Piara Strainge
  • Home
  • All About P
    • Recovery
    • The Writer
    • The Photographer
    • The Traveller
  • Books
    • Getting Ready to Freelance and Write
    • The Workings Of My Mind
    • An Introduction to the Publishing Industry today
  • Published Portfolio
    • Articles & Features
    • Guest Blog Posts
    • Web Copywriting
    • Poetry
    • Photos & Snippets
  • All Things WTP Blog
  • Contribute
    • DROP YOUR VERSE
  • Media Pack
  • DESTINATIONS

All Things Writing Travel Photography

Let the trip commence!

5/7/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
I felt quite uptight prior to catching my flight from Toronto to San Jose. I was worried about what I was leaving behind and what was ahead of me. I'd been in the midst of several big projects since leaving my job at the Post Office and I'd busted a gut to leave everything just so. A bit of a control freak! And what was ahead of me? I hadn't been on the road for 4 years and had never travelled with just a back pack.

I love flying - and that wonderfully liberating realisation "well I can't do anything about it now" - so I sat back, watched some movies, slept a little and enjoyed the amazing scenery from my window seat on the 5 and a half hour flight to San Jose. This was enough to start getting me in the mood for an incredible adventure.
Picture
Kicking off CRSG 07 April 2015 with G Adventures "Backroads of Central America" I threw myself into it. I liked the fact I hadn't made any plans for an airport transfer and could take my time before finding my way to the joining hotel. After picking up my bag from the conveyor (it took ages but that didn't matter, I wasn't in a hurry), I changed my clothes into something lighter (the humidity was seeping through Arrivals) and changed up some dollars into the local currency Colones. I got 460 colones to the dollar so it wasn't the best rate (500 colones = 1 dollar). I went outside and immediately I had a crowd of taxi drivers surrounding me. I just picked one, complete potluck, knowing the hotel was about 30 to 45 minutes away depending on traffic and a taxi for that distance cost around 30 dollars. Doing that simple bit of research before travelling is really useful. I've had my fair share of unknowing, nail biting taxi journeys and subsequent panic. My check-in at the hotel was easy and I was soon meeting my roommate for the next 3 weeks - Olivia the Austrian. It's funny, I've been using an Austrian Airlines luggage tag for 4 years now (it's the only one I have left, a freebie from my Explore days!) and I was wondering if / when I would ever meet an Austrian. Anyway, Olivia and I hit it off straight away. She's on a 10 month World tour, lucky jammer! 7 months in and we meet. We're the same age and have the same interests and hobbies - and best of all, we want to do the same things on this trip. We want to see as much wildlife as possible and climb that blimin' big volcano on Ometepe island... After chatting for what seemed like ages, we popped out for some snacks and then met the rest of our group and our CEO (Chief Experience Officer) Rafa who would be looking after us. He went through the itinerary and told us what we could expect and ended with the words "Embrace the bizarre" - with the promise that if we can do that, we'll have a wonderful holiday. I quickly figured out I was one of the oldest on the trip, but that was ok, and at dinner across the road after the meeting, I found out Rafa was 4 years younger than me. You know you're getting old when your tour leaders are younger than you! It's all good :)

The joining hotel was Rincon de San Jose. We were only here for one night and I barely saw it in the day light, but first impressions - light and airy, lots of plants everywhere, cute little bridge and walkways between rooms, rooms and bathrooms perfectly adequate, friendly staff. I expected it to be noisy all night long and it was. If your room didn't face out onto the street, it faced into the middle of the hotel where people were walking right past your bedroom window. Most hotels we stayed at were this design with a central courtyard. We had a great restaurant right across the street and it was a 5 to 10 minute walk into town. 
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Blogging is an amazing concept so here I am giving it a whirl. You'll get words. You'll get pics. Sometimes a vid or two. You'll get tongue in cheek, the odd humble opinion and an honest insight into my travels and writing life. Maybe even a few gems along the way. I'll be musing on home turf as I see more and more of the UK and sharing my experiences further afield on holidays and adventurous trips across the globe. 

    Things you need to know about me: I love music. I love books. I love laughter. I love comedy, theatre and the opera. And mixed with all of that, I LOVE to travel, write and take photos.

    And, as of the 3rd April 2017, I'm on another journey, very different to my travel adventures. This is a journey of recovery. From grief, from depression and from Fibromyalgia. I will also be sharing the impacts these things have on my life now;  how I don't want them to change me, but they will, and already have, and yes, it's a rollercoaster.

    I hope you enjoy All Things WTP.

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    November 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    April 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    October 2010

    Categories

    All
    29 Of The Best Travel Experiences
    30 Things Project
    Author Platform Series
    Being Happy
    Freelancing Series
    Industry News
    Literary Memories
    My Book Reviews
    My Influences
    My Publishing Journey
    Photography And Travel
    Self Publishing Series
    The Journey Of Recovery
    The Publishing Journey Series
    Time Management And Well Being
    Word Play
    Writing Advice

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • All About P
    • Recovery
    • The Writer
    • The Photographer
    • The Traveller
  • Books
    • Getting Ready to Freelance and Write
    • The Workings Of My Mind
    • An Introduction to the Publishing Industry today
  • Published Portfolio
    • Articles & Features
    • Guest Blog Posts
    • Web Copywriting
    • Poetry
    • Photos & Snippets
  • All Things WTP Blog
  • Contribute
    • DROP YOUR VERSE
  • Media Pack
  • DESTINATIONS