I got back home from the US Embassy in San Jose Costa Rica at about 11 this morning. We should have gotten back sooner, though…

Here’s what happened

Adilio picked me up at my place at 5 a.m. sharp. He drove us to Grecia next, where we picked up Jon at about 5:20. Then we headed toward the freeway that would take us to San Jose.

On the way to Grecia, I sat in the passenger seat in front, but when we got to Grecia, I moved to the back so Jon and Adilio could chat and so I’d be far enough away (with a rear window cracked open) to make sure I didn’t pollute either of them with my remaining cold.

As we navigated the various elevations along the way, I realized that my ears were plugging and unplugging at various times; my head cold was interfering with my ability to hear the guys in the front seat.  Their voices sounded tinny and distant, like they were coming through a radio speaker.  Every so often, Jon would turn his head and say something to me, and I had to ask him to repeat at times because of this malady.

But by the time we got into San Jose

…my  hearing came back online and I was able to listen to them chatting away in Spanish. I understood some of it pretty well but I wasn’t paying strict attention the entire time because there were volcanic ridges to look at (Turrialba and Irazu) plus other natural and institutional wonders (including a wonderful school for performing artists) to keep me otherwise occupied.

When we got to the embassy

we stopped at a nearby McDonald’s a couple blocks down for coffee and to use the restroom.

Then Adilio drove us back to the Embassy and stopped at the curb. I grabbed my documents (appointment page, resolution and the letter from Social Security) and Jon walked me across the street to the Embassy, although we knew he couldn’t go in with me.

All I had on me were the above-named documents plus my wallet and passport because electronic devices aren’t allowed inside the embassy.

I thought I was adequately stripped down

— no smartphone, change, keys, or anything else that I normally carry was on me.

Before disappearing back across the street, Jon had told me to just bypass all the ticos who would be waiting in a long line at the door.  Doing so felt criminal to me, but then he spotted the staircase marked US CITIZENS, which led directly to the entryway door, and he pointed it out to me. It, of course, still took me ahead of everyone else who was waiting to get in.

I felt sooo guilty!

Line-jumping was a big no-no where I grew up!

But in Costa Rica, senior citizens get served first everywhere we go, so I had to do it, even though I felt bad about it. (Bad but grateful, of course!)

A gentleman came out of the embassy, said hello, and asked to see my appointment paper so he’d know how to direct me.

Then he motioned toward my wristwatch.

I looked at it, confused, and asked, “What? My watch?”

“Is that a smartwatch?”

Oh, man!!!

Yes, of course it’s a smartwatch, since it is capable of being connected to my phone, etc. But I had never used it in that way, so I had forgotten all about it being an electronic device!

So, I perp walked back across the street to try to find out where Jon and Adilio had parked (if, indeed, they had parked that soon in the new lot!). I figured if they hadn’t, I could just hide it in a bush…

But there they suddenly were, stepping outside the car (which I hadn’t recognized; Adilio’s sky blue car looks a different color under different lighting conditions), wondering what had gone wrong.  I gave Jon the watch, sighed sheepishly, and returned to the embassy.

The Same Man Let Me In the Door

Jon had told me beforehand to also bypass all the ticos who would be waiting for visas inside the embassy and to look for a sign that read U.S. Citizens Help Line.

I found it very fast and again felt like a creep for jumping ahead of everyone else.

She checked my passport and appointment time, placed my SS document in a blue folder labeled #2 BLUE FOLDER, and told me to take a blue seat “over yonder” and wait for “#2 Blue Folder” to be called.

I Waited

…for about 15 minutes. About five minutes in, my congestion decided to start hassling me, and I started coughing into my t-shirt.  I did it for so long that a security guard motioned for me to leave the premises!

I almost panicked. I said, “No estoy enferma!  Tengo un catarro solamente! Necesita agua para esto tos.”

He went inside the building and I thought, “Oh, my God! He’s going after reinforcements to have me removed!” I began to worry that we’d have to ask for an extension at migration because I got kicked out of the embassy for being Typhoid Mary!

My coughing fit ended quickly, thankfully!

The same security guard came outside twice more, saw that I was doing fine, and let me stay. WHEW!

Not long after that, Blue Folder #2 was called to #3 Window

…to fill out a form and pay for the notary.  I showed my paperwork, my passport, and received the declarations form.  Filled it out.

But on the line that asked for my Social Security income, I wrote in what it was after the Medicare Part B premium line gets deducted from the total. I realized, then, that was probably wrong, so I crossed it out, initialed the change, and wrote in the full amount before the deduction.  Took it back to the window.

The lady said there could be no errors made on the declaration, so she gave me an identical form so I could write the info perfectly.

On that one, I wrote my birth year as 1950!  Why, I have no idea!  She noticed that, and I sighed.

She gave me an empty form for the third time!  (By now I was thinking, “Am I ever gonna get out of here today, at the rate I’m going?!” LOL!)

THIS TIME

…I got everything right except that I messed up my address (San Isidro) a wee bit. Started to write San Id, caught myself, and made the small d into a migthy funky looking s. SHEESH!) Showed that to her to see if it would pass (looking nearly defeated), and she said yes.  HALLELUJAH!  (God only know what I would have screwed up had I been given a fourth go!)

Trying to print legibly that many times in a row got to be nerve wracking!

Paid the fee, left all the paperwork with her

…and was asked to go sit back in the blue seat outside until my name was called.

Did that, hoping I wouldn’t start coughing again!

About three minutes later, I heard “Kristine Smith, Window 4” and I practically bolted there.

“Hello!”

The lady had me sign the declarations I had filled out earlier where required while she witnessed me doing that, then she had me raise my right hand and swear that I was who I was, had me name the document I had submitted, and that my declarations were true to the best of my ability to determine their veracity. Or something like that (in case the SS office someday comes back and says they screwed something up, I reckon!).

At this point, I told her I had been living in CR for a year and a month and that I had relocated since arriving and had put my present address on the document and asked if that would cause a problem at immigration. She said, “Not at all. They will want your present address on file.”

She asked if I was already registered with S.T.E.P. and I said, “Oh, yes!  From the beginning!”

So, she said, “Then you’re all set!”

She gave me everything back, wished me a good day, and off I went, back across the street to find Adilio and Jon deep in conversation.

I showed Jon the results of my quest. He told me to take photos of the two page letter from Social Security and email them to the translation guy he uses up near Naranjo when I got back.

(Which I did. Adilio will pick up the translation tomorrow, and we’ll all head back to San Jose on Tuesday to take this final package to Migracion. I should have my final resolution within the month, Jon says.)

On the Way Back Home

I told Jon and Adilio that I’d like to take them to breakfast if they had the extra time to spare.  They said sure.

But WOW!!!

Adilio and Jon decided that Plaza Real would be a good place to stop because I could also get cat litter and money from the ATM there.  So, we did that…

BUT!!!

The place where we decided to eat — called SPOONS — was slower than the Second Coming.  We ordered and waited…and waited…and waited…

About 40 minutes in, Jon inquired of the server, and she said nonchalantly that it would be along.

So, we waited some more!  Another 20 minutes!

Had we known it was going to take that long, we wouldn’t have chosen that place to eat. Or we could have gone to the ATM and to the pet store while we waited. None of those options existed after we ordered because we didn’t know we were entering a zone well beyond the customary (and expected) “tico time”!

Jon was pretty torqued, because he had other things scheduled for this morning.

When the food did finally arrive, it was tasty enough, but colder than it should have been. And the Coca Colas the server had delivered to us an hour before were diluted by the ice she had put into them, so they were badly diluted and tasted crappy.

So, I complained when I went to pay the bill

I told the cashier that it had taken an hour to be served and that the Coca Colas were diluted (all in broken Spanish). I asked for a discount.  The fellow gave me one. (10%. It probably should have been the price of one of the meals, but it was at least something.)

We won’t be going there again. Jon has written Spoons off as a place to stop any time any other client says they’ll splurge for a meal.

We quickly got the cash I needed to pay Adilio at an ATM (I won’t tell you the time I had wrestling that activity lest you think I’m beginning to lose it entirely! LOL!) and a little cat litter and treats and then we headed back to Grecia to drop Jon back at his home.

On the way back to my place

I asked Adilio if he could spare a moment to stop at CoopeVictoria so I could get some personal pizzas and more cat litter (yes!) and he said yes and that he would get gas at the same time. I gave him an additional 5000 colones (in addition to his fare to and from SJ) to help with the gas, too. (He’s gonna be traveling for me tomorrow to pick up the translated SS letter.)

That was my day! It’s 4:28 now and I’m tired. That was quite enough excitement for one day. I hope Tuesday is less “noteworthy”!

But I always have a wonderful time with my Costa Rica hermanos. Every day with them is a good day, IMO!  (Hola, Francisco!  We missed you today!)

Adilio and Jon while waiting “patiently” (at first)

for breakfast to arrive at SPOONS in Plaza Real

The Halloween graveyard at Plaza Real

And … here comes another thunderstorm!  WHEEE!  Right on time!