The Truth About Costa Rica

If you're thinking about traveling in Costa Rica, reading my experiences can help you decide what to see and do while you're there. My husband and I went there at Christmas on a tour of 10 days in the group with the Caravan company, a tour provider which also guided tours of Mexico, Guatemala, Copper Canyon and the Canadian Rockies. The tour began in San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica The hotel is modern and comfortable, with a great buffet food (relatively) real. Due to tropical climate, local products of excellent quality, is available all year, obviously, grown on small farms, not giant factory farms common in North America. The local watermelon were the most delicious I had ever eaten, small (less than a foot in diameter) with bright red flesh is very sweet, quite different from California pale, tasteless, huge melons grown at Mexico trade and sold in the United States. Rice and beans are served at almost every meal, but there was always a great variety of dishes with spicy meat dishes and spicy vegetarian. I'm not vegetarian, but I love vegetables, so I was very happy with the menu and was one of the highlights of the trip. Bad food and hospitality noise can really affect a walk, but the scenery is fantastic. My last tour, with camper, we went to Mexico, and the chicken was the menu so often that to this day my husband will not eat more. "All pollo'ed out," is how he says. But it was not the case this time, so obviously, even with the same company trips, each trip is different, since the details are largely organized by local agents.We not spend much time in San Jose itself, guided only by way of local attractions. But I realized the windows and barred spirals of barbed wire that surrounds almost all houses and buildings, and two armed guards and the products of an appliance shop, of all places. Facing a bank, I could understand, but in a shop selling washing machines? The guide said that the local crime rate is extremely high. In Mexico, I have seen some windows boarded up, but some barbed wire. They said that robbery is a problem throughout Latin America, and an acquaintance who has traveled extensively around the continent, he told me not to take anything of value, along my journey. However, even with this caveat, the view was truly impressive. I'm not used to the world in Canada and the United States, and even the Caribbean do not have these obvious problems. Although Costa Rica is a trendy place for retirement for a lot of gringos, that really make me think twice before passing there.Costa Rica is a volcanic area, and the tour group went to see two volcanoes The Poas and Arenal Volcano. Poas Volcano was at a height, covered with a forest full of streaming clouds, fog Halloween unlike anything I've seen elsewhere. The crater, which contains a bright green, highly acidic lake was barely visible due to foggy conditions, but the only way through the forest has been useful itself.itself.The second volcano we visited was the Arenal, and recommend that all travelers to Costa Rica to establish a day to visit the hot springs on the side of the mountain. I've never seen a water park like this! Admission is $ 25.00 U.S. strong, probably priced beyond the reach of most residents, but worth every penny. The hot spring has about a dozen large pools each about 30 meters wide, with two downtown bars. The pools have a different temperature from hot to boiling. All pools are surrounded by tropical vegetation and trails. And 'very possible to spend a whole day without bored.Our these groups took a heavenly ride on the funicular, which runs between the canopy of the jungle. Every so often, a giant blue Morpho butterfly fluttering around the tram, so bright and iridescent seemed to be illuminated by a spotlight. We saw many birds and butterflies, snakes, but not color, unfortunately, even if there should be many varieties of them in the jungle. Neither jaguars, as they are rare and very shy.If going to walk into the rainforest, including groomed trails, be sure to wear walking shoes or sandals, and even long pants that can be added to the boots. I'm not kidding when I make this recommendation: the forest floor is full of biting ants, both army ants and leaf cutter ants, which have huge nests several feet in diameter. These ants actually