Beautiful (and humid) Costa Rica
When I first arrived in San Jose, I wasn’t that impressed. The city wasn’t well lit, everywhere seemed to be an industrial area, and there was undoubtedly a rowdy bunch of homeless people in certain parts of the city. All I could think about on the taxi ride over to my hotel was a conversation I had on the plane, where someone described this city as “gritty, in a good way”. It was late at night, I was drenched in sweat (because of the near constant 80% humidity), and I was not seeing ANY of the “good.”
That all changed once I had the chance to explore the city during the day, I was taken back by all of the natural and architectural beauty that this city has to offer. Then it was off to Turrialba for the rest of my stay in Costa Rica.
Turrialba is about an hour and half east of San Jose (approximately half way between San Jose and the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica). With a population of around 35,000 people, it is far from a bustling metropolis, but it was clean and very enjoyable. Turrialba is a great place for people seeking adventure and/or wanting to get away from it all (I wanted both, so it worked out).
Getting there: As with most places in the country, your best bet is to take a bus. Now, being a person who is not a fan of public transportation, that may sound a little weird. Here is the big reasons to take the bus instead of a taxi: Price. What sounds better. A Transtusa Bus ticket, one way: 1,455 Colones ($3USD) or taxi $80-100USD? That’s what I thought. Speed. Again, this is going to seem counterintuitive to most Americans, but the buses here usually make it to long distance destinations quicker than the average taxi. Why? The buses have stronger engines and can take the mountain roads with more success than taxis. Also, many cities have bus only lanes that make buses your quicker option. TIP: Since the bus tickets are only $3 a piece, buy two. Each ticket is assigned a seat number, with two seats on each side of the aisle. These seats weren’t designed with the comfort of taller or wider people in mind. Also, personal hygiene is different throughout the world, do you really want to risk a person with lower than expected hygiene sitting next to you and touching you/your clothes for the next hour and half to two hours? Really, it’s $3. Don’t be a tightwad in this instance.
Once you’re there: As I said before, Turrialba isn’t a huge city. However, there is plenty of stores and dining options in the city, a national botanical garden that is like it’s own city, mountains, jungle, water (you get the point). Also, this city happens to be a Mecca of extreme adventure sports (hang gliding, repelling, zip lining, volcano related activities, and of course white water rafting). I only had the chance to go white water rafting because mother nature didn’t cooperate with the other activities; low press storms cancelled hang gliding, flooding knocked a tree onto a zip line, the volcano park was closed due to possible eruption, etc etc etc.
White Water Rafting: This is a must if you come to Costa Rica. There are a few rivers that are home to the Turrialba valley, but none more famous than the Pacuare River. Tourists and locals alike come from all around the country just to take their chances with this river. I can keep writing about it, or I can just show you the video shot by Steven Rojas (a member of my rafting team). I had a great time, because of the rapids, but also because of the wonderful people that were on the raft with me. They made me feel right at home and I consider them friends. There are many options on which company to choose, but I recommend Adrenalina because they are awesome.
Random thoughts:
–Currency: The Costa Rica Colon compared to the US Dollar is around 530 Colones to every $1 USD. So, if you want to feel like a real kingpin, look at your balance on the ATM receipt (I’m a millionaire!)…Seriously though, the dollar goes far here unless you are trying to buy imported goods, clothing, or anything with a plug.
-Kindness: The kindness level of Costa Ricans is at or above Kindness Level Canadian. Now, I usually find that hard to deal with, because I don’t think those people are being honest (I know, I know. I’m just a pessimist that way). The reason for this (given to me by a Costa Rican) was that they aren’t “friendly”, as much as they are “non-confrontational”, because there has been no standing army in Costa Rica since 1948. I guess I get the reasoning, but I would have never guessed it.
-Gringo Traps: This country has been influenced by the US and has been home to many ex-pats from North America for a long time. That being said, they know what we like and are more than happy to cater to us. If you are in a place in Costa Rica and wonder “Hmm. Is this a gringo trap?”, I’m here to help you figure it out. Is all the prices in US Dollars only? If you answered yes, you are indeed in a gringo trap. Don’t get me wrong, these places are usually good quality, but also much more expensive than their Costa Rican local counterparts. So, just use your best judgement.
When I travel, I always rent an apartment. Nothing against hostels, but have you seen the movie “hostel”? Really though, I never know if I’m going to like a country or not; the last thing I need is to not like the country AND come back to a shared room with someone I also don’t like.
Like any place rented, I deal with the owners or realtors to pick up the keys and do an inspection. The Almighty is really looking out for me, because all of the people I have dealt with thus far have been OUTSTANDING, and Costa Rica was no different. The people I rented an apartment from were wonderful. They showed me around town. Gave me the scoop on everything I needed and wanted to know. They really are the difference makers. Thank you all.
You are awesome!
-Mike
Comments? Questions? Suggestions? Please leave them down below.
Mike The Migrant 