Let's go to Costa Rica (30.01.2022)

The internal clock is a dog and makes us doze more than really deep sleep from 06:15 local time (almost lunch time, it is already 13:15). About six hours of sleep are enough for today, which, considering the anticipation of the day, doesn't bother us much. Our room is located on the 8th floor and has the best view of the airport's runway, which provides great entertainment early in the morning. But there's already a lot going on at this time at this huge airport that feels four times as big as Schwechat.

The breakfast lounge is rather sparsely visited, with two tables next to ours, and the buffet offers not only classics like fresh fruit (including three types of melon) but also nachos with salsa and sour cream dip, which Austrians would rather enjoy at the cinema or in the evening than for breakfast. However, when trying out all the Mexican components of the menu, the nachos remain the highlight, while the rest falls into the category of "okay, I tried it - it's enough to feel full...".

During breakfast, we contemplate the names and contents of a "travel blog" to capture and share our experiences. The roles are quickly clarified (Kathi takes photos & Johannes writes), but it takes a little longer to come up with a name. And since we both are big fans of sections, we decide to create some, like the "Insight of the Day", which has a (sometimes humorous) educational mandate, and the "Happiness Moment of the Day" to capture and share positive vibes. Let's see how well we succeed in the next days and weeks, but it's definitely worth a try.

Shouldering our backpacks and heading back to the airport, it's time to take off for San José at 12:55 after breakfast. The procedures at the airport are relatively relaxed, and it should be noted at this point that the staff here in Mexico is very helpful and friendly, the first positive cultural shock as living Viennese. While waiting at the gate, we look for a nice cafe to pass the time and do the Coke Zero test (a professional tick of both of us ;-)), which turns out to be very positive (not significantly sweeter than at home). As we pay at the checkout counter, the Austrian's heart rejoices, as the staff is actually singing along to "Live is Live" by Opus. With the airline Avianca (apparently Colombian according to the flag) and an Airbus A319 (clearly an older model), we finally head towards the capital of Costa Rica. Flight time is about 2.5 hours in a fully crowded plane, with an overweight of excitement.

The view from the plane's window towards the end of the flight reveals lush greenery and mountains that one would not expect for a Caribbean country. After the landing and a slightly longer bus ride, unfortunately, the first rather major inconvenience of the entire trip occurs - a seemingly endless queue at immigration. With the arrival around 16:00 local time, it becomes a game of patience with a waiting time of about 1.5 hours until we finally reach "our" rental car by means of transportation, the last major organizational challenge before the trip really begins.

While filling out the documents, the television is on - a prestigious duel between Costa Rica and Mexico in soccer (result 0:0), and you can see locals sitting in front of the screens everywhere at the airport. The keys to the car are handed over, and when stepping into the courtyard, there it is, a Daihatsu Bomber at its finest... well, it's not particularly pretty or well-maintained, and the gear shifting is a bit rough, but we will surely become friends, or rather, we will have to be for the next 20 days. Riding through the now dark streets in quite a challenging traffic situation, we head towards Hotel Ignazio on the outskirts of Alajuela, the fourth-largest city in the country (about 60,000 inhabitants) and about 25 minutes away from the international airport.

The uphill and downhill sections on the short drive to the hotel already give us a sense of what to expect in the next few days, it won't be boring while driving. After a safe arrival, the evening can be closed with a fine meal, served by a very attentive and in the best of moods (pura vida style) staff. Finally, it turns out to be seafood, vegetables, rice, and baked fish with plantains and beans, giving us hope for many more good culinary choices. And since our internal clock is not quite in balance yet, we postpone the cocktails for later. Happy (except maybe with the rental car) and dog tired, the day comes to an end at around 21:00.

The Daily Two:

Insight: The metropolitan area of Mexico City covers a population of 21.8 million people (about 2.5 times the population of Austria) over an area of over 7,800 km2, which is larger than the combined area of the federal states of Vienna and Salzburg.

Happiness Moment: Arrival at the hotel by car after 8 hours on the road and a lot of idle time due to waiting.