Ah, the Romeria. A grand Costa Rican tradition. From here, about this year's Romeria:
The annual Costa Rican pilgrimage, known as the Romería, honors a small statue of the Virgin Mary, called La Negrita, which some believe possesses miraculous powers.
Authorities told the daily La Nacíon that they expect two million romeros, or pilgrims, this year. A Red Cross post has already opened at the basilica, which will provide assistance and treatment to pilgrims exhausted from the 22 kilometer journey.
People have marched to the basilica each year for the past 228 years, except for 2009, when it was cancelled due to the H1N1 flu virus. The majority of participants will leave start the pilgrimage Monday for a morning mass on Aug. 2, but some are already on their way. In the past, they’ve arrived from as far as Panama or Guanacaste, via horseback, bikes, or even while crawling.
As for Maggie and I, after a sudden change of plans, we decided to walk on Sunday. You probably know already that I'm not Catholic, but such a show of loyalty is impressive on its own. The Romeria and the walkers, known as romeros, provide such an authentic show of Costa Rican culture, and finally one that is free of overtly tourist appeals. It was wonderful to watch the grand variety of people — babies in strollers, men running the whole way in just athletic shorts, a team of people pushing relatives in wheelchairs, teenagers, familes, adults, indigenas. Here is our day.
This is exactly 22 km from San Pedro to the church, mind you.
8:20 a.m. : Meet Maggie at the Sabanilla bus stop. Take bus to Mall San Pedro.
8:45 a.m. : Begin walking east, through Curridabat, to meet Matthew.
9:05 a.m. : Stop at McDonald's for some cafe and the bano.
9:30 a.m. : Try to meet Matt at bus stop. Try to locate bus stop. Can't find bus stop. Panic, call Danielle because Matt doesn't have a phone. Walk back half a kilometer to the Taco Bell, like she told us. Solicit more directions that don't help.
10:15 a.m. : Give up on finding Matt. Continue walking.
10:30 a.m. : Begin passing hundreds of vendors. Trying to resist buying fresh fruit, $10 polo hats, Diet Pepsi, fresh-squeezed juices, Costa Rica scarves, images of La Negrita, rosaries, etc. Successfully resist (nearly) everything.
11:45 a.m. : Decide we might walk back, too, because it is such a nice day and this walk feels so good!
12:15 p.m. : Begins pouring rain. Panic because of nice camera in cloth bag.
12:45 p.m. : Arrive in the province of Cartago. Wade through the streets. Completely soaked. Watch a dead rat float by in the river that we are walking through.
1:15 p.m. : Spot Virgen de los Angeles church!!! Glorious moment!!
1:20 p.m. : Enter church, look around.
1:23 p.m. : Get shooed out of church so more people can look.
1:25 p.m. : Continue wading until we find a soda where we can order coffee. Eat refried bean and onion sandwich my mama tica packed for me (debatably best thing I have ever eaten). Talk to locals who insist Maggie is my mother. Use free bathroom while we can (most along the way cost 300 colones).
2:00 p.m. : Inquire about San Jose bus stop. Expecting immediate success because we have seen practically hundreds of busses. Police officer laughs, points to longest line I have seen in my life.
2:10 p.m. : Thought we knew what the line was. Still walking to the end.
2:20 p.m. : Find end of line. Decide not to walk back because we would be arriving after dark.
3:30 p.m. : Buy mani garipinado from street vender in the line for 100 colones. Happiest moment of afternoon.
3:45 p.m. : Finally board bus.
5:30 p.m. : Ask guy on bus if we are in Curridabat yet. He tells us we are in San Jose central. We panic again and get off the bus. Start walking really fast.
5:45 p.m. : Realize we are in sketchy part of town, ask for directions. Still pouring rain if you were wondering.
6:15 p.m. : Finally, after three directions stops, find Sabanilla bus stop.
6:30 p.m. : Arrive at Mas por Menos stop. Start walking.
6:45 p.m. : I am home!!! Take the best shower of my life. Simultaneously, observe worst sunburn on my life. Good always outweighs the bad.
Bonus topic: Top 3 Piropos of the Day
3. "Hola, guapas!"
2. "Heyyyy" (in very strong Costa Rican accent; trying to impress us with English knowledge)
1. "Eyy, Costa Rica! Aye. Chicas! Costa Rica! Ey, USA! USA! (laughs) USA!" (for about five minutes)
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