18 November 2023 Santa Elena, Monteverde

In search of a direction

A student of Suzuki Roshi asked “I’ve been listening to your lectures for years but I just don’t understand. Could you just please put it in a nutshell? Can you reduce Buddhism to one phrase?” Everyone laughed. Suzuki laughed. “Everything changes”, he said. Then he asked for another question.
Suzuki Roshi

Awake at 6:55 partly because of noise from the kitchen and people going to breakfast, partly because f noise from the road, people going about their business, and partly because it’s that time of day.

I had my breakfast and then wandered through the small town of Santa Elena to the bus station. I brought a ticket for tomorrow’s 8 am bus to Puntarenas, on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica.

I’m really not sure where I want to go next, or what I want to do, so I have decided to travel to Puntarenas for at least one night before moving on – probably – south down the Pacific coast.

Back at ‘Eddy’s’ I had a Zoom meeting to plan next year’s Buddhist Recovery Network Summit to take place somewhere in North America in the Autumn.

Afterwards, I took a slow uphill walk to Santa Elena’s ‘Commercial Center’ which is directly opposite the bus station that I had visited earlier. The ‘Commercial Center’ is a small collection of newish shops, restaurants, cafés and a supermarket.

I took the opportunity to have some lunch followed by Fika of Americano coffee, and a strange Strawberry and Pineapple tart. The unusual cake was very tasty and went well with a cup of coffee. Before leaving the café – and before the afternoon rain started – I purchased a couple of homemade empanada savoury pastries for later to save having to venturing out in a tropical downpour.

Back at ‘Eddy’s’ it was a little chilly. The rooms do not have fans or Aircon, or for that matter heaters. Just as well that I packed clothes that could be ‘layered’ included a long-sleeved thermal t-shirt.

That’s it for another day on this fascinating earth.

Good night.

Budget costs: