Costa Rica Day Nine. A Early Walk In San Jose And Back Home To Northeastern Pennsylvania
I decided to sleep in a bit on my last day in Costa Rica. I was staying at the Holiday Inn next to the San Jose airport and my flight wasn’t until 1 p.m. So I didn’t set my alarm . It wasn’t until around 7 a.m. when I awoke. This was late for me when on vacation. After a cup of coffee I left the hotel to explore the surrounding neighborhood. I love exploring new cities and usually spend my last night in a country I visit near the airport for just this reason. . I wasn’t sure of how far I would walk in the busy commercial area next to the airport.
And the hotel was, literally, right next to the San Jose airport, as the loud roar of large jet engines taxing on the runway occasionally drowned out the noise of the traffic on the busy highway when I left the hotel. . I was a little apprehensive about some of the neighborhoods after the warning I received the previous night, but the staff at the front desk assured me it was safe. `
The sun was up for about an hour when I began my walk . I left the hotel parking lot and walked along busy Route 3 ( Calle Real). At first the morning traffic was not as heavy as the congestion I saw during my walk on the previous evening. There were a few folks out for a morning walk or jogging on on the sidewalk. However, the traffic got heavier as I continued my walk . I wanted to get off the main street so I followed some side streets, 
and came to a railroad track. I love railroad right of ways. and often walk on them near my home in Northeastern Pennsylvania. I started to follow the tracks which took me to the back yards of a residential neighborhood. 
I saw some people along the tracks. They were very friendly. However, I ended my hike when I saw some dogs running loose ahead of me. They could have been friendly but I wasn’t about to find out. I no longer fear getting rabies on my travels. I had received the rabies vaccination after a dog bite last year, but I still didn’t want to have to spend a day at a local hospital treating a dog bite so I returned to the main street. 
The street was still mainly commercial but now had smaller markets,
and shops.
There were also some nice homes with beautiful flower gardens . They were all set back from the main street and all we behind security fences. It appeared there may be an issue with crime in the neighborhood but it was perfectly safe, in the daytime, anyway. 
I loved seeing, the many exotic tropical flowers,
growing in the gardens. 
I left the main street again and walked into another nice residential neighborhood. Here, walking in the morning sunshine in a foreign land I heard one of my favorite songs playing loudly from one of the homes. It was Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For by U2. I reflected on the lyrics of this song as listened to it echoing through the streets of this residential neighborhood. Both the song and street ended so I made my way back to the main highway. Here is a link to a video of my walk in the neighborhood with the song playing. I uploaded it to my YouTube Channel. https://youtube.com/shorts/UWnybF51Oa8
There were now nicer, larger homes, still with fences, and 
some still with Christmas decorations in their yards, 
and small markets along the highway, which now had a lot more traffic including many large trucks driving very fast. 
It wasn’t a quiet walk as the occasional roar of a jet plane taking off added to the noise. 
I wish I could have walked all morning but, I had a flight to catch after I was out about 2 miles I decided to walk back to the hotel, passing on the way the local police station,
and a few of the restaurants,
I couldn’t find the night before. 
There were a lot of truck deliveries for a Saturday morning. This truck was delivering one of the two popular beers in Costa Rica. A friend who visited here said it was the best,
but one of my guides insisted this brand was much better. I didn’t get a chance to try either on my stay. 
I returned to my hotel and walked past the palm trees were the many noisy parakeets roosted the previous evening. There wasn’t a single parakeet in the morning.
I finished my hike in some wooded areas near the Hampton Hotel next to my hotel. I hoped to photograph some birds or wildlife but I didn’t see anything. I returned to my hotel and had the usual continental breakfast available at a Holiday Inn . It would tide me over until I had a meal during my layover in the Newark airport. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos from my morning walk in San Jose. Costa Rica Day Nine: morning hike. January 13 2024. 
After breakfast I showered packed and checked out of my hotel. I took the 11 a.m. shuttle to the San Jose airport. Once again there was a lot of traffic near the airport. However. once I got to the airport I got through security very quickly . I love airports. As usual I walked through the “duty free” shops,
luring people to spend their remaining money on perfumes, liquor, cigars or souvenirs, including a lot featr
I had about 45 minutes until boarding so I sat an “people watched” and edited photos. I love watching people in airports. The greetings and interactions of so many people speaking so many languages, and of different cultures, races and religions all getting along is always a good experience. . 
We boarded our plane on time and I had the honor and privilege of sitting next to an Iraq War veteran amputee who last a leg and sustained other injuries when he stepped on a land mine during the war. He was very humble and honored to serve his country. He was a remarkable human being and I learned so much about courage and determination from him. Our conversation made the 4 hour flight go very quickly, 
we were soon flying over Cuba,
the Caribbean Sea and
the the Florida Keys. I believe this is Marathon Key where I stayed last Winter. 
The sunset as we flew over the United States., and we were soon descending into the Newark airport. I said farewell to my friend and, thanks to my Global Entry approval passed quicky through immigration. 
I took the tram to my terminal and ate at the same restaurant where I had breakfast at the beginning of this adventure. I had about an hour until I boarded my flight to the Avoca airport so I edited photos, worked on my blog and caught up on social media.
It was a short flight to Northeastern Pennsylvania and, since I had no checked luggage I was quickly through the terminal and in my Jeep driving the final 38 miles to my home.
It was around 11p.m. when I arrived home. It was good to be home in Green Ridge and I looked for the herd of deer that regular visit my yard. They weren’t around. It was cold, temperatures were in the 20’s but I loved seeing the trees in my backyard, even leafless in the Winter. I love to travel and explore, but as Dorothy said, “there is no place like home”. I enjoyed sharing another adventure with all of you and I am already planning my next one. I hope you can join me again. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos from my flight from San Jose. Costa Rica Day Nine: travel. January 13 2024.
We travel, initially, to lose ourselves; and we travel, next to find ourselves. We travel to open our hearts and eyes and learn more about the world than our newspapers will accommodate. We travel to bring what little we can, in our ignorance and knowledge, to those parts of the globe whose riches are differently dispersed. And we travel, in essence, to become young fools again- to slow time down and get taken in, and fall in love once more. — Pico Iyer
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