Oh, it's just a walk in the park!

Sunday, July 15^th

Ick and ick for this crappy morning. Basically, I haven’t slept well. I woke up coughing around 4ish (I think), and now I am sore everywhere. And my ribs hurt. Wth? Last night I fell when we were walking home and twisted the same knee yesterday morning before the jump. So now it is really bothering me. And on top of that, I cannot find my favorite blue hoodie (the only one I brought), and I am suddenly sure I left it at the movies last night. Poo. Needless to say, when I leave the house to go meet Beth for church, I am in a really foul mood.

I meet Beth in downtown San Jose mere minutes before mass is to start (thanks to a bus that refused to come). And though I am doing my darndest to let my bad mood get the best of me, Beth does something to cheer me up: she gives me my jacket. She put it in her purse last night and just forgot to give it back. I’m thrilled. I can ignore my body.

Church is... okay. I didn’t understand the majority (even though it is a Catholic mass and there is not much to comprehend), so we kinda miss communion. And it kinda sucks. Because I really want communion. Poo poo.

After church we meet Hannah and I complain about my bad day. Hannah’s guess is that I have been doing crunches in my sleep, and that is why my abs hurt. Sure. Sounds good. I keep coughing, but for the most part, my mood clears up. We sit around in the plaza and people watch for a bit, trying to make some plans for the day. Hannah’s suggestion: ice cream. Come on Hannah, something useful please? But she’s right... when is ice cream not useful? I tell them about this park I read about, and although it is quite a distance, we decide to walk there.

On the way to La Sabana (the neighborhood where the park is), we stop in at a large warehouse looking building that actually houses quite a few restaurants in the upper level. After much deliberation, I get a fish sandwich from Burger King and chow down. Then it is some ice cream from Pops (yum), and we reclaim our hike. I like this part of town. It is much more suburban and much less dirty. I admit; I will not be sad to leave San Jose. Sometimes, it is a pain in my tush.

After years of walking (it is a very long walk), we see some trees that we think must signal a park. And sure enough, a few meters later, we see it: an enormous and welcome expanse of green in an otherwise urban area.

The first things I see are tons of soccer games. Little league, older groups, everyone and their dog is out here playing fútbol. And those who are not are picnicking and playing Frisbee. It is so peaceful here. I snap some pictures as we run into a grove of painted trees. At least, they sure look painted. But upon closer inspection, we discover that these árboles are, indeed, real. ¡Qué extraño!

We walk further into the park and come across a large pond (or lagoon as my guide book refers to it as), where children are scurrying, venders are peddling, and ugly ducks are happily quacking. A walk around the lagoon yields a zip line... a very unsafe looking zip line. Huh. There are also some whale bones (not real) and many interesting statues. Although I could walk around here for much longer, a sudden rainstorm drives us to keep moving. We round the water and continue back to the entrance: Hannah now really has to go pee, and I’m fairly certain the museum at the entrance has some baños.

The art museum is free on Sundays, so after we do our bathroom stuff, we decide to have a look around. This might just be my favorite part of the weekend (okay, not really, but it is wonderful). There are paintings and sculptures and a hammock, where you can lie and listen to a featured song. The museum is dedicated to CR as a sea. This means everything is smooth and tranquilo. I love it. And on top of the wonderful art we see, there is the building itself. The staircase reminds me of a lighthouse, winding up and around. The upstairs is simply two balconies with rows of tiny doors leading out to the terrace. And at one end is a large music room, equipped with a piano. Qué magnifico.

It is still raining a bit when we leave, but we figure we can make it to our food warehouse before it gets too bad. We don’t. Within minutes of leaving the comfort of the museum, the bottom drops out of the sky, and we are pelted with ever increasing rapids of rain. We sorely underestimate the distance to our building, each time we stop to take shelter we say “oh, let’s keep going; it’s just a bit further.” But it isn’t, and by the time we take the escalator to safety, my white skirt is soaked to my thighs. I quickly find a seat and spread my skirt out to dry; how embarrassing.

Somehow I decide this reprise means more ice cream is necessary (a big reason why I have gained weight this trip), and I get a sundae with coffee ice cream and caramel sauce. Ah, who cares if it’s unhealthy – it’s so good!

Once the rain lets up, about an hour later, we walk back to town. We want to do some souvenir shopping, but by the time we make it to the open air market, most booths are closing. Really, this does not bother me. My cough has gotten worse, and I now feel very very tired. So when we decide to just come back Tuesday, I inwardly rejoice.

Finding a bus to Sabanilla is muy difícil, and soon we give up and start around the corner to find another. Just then my bus zooms by! Poo. But it isn’t long after we get to my stop that another bus pulls up, so I wish the girls Hasta mañana and hop aboard.

Once home, I pass on dinner (a first!) and do some laundry. Then, after looking at some pictures (Hi Sean! I miss you!), I type up some journal notes and go to bed. It is 8:30, and I feel like a zombie. But before I fall asleep I remember: I have a speech Tuesday. Hmm...