Rules of the Road

Driving is crazy in Costa Rica. Just to give you an idea, I've written up a list of the 5 basic rules that I've noticed it's imperative to be aware of when driving here, especially in San Jose.

1. Stop signs and red lights are optional - you only need to stop at them if a car is approaching from the opposite direction.

2. As you will remember from physics class, "an object in motion will remain in motion until stopped by an opposing force." This law of science is obeyed in various instances.

Since this is true, a car approaching an intersection with a red light has the right of way to go through that intersection, rather than a car stopped at the intersection with a green light. This will work out better for everyone involved than if the car waiting at the intersection had attempted to act as the "opposing force" that stops the vehicle approaching the red light.

3. Never fail to follow Rule #1 by not going through stop signs and red lights, or you will become the enemy of everyone behind you. Similarly, assuming that you have the right of way just because you have a green light or have been waiting at a stop sign, and therefore disregarding Rule #2, can have disastrous consequences for your health.

4. As a pedestrian it is even more important that you try to avoid becoming the "opposing force" in Rule #2.

5. Although Rule #4 is true, you will never succeed in crossing a street unless you run (or walk, once you're experienced enough) in front of oncoming traffic that's not slowing down.

In order to arrive at the beach at some time during the same day you left, you will also need to: scare cows off the road by honking at them or lurching at them with your car, use the left side of the road to pass someone while you're going around a curve, and not drive off the side of the mountain on the way there.

On the other hand, maybe you shouldn't take suggestions from me on how to drive here because I've never been crazy enough to try it.

People

Living in a hostel is amazing because we meet so many amazing new people every week and day. For example, so far we have had a lot of fun hanging out with:

Molly and Jenny - two girls I went to high school with
Jennifer - organizes volunteers to work with a small Tico community
Shannon - writing her dissertation on violence against women here
Paulina - an Indigenous (Bri-Bri) woman from Costa Rica
Adrianna, Vlad and Meghan - vet students, with Vets Without Borders
Maria - getting dental work because it's cheaper than in the U.S.
Katherine - a Tica who has lived in the US and recently returned

This is by no means everybody we have met, just the ones who have made an impression on me. Also, these are only the people we've met who are also staying in the hostel. This doesn't even include the people I meet through my work, from the peace center next door to the hostel, the people who work at the hostel, through the Quaker meeting or through our travels.

Mercado Central

Mercado Central is where Ticos in San Jose typically shop for their food. It is a pretty standard Latin American market as far as I am concerned. They sell anything and everything. There are restaurants, ice cream, vegetables, manufactured goods (duffel bags, backpacks), t-shirts, souvenirs, meat, fish, poultry, flowers, spices, hair products, toiletries, rice/beans, tortillas, macaroni, spaghetti, cheese, etc...

40 years of making you feel pops.