south of a few borders

Greetings from tico-land aka costa rica. It's the land where buses drive with open doors, rain comes to you sideways, and distances are greater than they seem.
Today I went to the volcano closest to me, a mere 20 miles away, voclan poas. Once I got to the park, and hiked up to the viewpoint, I was met with a white wall of clouds. It was like staring at the side of a house-nothing could be seen. But it was there, still, under it all. I guess the park is known for its cloud cover. Then to the lagoon, which also was clouded over, so I got another, albeit ethereal, view of the eternal whiteness.
I'm staying in the second biggest city in Costa Rica, called Alajuela, was feels more like a small town. Walking around town I saw a couple of people my age playing chess in the park. I joined them, beat them, and made some new friends. This also happened in the capital city, San Jose. Everyone seems really friendly.
I'm moving to a new hostel in the downtown area for the weekend, and by then I should have a better idea about what my stay here in central america will look like.
That said, I'm very happy with my spanish level, given I've been here for 4 days, and I see its strengths and weaknesses. But it keeps getting better and better.
I can't wait to be laying out on the coast
Pura Vida!