Essential Planning day!

We had an early rise this morning to get showered and dressed, to then meet at 8:30 and have breakfast. We discussed the plans for the day, including what to actually eat for breakfast and also when to meet Javier, our Costa Rican guide. Javier’s representative turned up at 11am after we had sandwiches for breakfast bought from the supermarket at 10:30. We met Jovanni the representative of Javier and discussed transportation and the trekking/camping plans in La Fortuna.

We split into groups to go into town to carry out different jobs that needed to be done for the day. Me, Ella, Ellie and Mr Taggart went to look for places to eat for under $2 per person (£1.50). Emily, Stephie, Alice, Leah and Alex went to change American Dollars (between $50 and $100) into Costa Rican Colones and also find a phone and sim card which wasn’t successful until four trips later. Beth, Holly, Jack and Cliff got a taxi to the bus station to book the tickets for La Fortuna. Jenny, Shaun, Danny and Miss Booth completed the menu planning for our acclimatisation trek near La Fortuna

We sat around the pool and Miss Booth, Alice, Stephie and Emily split up the Colones between us depending on how many dollars we put in. We all put in $30 each for the Rest and relaxation part of our trip and also $20 each to tip the guides during our stay here. Me, Leah, Ellie, Ella, Alex and Cliff explored the stripper pole on the balcony across from the lounge, let’s say we received a few strange looks! (Ed. I need to hone my skills a bit but I thought I taught you lot one or two things ;-) lol )

After we all went to the lounge area and played a game of Pool and relaxed on the balcony and seating area. Then Ellie, Ella, Danny Leah and myself went to town to look for fuel for the camping stoves and still had none two hours later, despite it feeling as though we had walked round the whole of San Jose. In the mean while Emily, Stephie, Alice and Alex were still looking for a phone and sim card.

When we got back Cliff and Miss Booth weren’t pleased we spent two hours in the town and didn’t come back with any fuel, but it was getting dark and Latin-American Costa Rican men are more “open” with their compliments to women and have exploring eyes. We then went back out into town with the entire group and looked for a place to eat which, Ella, Ellie, Mr Taggart me looked for, for under $2. But with us not having lunch today we could spend $6 and therefore could afford a McDonalds J.

All in all a busy day doing essential planning for the rest of our trip.