Fellow Travellers

As one travels around Costa Rica, there are constant reminders that you are in North America´s backyard .
From the tour operators who price everything in US Dollars and charge extra if you want to pay in Colones, to the hordes of US and Canadian tourists all around.
On our trip from San Jose, we were joined at one of the hotels by a blonde Florida bimbo - with husband and 4 bags in tow- who looked as if she had just stepped off the set of Miami Vice. In addition to complaining loudly about most aspects of the journey, she kept us all waiting at the rest stop because she was shopping in the souvenir shop and then asked a stream of inane questions of the driver which didn´t help his driving on the mountain switchbacks.
Then, as we sat in our Hotel lobby yesterday evening, we overheard another guest complaining about how poor the roads were and how long it took to get anywhere and then badgering the receptionist about how he and his wife could drive both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts of CR and see everything in the 4 days that they had allowed to see the whole country!
Interestingly China is making a big play here , signing major new trade agreements and financing the construction of the new National Stadium.
My new best Tico friend - Javier - who has been our guide for a couple of tours here in La Fortuna probably explained the changes best when he told us that in addition to English he also spoke Japanese, some German and French and that at the end of this season will be taking Mandarin lessons. Although in his 20'´s, his card describes him as a ´Professor of Biology´but he says he earns more money as a guide than as a teacher.