Costa Rica Day 9 COVID 19
People are starting to stupidly stumble out of bed and smell the coffee. Today was epic in only the way a panicking second world country with issues dealing with things in a timely fashion could do.
We were trying to get everything done today, today only, pick up that refund from the Hospital Metropolitano, get it deposited in the bank, drop off books and supplies to the local bookstore, buy another CD at the bank, refill our bottled water jugs and get some baking powder. Today didn't quite shake out that way.
The bank. We ran to the bookstore before going to the bank, and by the time we got to the bank in mid morning the bank has shut and locked their doors. There was a huge panic of people trying to get into the bank to withdraw money. Bank security was only allowing people into the bank in twos and threes. The bank had their customer waiting area and chairs spread five feet apart, but to no avail because everyone outside was lining up and jockeying for position very closely, defeating the entire purpose of putting us in chairs five feet apart in the actual bank.
For the first time it was deserted, eerily deserted by the time we rolled up in late afternoon. Talking to some of the Nicas we found out that the morning had been crazy, that they'd been swamped ahead of the closure announcement, and that they were expecting Tuesday morn to be worse. We did the border run in well under an hour, unheard of. The border agents were testy and grumpy and I saw lots of masks being worn by workers at the border on both sides.
We had our temps taken and asked general health questions at both sides of the border by the government, and saw the border agents reject a few Americans for not having the right documentation. This was the first time I saw such strictness in documentation and tight examination of our passports by both the Nicaraguan and Costa Rican officials. You must have printed out airline tickets showing you plan on leaving at the end of that 90 days. They were not taking photos on cellphones as proof today, which is new.
It still runs about $25 bucks a head to do the border run. One piece of advice. They were running short of small bills, and since you can only pay on the Nica side with American dollars it is essential to have ones and fives instead of twenties. We saw many people without correct change being completely out of luck getting money back.
We're good for another 90 days, but it if runs beyond the 90 for the border closures we'll pay the $100 per month you overstay your visa fine and stay.
Hand sanitizer was freely available everywhere, but from dirty touched up bottles everyone was handling. I was glad I brought my own. A small amount of soap was available in the public restrooms, but no towels or toilet paper. Grimy soap container, toilets, door handles, faucet handles. I was afraid to touch anything, keeping using my own sparkly pink hand sanitizer that smells like doughnuts.
The way home we ate at Burger King/Quiznos/Papa Johns bastardized amalgamation in Liberia. Their idea of complying with the 50% less customers was to tape signs to half the tables saying you could not sit at them
Stopped at the Liberia Walmart on our way home. Mass pandemonium. Armed guards. Limits to three of each item. No soap, no bleach, very little toilet paper or cleaning supplies. The store and the parking lot were completely full.
More public hand sanitizers in grimy bottles handled by the world and their brother.
More confirmed infections today, more discussions of closures. Many tourist attractions and national parks are closing. Just discovered that Samana Santa, the busiest tourist week of the year, falls right in the middle of the proposed border closing. It's going to be an interesting few weeks here.
One thing I did discover. The large fruit stand near here is fully stocked with everything, even toilet paper, and the prices were better than ever Walmart.
If I come down with Corona I know that today was the likely exposure point.
We were trying to get everything done today, today only, pick up that refund from the Hospital Metropolitano, get it deposited in the bank, drop off books and supplies to the local bookstore, buy another CD at the bank, refill our bottled water jugs and get some baking powder. Today didn't quite shake out that way.
The bank. We ran to the bookstore before going to the bank, and by the time we got to the bank in mid morning the bank has shut and locked their doors. There was a huge panic of people trying to get into the bank to withdraw money. Bank security was only allowing people into the bank in twos and threes. The bank had their customer waiting area and chairs spread five feet apart, but to no avail because everyone outside was lining up and jockeying for position very closely, defeating the entire purpose of putting us in chairs five feet apart in the actual bank.
Shot looking through the windows waiting on line.
It took over three hours at the bank to buy our CD. While we were waiting my phone started blowing up with notifications that Costa Rica's president, Quesada, had ordered the borders closed on Wednesday. He'd also ordered schools closed and those rules about bars and restaurants the day before.
Closing the border would be a huge problem for any other Americans because until you finish getting the mountains of notarized paperwork filled out in triplicate in both English and Spanish, which can take a year or so, you are here on a tourist visa. 90 days only. You have to leave the country and come back in. Closing the border makes that impossible. If you leave starting Thursday morning you will not be allowed back in until they lift the closure.
Our visas were set to expire on th 29th of March. We'd been planning a border run up to Penas Blancas at the end of the month. It's a two hour ride from here. But I'd been thinking the border closing was a distinct possibility, knowing we might have to make that quick trip up and turn around. Hearing that the border closure was coming meant we dropped everything else immediately after the CD purchase and went straight to the border. I was hoping that leaving immediately after getting the news meant I would be ahead of the crowd that will likely be there tomorrow morning. Flexibility has its own benefits.
We had our temps taken and asked general health questions at both sides of the border by the government, and saw the border agents reject a few Americans for not having the right documentation. This was the first time I saw such strictness in documentation and tight examination of our passports by both the Nicaraguan and Costa Rican officials. You must have printed out airline tickets showing you plan on leaving at the end of that 90 days. They were not taking photos on cellphones as proof today, which is new.
It still runs about $25 bucks a head to do the border run. One piece of advice. They were running short of small bills, and since you can only pay on the Nica side with American dollars it is essential to have ones and fives instead of twenties. We saw many people without correct change being completely out of luck getting money back.
We're good for another 90 days, but it if runs beyond the 90 for the border closures we'll pay the $100 per month you overstay your visa fine and stay.
Hand sanitizer was freely available everywhere, but from dirty touched up bottles everyone was handling. I was glad I brought my own. A small amount of soap was available in the public restrooms, but no towels or toilet paper. Grimy soap container, toilets, door handles, faucet handles. I was afraid to touch anything, keeping using my own sparkly pink hand sanitizer that smells like doughnuts.
The way home we ate at Burger King/Quiznos/Papa Johns bastardized amalgamation in Liberia. Their idea of complying with the 50% less customers was to tape signs to half the tables saying you could not sit at them
Stopped at the Liberia Walmart on our way home. Mass pandemonium. Armed guards. Limits to three of each item. No soap, no bleach, very little toilet paper or cleaning supplies. The store and the parking lot were completely full.
More public hand sanitizers in grimy bottles handled by the world and their brother.
More confirmed infections today, more discussions of closures. Many tourist attractions and national parks are closing. Just discovered that Samana Santa, the busiest tourist week of the year, falls right in the middle of the proposed border closing. It's going to be an interesting few weeks here.
One thing I did discover. The large fruit stand near here is fully stocked with everything, even toilet paper, and the prices were better than ever Walmart.
If I come down with Corona I know that today was the likely exposure point.
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