The palm trees around the pool are gently leaning toward the west, as a nice cool breeze passes and provides welcome restbite from the blazing mid-afternoon heat.

This is not the first time I have written this blog. I had just spent 30minutes writing before I lost the whole thing when the internet connection went down. Typical.

This is our second full day in San José after spending the whole of wednesday travelling. A 9.5 hour flight from Gatwick to Atlanta, followed by a 3.5 hour connection.

We spent the whole 9.5 hours sat behind an Unattended 7 yr old by the name of Emmanuel. Perhaps this kid was excited, perhaps he had ADD, or maybe someone had just dosed him up with coca cola and pumped him with speed. Either way he did not stop talking, running, climbing (and generally being a nuisance) the whole way to Atlanta. This was funny at first, but after a while it became extremely draining. We were given two bottles of wine and a bottle of champange for babysitting this kid. This was soon confiscated 20minutes after landing in Atlanta.

We lasted 16 hours without a cigarette and were relieved to be lighting up outside San José airport. There was even a lunar eclipse to mark the occasion!

After spending the first night in the Grand Western, downtown San José we moved to Hotel Petit for the second night. Situated more centrally off Paseo Colon.

San José is buzzing, the streets packed with local people and gringos like us are largely in the minority. The national trade seems to be in phone cards, Paseo Colon (the main strip) is littered with stall after stall selling them. Every 10 metres you see one, but not one did I see make a sale.

The national currency is Colons, with approximately 1,000 colons to GBP 1. To put things into perspective, a packed of Malboro light cost me 800 Colon this morning (about 80p!). For you Emma, a chicken royale at Burger king is 2,500 Colon!

Last night we ventured to El Pueblo, which is reknown to be the nightlife central of San José. I think our expectations got the better of us, but we have since been told that only tourists and wasters go out clubbing on a thursday night!

This morning we witnessed a street protest, causing a whole section of Paseo Colon to close down, hundreds of natives blew wistles and waved flags. I´ve no idea what they were protesting about.

Since then we have arrived in San Jose Backpackers hostel where I am sat using a computer which looks so old that I expect it is running of steam. Not even a TFT (flatscreen) in sight. Psh.

The palm trees around the pool have settled. Time to get some more sun.