In some ways I've arrived at the perfect time. The busy season just ended and the rainy season is just beginning, meaning the temperature has dropped making the afternoon torrential downpours worth it. This post is a little look into my life here the last few weeks. My work exchange commitmentMondays through Thursdays, I spent 3-4 hours in the morning assisting with a local venture called Osa Natural. Osa Natural was started by an American couple, Alison and Josh. The products are all based with coconut oil, natural, and organic. I love their lavender and mint soaps and natural insect repellant. I'm like mosquito candy and pouring DEET all over my body every day doesn't seem healthy. On Fridays, I have mornings and afternoons free because I spend the evening at Martina's, a local bar in the area of Matapalo. There Alison, Josh, and I juggle selling their products to travelers and locals while watching their two adorable children. It's a fascinating dynamic to observe the ticos and ticas (slang for local Costa Ricans) mix with the gringo transplants that have come here from the U.S. and other parts of the world. There's also some pretty bomb ice cream that I may have splurged for. In my spare timeIn the afternoons, I often borrow my roommate, Josh's, bicycle (not to be confused with Josh, the owner of Osa Natural) and bike to the small town of Puerto Jimenez. There's only one main road with shops, restaurants, and a church. It's been the perfect place to unwind and lazily explore. Other times I just lounge in our house or yard journaling and watching all the different kinds of birds and butterflies that pass through. Or I just smother my new novio, Murphy, with a ton of loving. Last weekend roommate Josh let me tag along with his friends, Karen and Jen, for a visit to Matapalo. Matapalo is the perfect combination of jungle and ocean along the Osa Peninsula. We saw monkeys swinging from the branches, lizards, multicolored butterflies, all kinds of parrots, and a SEA TURTLE. You can guess which one was my favorite. On top of the wildlife, I saw some of the most stunning beaches. Proof: Unfortunately, due to budget reasons I won't be able to visit Corcovado National Park (besides the steep park entrance fee, you also need to pay for a guide), but I feel thoroughly satisfied with Matapalo as a replacement. I may have not seen huge jungle cats or sloths, but I did see wildlife in Costa Rica that I haven't yet seen in all my travels. Where to next?Sadly, I'm leaving the Osa this week to head to the Caribbean side of the country. I'll be in a town just outside of Puerto Viejo doing a work exchange with a family that owns a bakery. Stay tuned for pictures and stories!
Until next week... pura vida! A few weeks ago, I spent some time visiting a friend in Barcelona. On a whim, I decided that I wanted to take a solo trip to Valencia. With no other reason than because my parents have a Valencia orange tree in their backyard. Those oranges are incredibly sweet and delicious! There are plenty of trains and buses that head to Valencia every day. But I thought that if I could find a cheap rental car then that would be even more of an experience. And I did! I found a rental that was cheaper than taking the bus or train from a third party car rental website. Some tips for renting a car in Spain…
Why should you read the fine print?The prime reason is so you don’t miss any contractual liabilities. Something they teach even children these days. The second most important reason is so you don’t look like an idiot when you arrive at the rental place and they start confirming information with you like this: Agent: According to the fine print, your rental is only good for 200 km per day, so a total of 400 km for your two-day rental. Me: Well my destination, Valencia, is 400 km away so that’ll be almost double the limit going roundtrip. That’s without the day trips I was planning. How much is it if I go over? Agent: With just going to and from Valencia (no day trips), at least over 100 €. 100 € extra was definitely not in my budget, especially when the rental itself was only 30 € for the two days. With the help of my friend, we did a quick brainstorm session of other cities I could visit and decided that Tarragona (less than 100 km away) would fit the bill. A glorious drive through the Spanish countrysideI had the most scenic drive through the hills and vineyards of Catalonia. I took the National Roads in order to avoid the heavily priced toll roads. While I spent a little more on fuel and time (still within my mileage constraints though!), it was well worth the scenery. On the drive, I thought about how worried my friend had been about me driving in Spain. Not to worry, I told him! I had grown up driving in very aggressive driving cities and states. Never had I been in an accident and I have had my license for longer than a lot of Spanish people my age. Everything would be fine! And I was until I arrived at my destination. Park wherever you like… or notMy AirBnB host had messaged me to park near the beach or near the department store in the city for free parking. Those were both quite far from the apartment, so I thought I’d park in a parking garage close to the apartment to unload my things quickly and then park again in the free zone. I entered the garage and reversed into a spot between two pillars. I thought I had done a fine job, but needed to straighten out a little. As I started to pull forward, two guys started yelling and motioning for me to stop. They kept pointing at my passenger side door…and the pillar next to it.I got out of my car, walked to the other side, and found the passenger side door wedged up against the pillar. There was no way for me to move the car forward or backward without continuing with my car running alongside the pillar. Eventually, I reversed and was able to create a small space between the car and pillar. Shaken, I called my Spanish friend dramatically crying about what I had just foolishly done. I had NEVER been in any sort of accident in 13 years of driving. In unlucky year 13, something was bound to happen. I had a million questions running through my mind.
Back in BarcelonaI got lucky. I’m lucky because when I returned the car, the attendant marked off my inspection with a big fat OK. Meaning, she didn’t see the scratches and I wouldn’t be liable for any damages. YAAAAAAY!!!!! My friend takes credit for distracting her in conversation. I think she might have thought the marks we made when we checked out the car were the scratches from my parking incident. It doesn’t matter. I’m keeping that piece of paper in a bank vault ready to release it in case the rental company comes back claiming damages. A nd I’m thankful that my friend was there to calm me down on the phone in the moment, that my AirBnB host was able to successfully move my car without any more scratches, and that I had great coverage with my Chase Sapphire credit card (they were going to cover the entire damages no matter whose fault it was). In the end, I had some of the best experiences of my time in Spain traveling solo through Tarragona and the villages of Siruana, Prades, and Montblanc. A few other things…If you are renting a car in Spain or anywhere outside the US make sure to double check some of the following:
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