The second time in San José

I am currently back on the bus on my way back to the lodge, and I must say, these few days have passed quicker than I expected.

I realized that it wasn’t entirely wrong to be back in San José for a little while – simply because in the previous week, I had so many new impressions, met many people, and had to get used to everything. The break definitely gave me time to process and reflect on all of that. However, it quickly became clear to me that I feel a thousand times more comfortable in the middle of nature. I would always prefer the peace, the pure air, and the sound of the rainforest.

I also used my time in the city to call Alex and my parents – just to give a little update, but also to ask for advice.

In addition, I had a group call with the guys that was set up to hold a “political discourse” – fitting just before the election. Even after years of friendship, opinions can vary widely, which is perfectly fine. For us, it is important that the exchange of opinions, no matter how different they may be, can be discussed without anyone shutting down. That is what true friendship is about. Aside from that, the call was also just extremely funny! 😂

Regarding the bureaucratic hurdles here in San José, I can say that everything has gone well so far and I don’t have to do anything for now.

One thing is clear – nothing is easy here! Even with such trivial things as taking fingerprints, one would think that it is done quickly. I thought that collecting data is something done worldwide – wrong thought! 😂 Here, I had to really push for the police to take my fingerprints. The fact that I am doing an internship without organizing it through an official organization did not sit well with them. After a bit of shining with my broken Spanish and claiming that my mom works at the UN and knows the lodge owner (😂), it finally worked out!

The following Monday, I was at the Migración with all my documents, and surprisingly, it went quite well. The only problem is that it was just a quick check, and the actual review of the documents will take place in the coming weeks. So I hope to receive a message confirming my residence permit. If not, I'll go crazy.

As I mentioned at the beginning, I am currently on the bus and want to share something that happened earlier at the bus terminal. Just to clarify: In the city, you are asked for money VERY often – understandably, considering how expensive everything is compared to the salaries of Costa Ricans. However, I usually don’t like to give money here because most people would probably spend it on drugs. In addition, many are very pushy and only see the money from tourists, but not the person behind it.

Therefore, I typically only give money to people I can have a real conversation with, like at the very beginning of my trip (the guy who emigrated due to a gang conflict). In that case, I bought him food, so I could be sure that the money would be spent wisely.

Earlier, I gave around 6 € to someone at the bus terminal. He is from Nicaragua and comes to Costa Rica for a while to work as a car mechanic. I gave him the money for the bus ticket home. He was also a very funny and interesting dude. These are the moments that I really appreciate, and I always like to help such people!

Well, I've written enough! Now I’m just looking forward to going back to the rainforest to finally settle in properly!