Art & conversation

I am happy with the host of my Airbnb but the location is not great. There is almost nothing around except car repair and car sales lots and lots of schools. The walk today from the art museum was 45 minutes! You have to walk slowly because the sidewalks are rough going and there are no lights for pedestrians. The host, Rita,  advertises it as an easy walk to downtown. No.

So today I arrived at 6 am and with the $30 taxi I arrived at Rita's in Barrio Mexico at 7 am. 

Rita greeted me even at that early hour warmly and was helpful. I went out but mainly I wanted breakfast! I went to a very old place (said Rita) called Soda Tapia. Every worker wore identical red bandanas, a white hat like Harpo Marx used to wear, and a red apron (oops, I think it's a traditional costume for Costa Rica, it'scalked a chonete). I got huevos rancheros with a tomato sauce which left me with 4 red spots on my white shirt.

Then I tried to cross the busy street but there appeared to be no light for pedestrians to safely cross. A young man gave me his arm and said he was good at this because he works for that city department. 

I went to the Museum of Costa Rican art, a beautiful building that used to be an airport! The art was modern and they had a sculpture garden. And it was free! Upstairs there was a fabulous room with figures and history carved out of the wooden walls. Everyone was very friendly!

I walked back to the Airbnb and took a nap. I was so tired, having slept maybe 3 hours at most. 

Then I browsed the Couchsurfing website and found a group meeting tonight to practice Spanish and English! I took an Uber (the driver was very nice but he did ask me to sit in the front seat so as not to arouse suspicion; Uber is not fully legal in this country since they don't pay taxes). I had a meal by myself and when I was about to give up a woman showed up for the intercambio,  a Tica teacher of Spanish (to children)! And then a Spaniard who has lived in CR for ten years, and then a young man from Alabama who works as a programmer for the Peace Corps! And then a very quiet Russian woman. 

Conversation was good except for a long monologue by the Spaniard about pedagogy (another teacher)!

The Tica helped me get a taxi rather than another Uber home. I think I will sleep well tonight (though there is no AC, just a fan).