Monday 7th November - Un Viaje En Tren *

Out like a light last night and wide awake at 00.20 which equates to 06.20 at home, D's normal wake up time. Outside it is raining heavily which reminds D that our wet weather gear and umbrellas are in the missing bag. And the Nytol, so there is no instant insomnia cure. D completes his various daily online puzzles then flicks through the emails. KLM are seeking feedback on the flight from Amsterdam to San Jose. A splendid chance to let go with both barrels. A message from Duolingo informs D that he has finished top of his weekly league. The Espanol may well get a good workout today.

Outside the rain has ceased but it is almost as noisy as Kolkata with dogs barking, cocks crowing, low flying planes and what sounds like heavy earth moving machinery not too far away. By now R is awake and we treat ourselves to a cup of tea made in the American style coffee dripper. It doesn't taste too bad but does remind us that our stock of teabags has also gone astray. After finishing our unpacking we decided to have another go at sleep. Luckily the amenity pack from the flight included ear plugs.

By 05.30 it is starting to get light and a wideawake D steps out to explore the balcony. It is a day that could only be described as dreich. There is a persistent thin rain falling and low cloud limits visibility to a couple of hundred yards. But even in this the front gardens look magnificent and there are birds up and about which was the main reason for coming to Costa Rica. Admittedly the light is not great for identification or photography but we can't have everything.

We get showered and dressed and take a turn around the even more impressive back garden, several acres of exotic plants and teeming with birdlife. Keeping up with species identification is going to be a full time job. Here's a bananaquit.

As one of our esteemed hecklers predicted there were rice & beans for breakfast as well as sausages, fried plantains, scrambled eggs, cold meat and cheese. Today was built into the program to allow some recovery from the flight as well as a bit of admin. The admin starts fairly soon after brekker as D calls KLM's customer support line at 08.00 and gets to talk to a human after only a couple of minutes. Although the number is a Costa Rican one the agent turns out to be in Santiago, Chile. His English is much, much better than my Spanish and he is soon able to provide the essential Report Number. He also OKs the purchase of a few essentials that are in D's washbag and explains the claim procedure. 

The rain has eased a bit and we take a twenty minute walk to a supermarket that turns out to be a Walmart subsidiary. They stock sun block, bug spray, a razor and gel but sadly only have kids' toy umbrellas. These four items, the smallest sizes available, will result in a claim for nearly £35. We also bought a few non claimable essentials including a sample can of the leading local beer. The can is a generous portion at 710 ml, bigger than a regular bottle of Kingfisher.

We make it back to the hotel without getting soaked and spend a couple of hours on the balcony watching an amazing array of different birds in a space about a quarter of a football pitch. These two Blue-Gray Tanagers feeding on one of the trees really caught our attention.

KLM message D to say that the case is on today's flight which will arrive in Costa Rica about 17.30, and that they hope to deliver it to our hotel tonight. There is not really much else that we can do, which leaves the afternoon free. Regular readers will be aware that while D finds birds reasonably interesting his real passion is trains. We didn't come to Costa Rica for a train based holiday but D hoped one or two chances to ride the rails might present themselves. This afternoon appears to be such an opportunity.

As ever R is too well to attend and plans to stay true to ornithology around the hotel. D sets out in light drizzle to walk the 2km to where he can catch a bus into central San Jose. Bus ? we hear you ask. What happened to the train? There is a reason. The railways around San Jose are pure and simple commuter lines and nearly all morning trains head into the city. The requirement to sort the missing bag ruled out a morning trip so it had to be an afternoon/evening trip when the flow is reversed. A desire to complete things before the light fades dictated a trip on the first outbound train at 15.30. So a bus ride is necessary.

The bus deposits D on the western edge of the city centre, just as the heavens open. It is a ten minute walk to Estacion Atlantico, towards the east side of the centre, and it looks like a good test for D's quick dry t-shirt. The unmistakeable outline of a railway station appears through the gloom and D's soggy routemarch is over.

The only problem is that the station is all locked up. The timetable apparently allows the staff to go home for lunch. There is a bit of shelter from the rain but no other diversion or entertainment and there is well over an hour to kill. D takes the only reasonable option and finds the nearest source of refreshments, in this case Rafa's Bar on the street opposite the front of the station. D has not yet established what normal is when it comes to bars in Costa Rica but surely having windows that are metal mesh grids rather than glass is quite unusual. If you sit far enough inside you stay out of the rain. The beer is cold and the locals friendly enough so it suffices until twenty minutes before the train is due to leave.

The station is open by this time and has a splendid traditional booking hall that is not used for its traditional purpose. Instead we form a queue, seated on benches along one side of the covered walkway leading to the platform. Every now and then a man in a railway uniform shouts and we squeeze up a bit tighter. A young lady, also in uniform, walks along this queue, selling tickets. Mr Shouty roars something else and the queue stands up and shuffles onto the train.

The trains are modern, metro style, diesel powered and if the coach looks a bit narrow that is because the gauge is only 3' 6".  The seating style restricts the view out but the line twists, turns, climbs and descends on a route heading roughly north west out of the city. There are numerous level crossings, most without gates or barriers and we have a near miss as our driver has to really slam on the brakes at a crossing. Moments later a man reverses his SUV off the crossing.

D's train ride is very short, just 15 minutes, but it does disprove the rumour that there are no trains in Costa Rica. The twenty minute walk back to the hotel is achieved without a further soaking. The can of Imperial has been on ice all afternoon in anticipation of this triumphant return.  R's afternoon has been less exciting as she has attempted to explore the back garden but been largely stymied by heavy rain.

Still no sign of the case and we cannot stay awake any longer.

* A train journey