Panama – Costa Rica used to not accept vehicles at the Atlantic crossing (I mean the northernmost border crossing). Because there is no bridge large enough for a vehicle to cross. Last year (year 2020) that bridge was finished together with the bike path. In fact, it was interesting to see the bike path, which I had not seen in Panama, as I approached the border. I don’t think it continues on the Costa Rica side. Let’s see how our transition to this country will be?
After getting the exit stamp from the Panama side, I took the bike path up to the top of the bridge. Before I left Panama, the cops stopped me and asked what was in my bags. They passed without looking inside. They took my word. When I came to the Costa Rica side, I stood in line with the Panamanians. When it was my turn, the police told me to go to one of the buildings below. However, he did not direct the Panamanians there. When I went to that building, the passport officer told me to go upstairs and handle the insurance.
Yeeeeees, the adventure begins. As I said in my previous Panama article, when entering this country, they did not ask for PCR tests during the times of Covid19. However, for the first time, I had my PCR test done for free before I left Panama. I got it done for free but it didn’t work. I knocked on the upstairs door and went inside. On the left were two French tourists, and on the right, a very nice Costa Rican female attendant. It was the right thing to go out again and wait for the people inside to come out. Tiny room, no need to wait inside, obviously it will take a long time for me to work. When the women came out, I went in.
– Hello. They sent me here for passport processing. I am a Turkish citizen, what do I need to do to use my free 90-day visa?
– Greetings, to enter Costa Rica, in addition to your health insurance with $50,000 coverage, you need $2,000 Covid19 quarantine coverage from one of the Costa Rica insurance companies.
– What if I do it from my own country?
– No, we do not accept. When you have it done in our system, a QR code will be sent to you, and a visa will be issued until the day of your insurance.
– Am I going to do this by internet or is there someone here who does this?
– There are insurance companies at the downstairs, you can go to them or you can do it yourself online.
– Thanks.
After leaving the building, I went to the area that the woman said, there were also tourists from other nationalities. I asked the representative of the insurance company how much should I pay for the 90-day insurance with these guarantees. He said it was close to $600. Are you kidding, I didn’t come to buy the country. Wow dude, they jumped in size in ripping off tourists. In every country, governments found their way, this one found a different way… He said a price of close to 200 dollars for 30 days. I left the area and sat down and turned on my computer. Let’s see how much money on websites which these guys recommend. Cheapest I found it for $167. There is nothing to do. Some of my traveler friends said, “Brother, we paid $25, don’t pay that much.” they texted. There is a detail about me that my friends who travel by bus and car always forget. I don’t enter from one part of the country and leave from the other in 15 days by car. I stay at least 1 month in the country I enter. From this point of view, a fee of $25 per week can only be possible with a tourism agency (bus travel agencies earn from the release), while I am trying to get 1 month of insurance. If there is something cheap, if it doesn’t bother me and if it’s legal, I’ll definitely find it, but it wasn’t there at this point… They don’t process the passport without that QR code. I paid using my credit card on the website and a QR code was immediately sent to my e-mail address. I went to passport control with the code and they gave a 31-day visa. I asked for some more days just because I’m cycling, but they refused. Anyway, the passport was processed and I entered the country. I’ve been traveling for 10 years. No country’s government has screwed me like this. There is also a stupid situation; so many Panamanians passed beside me, which one had health insurance? They allowed pass them, they gave me difficulties. When it comes to racism, everyone is on their feet. While I am writing this, let me share a situation that has been on my mind for a long time.
When every individual understands that he/she is a citizen of this planet, regardless of race, religion or language, and learns to live together in peace within the framework of social rules, then he/she will save his/her own species and these borders will not be needed. Saving the planet is what the human species usually envisions. We always say this. No, friend, one needs to spruce up and respect the living species that inhabit the planet! We have forgotten that we are a minority on this planet. We must not forget this and remind those who have forgotten. (Remind me if I forget too!) This planet will take away the possibilities for you to live when the time comes, and this process is not that far away. That’s why we have to put aside the promises to save the world and learn to act according to its rules if we want to live on this planet. Because IT IS THE OWNER OF THE HOME, NOT YOU. REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE MORTAL AND KEEP YOUR HOME CLEAN, DO NOT DIRTY. WHO COME AFTER YOU CAN LIVE.
Anyway, I entered the 52nd country. Let’s see how it goes? I’ll go to the Atlantic coast and find a campsite right away. The first kilometers of the road are not bad. But why would a country without an army build one-way road?
Oh yes, Costa Rica is one of the 30 countries without a military. The number of countries that do not have this army is maybe a little more, but I don’t really care about this issue. Costa Rica, which has a population of just over 5 million people, abolished the army by saying, “We are in favor of peace, armament brings nothing but war” with its 1949 constitution. On the other hand, towards the end of the same year, he changed the interior of the police structure in the country. Well, there were heavy weapons in the military, so what, will they throw it away or give it to their neighbors and say, “Take it, brother and see what’s good”? Haha… Does a country without an army for 71 years make the international highway a one-way trip? As the days go by, I see that they have just started to make that road. Existing roads are beyond disgrace, I learn weeks later that state officials rigged the highway tender, most of them were arrested, some of them took the money and fled. In the meantime, when he learned that the Chinese had built the highway, he said, “OOOOO, you already have two or three ports in your hands, you lost them too, get well soon.” I said. China’s African and Central American policy strategies are another matter… I also had the opportunity to talk to Chinese engineers in road construction.
One of them said exactly this: “These Costa Ricans just eat and sleep, they don’t understand anything”. To tell the truth, what this man said is a chronic problem that came from Spain in Latin America. Aren’t there any hardworking Latin Americans? There are of course. However, taking things slow and pretending to be an expert rather than an expert in the field is a situation I have observed throughout Latin America. In addition, the practicality is really ZERO. Since the Chinese are worked like slaves in their country from morning to night, the comfort here has upset them. When Costa Rican workers saw that I was talking to the Chinese, they immediately asked me the following question:
– Do they really eat cats and dogs?
– They are.
– They are not human, how do they eat cats and dogs, they are our dear friends..
– So, have you ever fed cows and sheep at home before?
– No, I did not.
– Well, if you feed them, they will be your best friend and you will not eat them, just like a cat and a dog. Also, there is not enough cow and sheep meat or other animal meat in their country. Their population is 1.8 billion. It’s a pretty normal consumption situation.
When I explained it from a different perspective in this way, the situation seemed reasonable. But at the end of the conversation, they said they still couldn’t eat. In fact, it would have been quite natural for them to be born there and be enchanted in that culture.
Another detail that caught my eye during my time on the Atlantic coast is that Afro-Latins live only on this coastline. When I crossed the mountains and went inland and to the Pacific coast, I didn’t see a single Afro-Latin. Really interesting. I can’t miss it, it’s a pretty big area. It is possible to see a similar distinction in the service sector in a different way. Anyway, I don’t want to talk about this anymore. I said what I would say above…
I stopped in Costa Rica for a total of 30 days and 20 of those 30 days were rainy. Due to the rains, there were very serious landslides and floods. Weather conditions don’t matter to me. I have been cycling for years at -57 and 61 degrees, rain, ice, snow and desert. I know that sometimes I push the limits too hard. I stand at that point, I am a person who knows my own limits. But sometimes nature makes moves that I don’t expect, and knowing my limits doesn’t matter.
The rain increased its intensity, and with it came the wind. Until then, I didn’t wear anything. It doesn’t matter if I get wet in the tropics. Moreover, if the altitude is not high, I can pedal comfortably. After the rain stops in this climate zone, I dry it back up very soon. That’s why I hardly ever wear raincoats. But when the wind starts to blow, it becomes essential to wear a raincoat. A bus stop opposite. Let me get inside there, I will open the bag so that water does not get into the bag. A black woman in her 60s at the bus stop:
– You got here just in time. you are lucky.
– It really did.
She was such a sweet woman. I have always liked the cordiality and smiles of Africans.
It’s pouring rain. I’m at the bus stop in front of a small town. By the way, the road I’m on is the Pan-American road, that is the famous road that goes all the way to Alaska.
A taxi arrived in front of the station. At the stop there is this black woman, a young black boy, and two white women in their 40s. The reason why I talk about white and black like this, I noticed that although they were all going in the same direction and there was a place in the taxi, other women did not come to the invitation of the black woman and they sneered. Haaaa so “Pura Vida” is a story around here, and that was the first thing that came to my mind. “Pura Vida” is the motto of Costa Rica. Pure, Clean Beautiful life… Pull the other one.
I left behind the taxi. The taxi was about 50 meters away from me and a large piece of land broke off from the hill on the left. It continued to slide down, swallowing the taxi in front of me. I’ve never seen anything like this in my entire life. I couldn’t believe that such a large piece of land could flow so quietly and quickly. He disappeared in front of my eyes in seconds, along with the people in the car. I didn’t hear any screaming, nor the sound of metal hitting metal. With the effect of the heavy rain, the earth was taken away with all those sounds and the lives. I could only come to my senses when the soil stopped flowing. I couldn’t even go backwards, I am aware that I escaped with a difference of seconds. Other vehicles on the road, people, we watched the shift of the earth together, but I was in the front and I froze without knowing what to do. When I came to my senses, I immediately pedaled to the village and told the owner of the market that the land had slipped and 3 people from their village were under the ground. The other women at the station knew who was underground. I was on the road again and observed the situation. It would take at least half a day to remove this land mass from here with vehicles, it seemed impossible to reach those people. Minutes later, the families of the people who were buried under the ground came from the village. Screams, shrieks, this time, despite the heavy rain, these voices could not be suppressed. There were those who came with shovels, but they didn’t even know where to dig. Who knows where the vehicle was in this huge pile of soil. In the meantime, the other part of the mountain could break off as well, and it would be unwise to stand there. There was no other choice but to wait for the diggers…
Then I entered the village, following the railway line that passes under the town, since the main road was closed and there was no alternative way to pass. I learned this line from the villagers. There was a road that only motorcycles and cyclists could pass.
Even though I was on my way; After this experience, I understood very well that I had to stay away from the slopes and the high hills by the roadside. The rain did not stop until that evening. I climbed a little above sea level, and there was a town just where I had climbed. Since there is no GPS in front of the bike (I lost it in Panama), I saw from the Komoot program I used on the phone that I would go down to sea level again beyond this town. Oh, then it will be better for me to stay in this town tonight. I’ve also seen areas at sea level submerged along the way. This is actually one of the reasons for the Costa Rica section of the Pan American road to be rebuilt. They built the road above the settlements on the right and left of the road so that the flood waters would not block the road, so some things have been experienced before in this country. There’s a place in town that makes concrete molds, it immediately caught my attention.
There was a flat concrete under the roof at the top of the production site. All right, if they let me here, I’ll set up a tent and sleep. I went and talked and they let me. It is quite dangerous to set up a tent in this part of Costa Rica at the moment. I was caught in flood waters once inside a tent in Botswana, I don’t want to experience the same things again. That night I lived in Botswana was very difficult. Now it passes right in front of my eyes; Sometimes I even surprise myself. How is it that after all the events I’ve been through, I’m still going on, it’s impossible not to be amazed.
In the following days, all the roads I was going to go were closed one by one as a result of landslides and there was only one road to the city, which I did not want to go. Because the road was narrow, there were no safety lanes and quite a lot of trucks were passing by. But I wouldn’t have known until I tried it, how dangerous it was.
After a 35-kilometer route with a 1200-meter climb, you arrive at the capital, San Jose. So how was the road? Almost all of this 35 km area consists of climbing and rainforest. They did not even make a place to stop for any vehicle when they broke down. The forest is so dense that when I stopped pedaling and put that first foot on the ground, my shoes could hardly hold onto the road because the top of the white strip was covered with moss. In particular, I have to stop before trucks and buses pass. When I hear the sounds of vehicles coming from behind, I immediately pull to the side as much as I can. Because none of them slow down as soon as they see me, and it’s dangerous because they’re going pretty fast, just an inch or two away from the handlebars. Sometimes, I came face to face with people who noticed the situation among the vehicles coming from the opposite lane. I managed to go 22 kilometers of the road in this way, and half of the day was gone, stop, get up, stop, get up is not a job. Realizing the situation, the drivers informed the police and the police came and blocked the road.
– We cannot allow you to go further down this road.
– Yes, I am aware, I did not realize that the road was so crowded and narrow.
– We’ll find you a vehicle.
– Ok.
For the second time in Latin America, I had to put the bike in the vehicle because the road was life-threatening. A passing truck was stopped and they threw me in its rear trunk. (First, they did not allow me to enter a tunnel inside Chile. The highway vehicle carried me to the other side of the tunnel) I have 13 km left to finish the slope and 25 km in total to the city. I asked them to get me out of the vehicle when the slope was over and the road was relieved. I entered the city by bicycle. Wow, what an adventure I went through again. I really don’t risk my life that much when I’m at the top of the mountain in the middle of the desert. Ok, I’m alone and if something happens to me, there is no one to help me in those mountains, but cycling in the city near this city is really an adventure and dangerous. I always say where people are is dangerous.
Yes, I came to the capital. Engin, whom I met when I went to Japan by bike for accommodation, moved to England after living in Japan for 15 years and is one of the partners of the MUBI film application. He told me to stay at Emir’s hotel in Costa Rica, his classmate from Istanbul Kadıköy Boys’ High School. He introduced me to Emir via whatsapp and I went to his hotel in the city center.
Emir lives here with his father. Bülent Sayar also made long trips by boat in time and came to Costa Rica with his son after retiring from Fiat. It was very nice to listen to the memories and experiences of a person whose life was incredibly colorful. He is still making plans to travel and shared his dream boat travel project with me. Emir’s Aldea Hostel was Aldea Hotel during covid19. He converted all the dormitories into single rooms. Moreover, these rooms have also made it very stylish. Thanks, he gave me a very nice discount too. There is a pizzeria called Corner next to the hotel and it is very close to the capital city centre.
The story of Emir’s coming here was also thanks to his uncle Mehmet. He has a very nice Turkish restaurant called Sofia in the city center. Right next to it, his close friend Hasan has a very nice patisserie. For the first time since I left Turkey, I ate cheese pastry in the same form here.
I also had the opportunity to meet Yağız in tihs city, who works at Ericson, who has been following my travels for many years. His adventure of coming to the country is a completely different story and ended with a happy ending, he got married here. We also had the opportunity to ride a bike with him. I had the chance to be at our Turkish Embassy twice.
In the first one, I met our ambassador Fatma Hanım. In the second time, I met with a citizen who has been living in Costa Rica since 1970.
I can say that the city of San Jose is in a big valley. The capital is surrounded by mountains, as I said, there was no desire to travel in the city as there was constant rain during the time I was there. However, I also had the opportunity to visit the city center, the national museum, and the surrounding villages with my bicycle. I did all of these in the rain, I was usually wet when I got to the hotel at the end of the day.
I’ve seen bike cops in almost every Latin American country. But I never thought I’d see so many police on bikes in Costa Rica’s capital. They also made some equipment specific to bike police. We said disarmament or something, above. They all have weapons, we are safe, no problem. One of the criteria for tourists to come to this country is this disarmament and the absence of an army.
Especially when the roads on the south side of the city are followed, there are settlements that cannot be visited at night. I, on the other hand, went through those areas by bike during the daytime. If one day I started sending coffee from Costa Rica, the field I was going to send was on that side behind the mountains, so I went. One of the best coffee bean producers in the country, Cup Of Excellence, its score is +91 wow.. So very very good. Let alone Turkey, Jorge has no sales to Europe. Anyway, what I experienced during the story of going there and returning…
I wouldn’t be able to go down a human-like path. On the difficulty that I will always find the worst way. On the way back, I managed to break the trunk I made for the rear. Moreover, it broke while going downhill, the broken side got between the spokes due to the weight of the bags. I managed to break the 5 spokes at the same time.
The rim bent very nicely. There is 22 kilometers from the city, I stayed at the top of the mountain. I sat in the rain, took out the broken spokes and put on the two spokes that I had spares next to me. The remaining 3 didn’t matter, it would have taken me all the way to the city. I repaired the broken trunk with a tire and continued on my way. Even at the top of the mountain, it is very unlikely that I will stay on the road, but I have to break the frame, which I did in Africa.
I put the 13-14 key on the broken place and surrounded it and had the bike take me to a certain place. The blacksmith’s work in Colombia only lasted so far. Thanks to Emir, I found a super blacksmith in the city and I improved the trunk a little more and had a new one made.
Again, the highways, public transportation system, pavements etc. in the city do not give the impression of a country that has not invested in the army for 70 years. Where is the money, what did you do? You have $1.5 billion clean every year from cichlid bananas alone. By the way, Costa Rica is the number one country in Central America in terms of banana export. In the census conducted in the country in 2020, they were close to 6 million. It makes everyone say, “Wtf!” when looking at the population and economies of Central America on the internet and traveling around the country by bicycle. Let me add, let’s be surprised: The daily garbage of this country of 6 million people is over 550 tons and only 50 tons of it is subject to recycling. What do they do with 420 tons of 500 tons of garbage? Of course they throw it into the ocean, what would they do? In this country, which has almost the same surface area as our Konya province, they cannot bury 500 tons of non-recyclable garbage under the ground every day… We do not want to see and accept some facts, we do not want to. Then what do we say Costa Rica is the pearl of Central America…. Pura Vida..
In my previous article, I had mentioned that I dropped the Oregon 750 model sent by Garmin Turkey to Colombia on the field in Panama. Although I searched in the mud, I could not find it and I was quite upset. Yes, I have a sponsorship from Garmin, but I also remember the conditions under which I reached this level. For years, I’ve been keeping an eye on everything and everything on my bike. Ok, the sponsor can send me a new one, but I never want to lose or break it. That’s why I searched for hours in the mud that day. I went on with sadness and at the point where the first phone signal came, I texted Hasan from Garmin, Turkey. Hasan immediately returned and said, “Costa Rica exists in the capital, we write there. We’ll send you the money and you can take it from there.” said. Fortunately, he never made me beg. Over the years, Kron, Garmin, Ortlieb and Shimano Turkey started to listen what I said without questioning, but this process came after 11 years.
In the cycling community in Turkey, people say to me, “Oh, Gürkan Genç? Ooo, he is very popular or not one of us, he is traveling with a sponsor”. Of course, it’s normal for me to be a popular and famous person for those who don’t know how I travel. Wait guys, I’m not a POPULAR AND FAMOUS person yet, shouldn’t all Turkey know about me to be like that? The target is ULTRA POPULAR, together we will make me ultra popular in the future please.
A message from Turkey is sent to Costa Rica Garmin, it’s gone. They look at the message; “Dude someone ridicule with us.” saying the sentence in Spanish and then saying “I think Garmin Turkey was hacked, let’s learn the truth from America.” They are sending a message to the US headquarters:
“We received a message from Turkey Garmin. They talk about a Turkish athlete who is on a world tour by bicycle, and Garmin Turkey sponsors him. We were asked for Oregon 750. Can you confirm whether this is real or not?”
America Garmin also writes directly to them: ‘The event is real.’ Immediately afterwards, Francisco and Gaby, the owners of Garmin Costa Rica, write to me. “We will be happy to welcome you when Gürkan comes to the capital city” and after a month and a half, I arrive at them.
Gaby greets me at the door, a few minutes ago she had a broken heel, a heel in one hand and a shoe in the other, a funny position. Francisco came immediately to say hi. I met the employees inside, one by one, and we took selfies. Then they take me to the meeting room and listen, I tell my story briefly. They listen with admiration… So I ask them how long they have been working with Garmin.
Francisco’s story is really beautiful. In his youth, he started to work as a clerk at Satec firm in Costa Rica. He also meets Gaby in this company. It’s a long journey from clerk to marketing director. Before the owner of Satec dies, he leaves a will and wants the company to be transferred to Francisco, he thinks that he will come to a better place with him, and he becomes the owner of the company. This is how the story has come to this day. What a beautiful situation. Transferring the country’s largest electrical and electronics company to a person you believe can achieve something… The company was well-known throughout the country, and this is what I learned afterwards. They are also the Costa Rican distributor of the Garmin brand. Such brands have an advertising budget for athletes in their country. Francisco and Gaby did not accept the money to be sent from Turkey and gave me the Oregon 750 themselves. Then I said the Edge25 on my bike needs a new cable. They said this is a very old model and replaced it with the Edge830. In an instant, they gave almost $1000 of product. He also saw the watch on my wrist, “Gürkan, if you want, let’s change that old model vivo Active 3 too.” said. But I said, “No, it’s working, and its condition is good.” I said. He had already given enough support to a foreign athlete. Why I use these devices is written in detail on my equipment page and they are very important to me. Francisco and Gaby, I will never forget you. I hope I will grow my coffee business and one day I will see you again when I come to Costa Rica to buy coffee. Thank you very much for your support.
One day, I was walking on the street in the capital city, while talking to my friend on the phone in English, a stylishly dressed man of my height was walking by, taking two steps back. “You speak English, super, can you help me?” he said. I asked for time by pointing at the phone, and after the phone call was over, I turned to him and said:
– Hello how can I help you?
– I’m sorry, I don’t know what to do. I’m in a panic. I got robbed in the back there 30 minutes ago. I am an American and a Marin (i.e. he is from the navy). I talked to the police, I couldn’t tell my problem because I didn’t have a phone or anything. I don’t have money to pay for a taxi. I didn’t make a hotel reservation or anything, I don’t know what to do, I was left like this. Could you possibly help me a little?
Haaaaaaa, look at the man you came across in the whole country…..
– Of course, I normally get consultancy fees for this kind of work. Since we’ve exhausted zero. I will help. First of all, there is no need to panic. The American embassy is very close to here, 6 blocks away. Whoever you ask will show you. When you go to the embassy, at least 2 of the security guards at the gate are Marin, that is, you are colleagues. They will help you when they tell you where and how you did your military service. You ask for their phones, you get 100 – 500 dollars in their accounts and they give it to you. Likewise, since you are a soldier, they will give you a place to stay in the embassy. By the way, you can get all the paperwork done in a maximum of 10 days. They will not take any money from you during your stay. You are both an American soldier and a taxpayer. In addition, the state has a payment system for difficult situations. They can give you money like a loan and collect it from you when you return to the USA. It’s up to you. If you want, withdraw $3,000, buy some clothes and continue your vacation. Give the money back to the USA.
When I spoke uninterruptedly and rapidly, the man had a brief shock.
– How do you know so much?
– I know Turkish Marin from there too. I’m sorry, don’t forget what I said I have to go, and don’t panic, you’re a Marin HAA HAA…
Have any of you witnessed these Americans saying “I am an Ex-Marin” while chatting in a place? Does it work in some environments when they say that? They definitely go through this especially in their conversations. Anyway, the friend above was really American, it was clear from his accent. But he was not a robbed person, he was out to hunt, but when he came across me, he had a short-term shock. I’ll take the man’s mind.
In Latin America, you have to be vigilant on the streets. You should pay attention to the street you are walking on, the direction you are walking, your back and front, and your radar should be on. I was robbed too, even though I was that careful. They stole my phone on the subway, in Buenos Aires, 2 thieves followed me in Medellin, they cut me off on a motorcycle in Cucuta. Anyway, be careful when you come here, especially when you are visiting the cities.
Let’s come to the part of Costa Rica that fits this Pura Vida story. This motto is very important in this country. Costa Rica is a great holiday destination for Europeans and especially Americans. The peninsula in the northwest of the country is really beautiful. After leaving the capital, the destination is Punta Arenas. This city will be familiar to those who have visited South America. It is the southernmost city of Chile, located at the very tip of the continent. It wouldn’t be wrong to even say that it is the largest city in the south of the continent.
There are two different ferry services from Punta Arenas to this area, prices are cheap and suitable for vehicles. I’m going to go to Naranjo beach in the north and grab it down there. It has always been stated that this area is much safer than the rest of the country. But, as I said above, it is necessary to take precautions. Although it looks like an asphalt road when looking at the map, most of the road is not asphalt. There are 3 rivers on the way when you go to the south and get caught up from there. After crossing all of them, I learned that there are alligators (relatives to the crocodile) in one of these rivers. Good thing I learned then haha or I wouldn’t have passed. No, I also pushed a bicycle or something like 25 meters in the river. On the other hand, the jaguar is also present in the area. Although I know from my experience in Africa that it will not approach people especially in these areas, I have seen with a phone video that this animal shows itself to people, although it is rare in the region. Okay, it’s very unlikely to see them, but they can still be seen as a possibility.
The coastline was truly beautiful until it reached the Nicaraguan border to the north. The good thing is that you can set up a tent anywhere you want along the Costa Rica coastline. It doesn’t matter if you have a business nearby or not. Even when I set up camp in areas where businesses are located, restaurant or hotel owners allowed me to use their water or take a shower in their businesses.
Each village in the region has really luxurious accommodation and eating places. This is not a peninsula where an ordinary Costa Rican citizen can come and spend money. People in villages mostly work in businesses in the area. Service, kitchen work, DJ, protection, driver, garbage disposal, etc. I spent time with citizens in two different villages. Thankfully, they hosted me and it was a nice chat. In one of these conversations, there was an incredible rain. Meanwhile, many passers-by stopped at the unused bar where I was going to rest in the evening and we started chatting. After the rain stopped, I saw that nobody is going home. I said, I guess they started a conversation. haha.
– Well, your ladies and children were waiting at home, you said so.
-Yes, but we can’t leave, it’s forbidden to leave until 9 pm..
The coastline in the area was a nesting place for turtles. There is a fine for leaving at 21:00 and going to the beach. I mean, if they hadn’t said there was a fine, no lie, I would have gone. I wondered. However, there you go, you examine it, leave the animal alone, right? Then I got angry with myself. I left in Africa to communicate with people in these desolate places or to take pictures and videos, to go to places where animals live in prison. But it still comes to mind.. Anyway, I’m learning, the road is still long..
My friend Gonca from Chile texted me. “Gürkan, you are going up, Can lives on that side, he has 3 very nice places, you should definitely meet him. You will love it.” I sent a message to Can, he replied instantly “Gürkan, I’m waiting for you, my home is your home.” We went to the man’s place, the man is not at home, he lives in a small castle that you know very well.. Friend, what a view of the house.. There is a GS1200 in front of the house.. I already saw the engine, I said, “Aha, we are of the same mind with this man,” and for the next week I saw that it was indeed the case. After leaving Turkey, he works as a food and beverage manager in hotels abroad, and years later he comes and settles in Costa Rica. Here, he is opening 3 restaurants related to world cuisine, all of which are stylish and beautiful. I missed our conversations with him so much after I left. Also, I met Can’s Iranian friend Pourya, who lives there, he’s always listening to sad Turkish music or something, my friend, what the heck, I said, “Don’t ask, my ex-girlfriend was Turkish, I learned it thanks to her” Hahaha wow friend, we came to the other end of the world, old We also met the man who had suffered from his girlfriend. Greetings to you my brother, I will never forget, I hope we will meet again.
If you happen to visit Costa Rica, I would definitely say not to cross the country without seeing Mehmet (Sofia Restaurant), Hasan (Pandeli in the city centre), Emir (Corner in the City Center) and Can’s place (Hacienda Blue Beach), as I wrote above. You both make a little love and breathe. Yes, 30 days have passed, let’s leave the country without penalty and go to Nicaragua, let’s see what happens.