instead. He probably has a kickback deal with them, as is common. It shares the sign with the Hampton Inn, and it’s so busy at the entrance I don’t see that it’s a different hotel until later.
Sneaky.
Twice snookered. I need to work on my awareness, particularly when I’m tired after long voyages.
We probably pay a bit more than the Hampton Inn, but they’re both overpriced, we’re exhausted (which is why airport hotels can always get away with the rates), and we’re two minutes from the airport for our 10 AM flight. The other closest hotel, back in Alajuela, was quite sketchy: chain link fences, razor and barbed wire, iron bars, bulletproof safety glass on the reception windows. Hmm. I’ll put up the extra dough for the last night.
We turn on the TV for the first time in a week, and at least get a full night of sleep at Hotel Gringo.