The Locals Have It

One of the things I love about staying in a small hotel in a small town is the opportunity to talk to the staff, if they are nice. Well, I was so lucky to befriend several of the staff in my hotel in Brasilito.

We spoke Spanish the entire time. I learned that they call people from Nicaragua “Nica” and people from Costa Rica “Tico.” We spoke about the elections that just happened (and wow – the people actually choose their president directly, no electoral college, and this election was so close they will now do another one in April to see who the winner is!!)

Of all the things I could forget, it was the charger I need for my iPhone and iPad. So I asked Harvey who is a whiz at computer things if he knew where I could buy one. He did know, and insisted on driving me to the store to get it because it was too far to walk…AND he offered to wait for me while I bought a hat at another store (which I declined since I figured he had better things to do!)

On my last night at the hotel, Julio, the manager, asked me if I’d like to try a local wine. Who am I to refuse?! So, I got to taste Vino Colyal. It’s made from palm trees! Not at all like any wine I’ve ever had. I was disappointed to learn later that it can make you really drunk, and the next day, in the sun, you can get drunk again – like double bang for your buck….I wasn’t even tipsy! 

In an earlier post I mentioned that I brought too much stuff, and am calculating what I can ditch along the way. One of the heaviest things I brought is a battery pack to charge various devices. I thought it would prove useful, but the weight was driving me nuts. So, because these guys were so helpful, I gave the battery pack to Harvey, delighted to have it go to someone that will really enjoy it.

My Spanish is improving every day, I’m feeling more and more like I can just jump in and talk to locals – like I’m waking up and looking forward to learning more and more about the culture I am in!