Learning from Mistakes

I've learned a lot today. I've learned it pretty well, too, since an unexpected outflow of dinero was involved.

I didn't anticipate that "¿Dónde puedo cambiar el dinero?" would be my first urgent and repeated phrase in Español.


But I'm getting ahead of myself.


I showed up to the Orlando International Airport two and a half hours early for my flight, and got to the gate 1.5 hours early. No issues with the flight, or customs (a man took my customs papers and waved me through without looking at them, and the XRay guys didn't even watch my bags go through). There was an exchange window with no fewer than 20 free attendants willing to assist me. I exchanged some money with an English-speaking attendant and headed outside to find a taxi. A crowd of airport taximen met me at the door - let's just say I in no way blend in with the Costa Ricans. I could set myself on fie and recieve only slightly more attention. Seconds later, I was in a taxi and headed to "la parada del autobúses a Turrialba en calle 13".

This is when things got tricky.

I watched the taxi meter click higher and higher, and slowly realized the the anticipated US$2 taxi rides were considerably more pricy in San José than the quoted Turrialba prices. When we reached the bus station, the taxi driver asked for roughly 90% of the local currency I had just exchanged. Wuh-oh.

Lesson #1.

I approached the ticket window at the bus station and requested a ticket, asking if they took tarjeta de crédito (credit card) or US dollars. Nope. I was stumped. And my stress level was rising. I asked three random Costa Ricans the suddenly very important "¿Dónde puedo cambiar dinero de dolares a colones?", to the response of three shrugs and sorry smiles. I paced for a few minutes, then decided to wander into the street.

I had worried about hailing a taxi before I arrived, but the eagerness of the drivers at the airport had made it easy. This was level two, I supposed.

I guess I was playing the "lost and confused blonde tourist" role very well, since it only took 30 seconds for a taxi driver to toot his horn and pull over.

Lesson #2.

I requested a ride back to the airport using broken Spanish and sign language, then shared my predicament in about four words: "¿Dolares? No tengo colones." He looked at me and spouted a price that my Spanish-slow mind didn't comprehend (Mom, this is where you would say "No sé"). I pulled out my meager 1000 colones bill (about $2) and suggested (using my ever-improving Spanglish charades) that I could pay after exhanging money. In retrospect, in my explanation of why I was out of colones, I'm not sure if I told him that the first taxi was "very expensive" or "very face".

Lesson #2.5.

The taxi driver agreed to take me, and we were on our way. Using our Spanglish charades, he told me stories of a building that fell - or maybe he fell from it... I wasn't sure. I mustered a drawn out "Ohhhh noo!" and a concerned look. I figured that would cover either scenario.

He asked if exchanging money at the "Super" (supermarket) was ok; I replied yes by saying "super", and sounded like an idiot.

Lesson #3.

We pulled into the supermarket and I ran inside, leaving my behemoth backpack in the taxi trunk as collateral.

Lesson #4.

I asked a pharmacist inside the increasingly urgent "¿Dónde puedo cambiar dinero?" She pointed me in the right direction and gave me very detailed instructions on how to get there, of which I understood "that way" and "door" and "exit". I saw a line of people and a window that had Western Union and Mastercard logos, so I hopped tot he end of the queue. An eternity later (probably 8 minutes, but time is very slow when you've got a taxi meter running in the parking lot), it was my turn. "Quiero ciento mil colones," I said, flashing my tarjeta de crédito. Her charades in return told me I had struck out.

Lesson #5.

I asked the cashier at the nearest register my ubiquitous four-word question, and she pointed me to the same window I had just left. So I headed back to the taxi.

"¡No puedo! Lo siento." was all I could muster - I can't! I'm sorry. The driver, becoming ever closer to sainthood in my estimation, shrugged and we headed back to the freeway. "¿Al aeropuerto?" Yes, I agreed; back to the airport. I had exchanged money there once; I must be able to do it again.

He parked at the departures lot, so I ran downstairs to arrivals, where I had exchanged dinero before. I waved off the waves of potential taxi suitors and headed toward my destination, only to be met by security signs and guards. I headed to a nearby cafe to once again ask "¿Dónde puedo cambiar dinero?" He sent me upstairs to departures, where I found the most glorious ATM I've ever seen. Colones in hand (multiples times the amount I exchanged on the first go-around), I ran back to the taxi and grinned at the patient taxi man. He asked for a second time if I wanted to borrow his phone to make a call, securing his title of Best Taxi Driver of the Day.

Lesson #6.

Back at the bus station, I handed the driver his pay (only 30% more than the first taxi, for more than twice the distance and three times the time), throwing in una propina as a thank you. I purchased my bus ticket and took a seat in the outdoor waiting area, taking a moment to tally my losses. I twas then I realized that I had had enough to purchase the ticket before - my mental exchange rate was one digit off.

Lesson #7.

The time for bus departure arrived, and I climbed aboard, looking for a window seat. I got myself situated and started to journal. A few moments later, a woman approached me and pointed to the seat next to me. I smiled and said "Sí". She replied, "El campo". My mental Spanish translator v. 1.0 spouted "the field" and I got really confused. She must have read the well-masked error message on my face, because she elaborated: "Ella tiene treinta y nueve blah yada blah blah."
Ohhhh. Seat number. Thankfully, my assigned seat - as listed on my ticket - was just across the aisle.

Lesson #8.


I guess the private taxi for $95 arranged by the school would have been cheaper and less hassle. But now I have had my first great adventure!

Lesson #9....and more.



¡Hasta luego!