Monteverde: The Bus Ride

Jeni and I caught the bus to Monteverde Friday for our last Costa Rican excursion on this trip. Before we even got to Monteverde, it was already a trip we wouldn't forget. An elderly Costa Rican lady kept telling everyone, "watch your things, take care of your things, be careful with your bags..." Four months into our stay here, Jeni and I are professionals are not getting our stuff stolen (knock on wood)... However, other passengers on our bus that day were not so alert.

A Canadian visitor got his bag stolen from the overhead storage while he was asleep... rookie. Wallet and passport gone.

Then at a rest stop where the driver let us off to use the toilet and get drinks/snacks a student from California got her drawstring bag stolen right from underneath the "watchful eye" of her friends sitting at the table while she used the restroom. Her iPhone  wallet, and a copy of her passport. Maybe it was because she was a girl and started crying but everyone joined in the manhunt for the thief.

Finally, a guy in a yellow hat at the rest stop admitted to knowing the guy who took the bag and tried to call him and tell him to come back. Then the cops showed up, took down the girl's info as well as the bus driver's, the rest stop owner's, even the Canadian guy's (just in case?...) and arrested the friend in the yellow hat. After our 10 minute stop turned into 45 minutes we were back on the road!!

A view of lake Arenal on the bus ride to Monteverde