NOT IN THE SCRABBLE DICTIONARY

 

We rent a mid-size SUV when we go to Costa Rica. Although the roads have improved a lot over the years, it's never a bad idea to have all wheel drive. However, when we arrived at the agency hours late, they didn't have what we booked. They offered an "upgrade", this behemoth. I didn't like it. I mean, the thing had mood lighting on the inside that changed when you played music. The name is like all those mysterious Chinese products you see on Amazon. Someone puts a bunch of Roman consonants and vowels in a box, shakes it, and sets out any short string that is pronounceable in a European language. I half-expected someone to say "bless you!" after I said the name.                     

GOOD FOR WHATEVER AILS YOU

 

Got a problem? Any problem? This is the place to come. Pharmacies in Costa Rica work more like those in Europe than in the U.S. No giant chains like Walgreen's or CVS here. They tend to be tiny and independent. You have to talk to the pharmacist about your muscle pain or diarrhea, and they will you tell you what to take. No vast selection of over the counter stuff like here. This one, though, seems to eliminate any need for a physician.  

MIRADOR DE CATARINA

 

One of the stops on the Nicaragua tour was El Mirador de Catarina, located in the town of the same name. The view is of the extinct Apoyo volcano, whose caldera is filled with water to the depth of 200 meters. I didn't know the snack quesillos. Turns out there are varieties across Latin America, both sweet and savory. The Nicaraguan version is a thick corn tortilla, soft cheese, pickled onion and a sauce. I might have tried one but the stand was closed.                  

STOP; OR I VISIT HOUSTON FOR THE FIRST TIME (SORT OF)

A nicer than average house in Granada, Nicaragua. No light coming in from the front. Windows traditionally face an interior courtyard.

We have not had a good flying experience on this trip. As I mentioned, both our STL - DFW and DFW - LIR segments were four hours late. Not too much inconvenience, as we had planned to overnight at DFW anyway. On Saturday, our inbound plane to Liberia was on time. However, The Liberia CR airport is so far over capacity in high season that the plane had to wait a long time for a gate to open, so much so that the pilots timed out and can't fly all the way to Dallas. So we are landing in Houston to get another crew. Customs and immigration there, then on to Dallas, where we will miss the last flight to STL of the night. 

Never been to Houston. We've visited Kathmandu, El Calafate, Alice Springs and X'ían, but never America's fourth largest city. I could do without.                       

HAVE A BLESSED RIDE

 

An autorickshaw or tuk-tuk, if you will, in the old colonial town of Granada, Nicaragua. I think that's Our Lady of Guadalupe on the back, along with a sticker of a hostile, science fiction-y face. Vaya con Dios.

HAULAGE

 

I've done some reading about Nicaragua since our visit Tuesday. Its GDP per capita in 2024 was US$ 2,600 per year, second poorest in the western hemisphere after Haiti. There are trucks and vans, but horse drawn carts are common. 

It is striking, though, that Nicaragua's main roads are clearly better than Costa Rica's. Chinese foreign aid, according to our guide. I'll find an illustration.                   

STL DPB ON THE ROAD - STREET SCENE

 

We spent a lot of time on the road Tuesday driving north from the Costa Rican border into Nicaragua. This is the southern town of Rivas. Some general impressions: Nicaragua is notably poorer than CR. The houses are mostly smaller and in rough shape. The cars are older and more beat up, and there are fewer of them. Lots of horse-drawn carts. In more populous areas, there are many autorickshaws, like you see in parts of Asia. Busses and some trucks are as festively painted and religiously decorated as in India. Few if any modern strip centers that are now common in CR. Many fewer supermarkets; our guide said they are too expensive and people prefer to buy from local roadside vendors. Flags are everywhere, with more of Daniel Ortega's Sandinista National Liberation Front than the national flag.

The day was exhausting and we took yesterday off. More of this to come.