I was on vacation in Costa Rica about 7 years ago. We have been there many times, and the wife and I often tour freestyle (hotel to hotel style) around the country. We decided to travel to the Carribbean side of the country, which is reknown for its’ Island flavour. We pulled the rental suv onto a side road, so we could wander around in Puerto Viejo. I got out of the car and immediately put two cigarettes in my mouth and lit them, before letting my wife out (like a gentleman lol).
A scruffy looking 60+ male white dude paused while riding by on his 1960’s glider bike (like the one mommy used to cruise on), and he said, “an old style gent you are, let me introduce myself”. " I’m Patrick Abrahms, and I work here as a personal travel consultant" That screamed of ‘hustler to me, but I can take care of myself so I engaged this old dude. He told me he could show us around town and whatnot, I was not interested in an escort, but I just knew he could score me some weed. I got right to the point and Patrick agreed. We followed him a block or two to seedy hostel bar, with my wife starting to elbow me and whispering things about being mugged rolled murdered etc. but I have a bit more street savvy and convinced her that this man wasn’t really a threat. Along the way, everybody, I mean everybody, greeted this old sketchy soul with a “Hi P”. I gave him some cash, which I was more than ready to give up, for the locally controlled weed which sold at 20 bucks a gram to every tourist. I know, but who cares as he was open about it. Wifey and I sat in the open air bar, filled with drunks and the sounds of arguing inside the hostel area. She was literally shitting her pants, but I calmed her with my everpresent alertness and positioning by the gate. Patrick left his bicycle and small briefcase with us and left us to ‘interact’ with the locals and drunks. One equally pathetic looking senior said to us, laughing, “P just gets pigweed, if you want the good stuff, talk to me”. I gave this guy a wordy “fuck off, we’re fine response” and he left it at that. 5 minutes and three buckets of my wifes’ sweat later, Patrick came back and took us for a little walk where we exchanged the 50 buck eighth (or 1/2 quarter where I come from). I asked him if he wanted a beer for his troubles, in addition to what he skimmed off the weed (as if I didn’t already know lol). We went to a bar on the Ocean where I had a beer, wifey had a cubre libre and Patrick ordered a milk. This toothless old leisure consultant then spent a half hour with us talking about himself and politics and life. He told me he was a US special services guy in Vietnam, and described what I could only liken to Martin Sheens role in Apocalypse Now. I was eating it up like a school boy, while my wife was trying to stifle her bullshit-o-meter. Patrick spun a fantastic tale of everything from the nuclear arms race to Elenor Roosevelt. Its hard to relay what this outwardly decrepite old vagabond was relating to us, fantastic tales of drug busts, assassinations behind enemy lines and on and on. My wife got a bit tired of it but was also enthralled. We finished our drinks and bid Patrick a fond farewell, promising to return someday maybe even with my adult kids to share with him. I was more believing of him, but my wife was very skeptical that we had a brush with a true old con man.
We went back to our upscalish hotel and rolled up some weed, and were quite surprised that it was a cut above the normal tourist brick weed. Caught a good glow and I looked up this guy on the web, as if his stories were true,and wifey still the skeptic indeed found this man. He was almost a folk star with a movie about him and his partner Alan wiesbecker called “In search of Captain Zero”. My wife was awestruck, everything this guy said is fact and of public record! I met the real “:Captain America” who some call a pathetic crackhead hustler but to me this dude was a bona fide ICON and example of a person who served his country to his own demise, and fell thru the cracks of modern society. Please look this dude up if you want more info. For myself and to an extent my wife, this taught us that you cannot judge a book by its’ cover, and every human is precious in some way. Be careful always, but step out of your comfort zone now and again, it just might make you a better person.
I am very lucky and thankful that cannabis, made this possible. I wonder if Captain Zero is still there,and am going to search for him again, when we go to Costa Rica in a few weeks. Cheers everyone and I will get back to you with a follow up in January, if anyone is interested, regardless, I sure AM. God bless.
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Good story, well sometimes strangers can really surprise you. It is definitely worth to get out of own comfort zone, that is what is traveling about. This IS life.
Thanks for sharing!
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Well, just returned from Vacation, and found out Patrick is still alive, still in PV and still known by all. I didn’t run into him this time, but I will continue my own search for Captain Zero next time. Surf well my friends, Pura Vida!!
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