Navigating in Costa Rica

A friend recently had the experience on her boat of knifing into her left thumb, driving from Mexico to Phoenix for surgery to repair a sliced tendon and nerves, looking forward to 6 or 8 weeks in a splint and intensive physical therapy, and in pretty much pain.  So she ended a recent email with “Anyway, there’s lots to do here so hard to complain...”  I beg your pardon?  Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever heard a complaint from her.  Well, except that time she and her husband were locked into a cage coming back into the US from Mexico while their car was being taken apart somewhere else.   I don’t have so much to complain about, nor nearly so much difficulty complaining. 

Though I might ordinarily complain about navigating in Costa Rica, I’m not complaining today, because  (1) I'm taking a leaf from my friend's book (I mean, what do I have to complain about, really?) and (2) I believe this is another opportunity for me to learn something new.  At first getting around here was disconcerting, discombobulating, disorienting.  But I’m finally starting to get my bearings.  (Jet will be smiling soon.) 

Some people navigate by landmarks and directions, some by street names.  Since Costa Rica is a landmark kind of country and I’m a street names kind of gal, we’re colliding. 

Generally speaking, if I know what street I’m on, I can figure out how and where to go.  Otherwise, I’m a bit lost.  I realized early on  that I don’t know where I am most of the time.  Maps are great, N-S-E-W also great.  But I’m directionally challenged.   Someone said recently, after being accused of having a better sense of direction than I do, “Well yes, but that’s not saying much!

Costa Rica is challenging for me, as there are almost never street signs.  When I was newly arrived and in Heredia’s El Parque Central, I noticed with satisfaction as I walked around that the streets were named either Avenida or Calle, with a corresponding number.  So all north to south roads are named Calle, and all east to west roads are Avenida. 


The park is the center of town, so fanning out from there [Avenida 0 and Calle 0], were Ave. and Calle 1, 2, 3, 4.  So far so good.  Then I realized that the numbers going south or west were marked exactly the same as those going north or east, with no indication of where they were in relation to the park.  Ok, so that’s weird.  I’m at the corner of Avenida 3 and Calle 3, but am I north and west of the park or south and east?  No way to tell.  Not that it matters much, since after several blocks, all streets cease to be marked at all.  So far, those are the last street names I've found.

No one here seems to know what street they’re on anyway.  I know this because I have stopped numerous people to ask the name of the street, and not a single one has been able to answer me.  They look blank and then ask, “Where are you going?”  Then they proceed to tell me how to get there based on the Post Office, or Rosabal store, or Espigas restaurant.  All of which would be lovely if one knew where any of these things were!  Today I asked my taxi driver the name of the street we were on.  He shook his head and said it doesn’t have a name.  I asked about another street, and he shook his head, and looked a little worried about me.

Even business cards have no addresses – but say e.g. “from KFC 150 meters to the east and 50 meters south.”  But meters don’t actually mean meters.  100 meters correspond roughly to one city block, but because they differ in length, it might really be 110 meters, or 80 meters. 

  

When on the way to my new house, after determining which street I should turn up, I asked the owner if there was a number at the gate.  She said “no, but I should get one.”  I asked what the number of the house was and she said “Oh I don’t have a number, but I think I can get one.”   She tells me that locally, this street has nicknames based on the tiny development at the end of the street (Calle Malaga), and the little school next door (Calle de Kinder), and after someone's first name (Calle Venero).  But outside those who live in this immediate area, those names are not know.  

So if you want to write or send something to me here, you might try: Sofia’s place, 100 meters north of MasxMenos, 200 meters east, on the right, San Pablo de Heredia, Costa Rica.  It might just work.