Aug 09 2008
they tried to keep me
Yesterday was a LONG day. I haven’t had the opportunity too often to start the day in one country and end it in another. I guess that is part of the intrigue of travel.
We had a late breakfast for once. The cooks, Sonia and Rosa, had been getting up extra early to accommodate our schedule and have breakfast around 7am every morning… I know they appreciated the extra hour of sleep as well.
As for me, I was feeling much better after all the rest I got and the care that Sonia had offered me. I had missed out on all the fun stuff that the team did, but I tried not to think about it. It killed me to make the decision to stay behind for the beach and zip line tour, but there was no reason to put my self in a position to make my condition even worse. I biggest worry was being bored and getting cabin fever while everyone was gone, but I got plenty of rest and the day seemed to go by fast enough.
After breakfast, the team ventured out into the town to do some last minute shopping. There was a mercado setup in the park near the church. The spotlight was on the chainsaw carving artist and their work. They had been set up for a few days and most were almost done. There was a band under the pavilion and several booths with jewelry and various handmade crafts. (I bought Julie a necklace and bracelet to score brownie points back home.)
We left for the airport about 10am to catch a 12:45pm flight. Part of Charlie’s service as a host to his groups is to escort the teams to the airport, get them squared away with the proper documentation for customs, and to pay the exit tariff that is required for anyone leaving the country. Charlie pays the tariff (US $26) directly to the agent at the counter for each of us and sends us on our way. He really is an excellent host to any group coming to Costa Rica, right down to these very details.
The lines were not long at all. We had a good hour to kill after we got through to our gate. I did some more shopping and we hung out at the gat until the plane started to board. That’s when the fun started…
I got into line and I was called on the intercom to come to the boarding counter. They wanted to see my receipt for the exit tariff… remember Charlie paid this for us… we never GOT receipts!! What ensued was a bit of confusion on my part and the employee insisting to see my receipt or pay $26. Most of the team had already boarded, so I felt a bit of panic set in. Carrie, however, was just ahead of me and she came back to help validate my story. Still, there was no getting around it… the plane was boarding and they wanted to see a receipt. I emptied my wallet of the last $20 I had and Carrie bailed me out with the remainder. I had to wait for them to take my passport and money to the immigration office to process the exit tariff, so I waited there at the counter. Meanwhile, they had made the final boarding call for the plane and I opted to wait there to get my passport instead of trusting them to bring it to me on the plane like they offered. Adam and I had a few conspiracy theories about the whole thing, like the fact that we could not have gotten as far as we did through the airport had we not paid that exit tariff. Nonetheless, I was the very last person to board the plane and made my way back to my window seat next to Dane and Kandy.
When we got to the States, the lines were very short. All-in-all, this has been the easiest trip through customs each way. But then… the customs lady I went to asked to see the wood gifts I had claimed on my customs form, and then questioned the bulap sack I recieved from the gift shop… Do I Have A Sign On My Forehead???
Adam says there is always ONE person on mission tirp that gets all the drama… I was THAT guy. Getting sick, missing the fun day, exit tariffs, customs drama… some of them are certainly miniscule, but the collection of them certainly make for a good story. 🙂
We said goodbye to Matt and Marlene as well as Dane and Kandy. They were each going their separate ways in Houston to visit with family before heading home. That left 8 of us for the mini-bus ride back to SA.
We arrived just before 11pm at the UUMC parking lot. Our respective family and friends were there to meet us and the group quickly dispersed. Of course we all hugged and said goodbye, but home was even closer so there was no time to mingle.
Home Sweet Home.
-RB
p.s. – there is still more to come on this blog. I intend to update it later with my reflection on the trip and then minor updates as the group comes together again soon to share photos and recount our experiences. Stay tuned…