First Day in San Jose

I spent all day yesterday traveling.  It was mostly unremarkable, except that I forgot my Nalgene bottle and found the only place with reusable water bottles in the Detroit Airport was the Harley store.  Now I'm so fashionable I can scarcely stand myself.

Once I got in at the San Jose airport, I changed money and caught a taxi.  I managed some small talk with the driver, who knew about as much English as I know Spanish.  He said I speak "un pequeno Espanol," which I took as a compliment since I've learned so much in the last two months.  He also explained to me that the airport isn't actually in San Jose, but in a neighboring city, and that my hotel is too expensive and not in the nicest part of town.  I knew that last bit already, but couldn't think of how to explain to him that I was too tired and lazy to do anything about it.  He was a nice guy.

When I got to the hotel I found that they never got my email reservation, which wasn't shocking.  They had a room for my anyway.  I was humbled to find how much harder it was to communicate when I had a specific goal and the person I was talking to spoke no English at all, but we figured it out.

My room is fun, decorated in orange and rather spare.  The bathroom is especially nice.  Huge shower, all glassed in, and the first piece of toilet paper (and Kleenex, too) folded into an elaborate origami fan like the napkin in a fancy restaurant.  It looked especially cute coming out of the "Cars: the Movie" themed Kleenex box.  

So far, the most useful item I've brought is a set of ear plugs.  The hotel is on Calle Zero, which I believe is Main Street.  It sure sounds like it, anyway.  The noise last night was like huge semis rumbling past, and the occasional wacky siren closing in and pulling away.  It might be louder now that it's day, but I'm not sure.

I went out for a walk around the neighborhood and a visit to the grocery store today.  I got a map and a general store recommendation from the hotel clerk.  I had almost forgotten the pure joy of roaming around  a place that is totally new and where you only understand 25% of what you see.  My brain is buzzing.  It took 10 minutes to find the street signs and get used to how traffic moves here.  There are lots of fast-moving small vehicles.  The streets are narrow, including the sidewalks; there were spots where I had to stand sideways and shuffle past someone to prevent falling onto the street.  The buildings are odd sizes (mosty small), crooked, and painted bright colors.  It might have been depressing in Detroit, but here with the blue sky and intense sun it is cheery.  Buying groceries was like solving a puzzle.  I was thrilled to find liquidy fruity yogurt, fresh bread, and Costa Rican cheese.  Probably Dutch cheese would be tastier, but less fun.

Tomorrow my friend Christina and her boyfriend Matt will show up to share my last day of carefree lolly--gagging in San Jose.  I'm hoping we'll spend the day walking all over the city.