Miami Decision/Costa Rica Trip Plan

The Miami/Keys trip is listed as "probable" but I will wait on the weather forecast before I commit to the MLK weekend.  Experts are predicting a colder than average winter and if it's below 70 at Miami Beach, that's too cold for a swim.  If that's the case, I'll simply wait until President's Day when my odds for warmer weather improve.  I have decided that the Key West half marathon in January is going to be a NO GO.  Hotels are too expensive (350+150 for the race) and it will be extremely crowded as well.  Instead, I'll spend a night in Marathon (45-60 minutes from Key West) for half price and simply make a cameo appearance at the southernmost point the next morning.  I'll probably get something to eat and do a short walking tour just to count it as an official visit.  I hear it's somewhat overrated anyway but it's a bucket list item.  As for Miami, there are plenty of affordable hotels on/near the beach but I will stay in Mid or North Beach instead of the more famous South Beach to avoid the drunks.  In addition to the beach, I want to see Bayfront Park, Collins Ave and Lincoln Road.

Costa Rica is the one that I will pencil in for the Winter of 2020.  Logistics are pretty simple and it won't completely break the bank either.  I can get a direct flight out of Atlanta to San Jose, Costa Rica for just $375 round trip.  The flight time is slightly less than 4 hours.  If I get in early enough in the afternoon, I can take one of 3 scheduled bus trips from the airport to the nearest popular beach.  Renting a car is not advisable here and unnecessary with the bus schedules.   It's a beautiful 2 hour ride to Jaco Beach.  San Jose itself looks to be a fairly vibrant and beautiful area as well so I don't want to skip it completely.  My best chance to tour however would probably be on the way back.  All pictures posted were stolen from the Internet.

San Jose

Word on the street is that Jaco Beach is the most touristy part of Costa Rica.  That's got its pros and cons.  If I want to go to a foreign country, I want an authentic experience, not some resort town that on the surface could pass for an American vacation spot.  On the other hand, I can be hesitant to try new dishes and would like at least some American style restaurants if I don't like the local cuisine.  Jaco has fast food establishments such as McDonald's, Subway and KFC.  Not sure how I feel about that and I'll figure to skip those.

 I'm sure that I will go out to a couple of local bars in the evenings and will have the opportunity to interact with people from all over the world.  Of course, I definitely want to meet some native Costa Ricans.  Even in a tourist town, there will be no shortage of locals as well as others from nearby areas.  I can get by with English only but as I did in Mexico, I most definitely want to speak Spanish to the natives.  Thanks to DuoLingo, my skills have improved since Mexico and I expect to have some real conversations with locals.  

Of course, the number one attraction here is the beach.  I will want at least 2 full days in the water.  Costa Rica is located between 8-12 degrees north of the Equator so seasonal variance in temperature is small.  I can expect 85-90 degrees every day with no chance of a freak polar cold front this far south.  Pacific water temps ought to be a perfectly refreshing 80-82 degrees with good surf all year round.  There is a dry season and a rainy season however.  Fortunately, in January and February, it hardly ever rains and there is virtually no chance of overcast or gloomy weather conditions.  In addition to the beach, there are several nearby hiking trails in rain forests with beautiful waterfalls and lagoons.  That ought to worth a look as well.

  

Other countries in the region:

I initially wanted to combine this trip with a visit to Nicaragua.  It's more rustic and less touristy there but just as if not more beautiful in spots.  Unfortunately, there is too much political unrest there at the present time plus it would take a lot more time if I wanted to do both San Juan del Sur and Cerro Negro, where a popular activity is sand boarding down a volcano as if on skis.  Panama looks to be nice country and it is safe as well.  El Salvador, Honduras?  Those are no go zones.  

The US has 4 levels of Travel Advisories. 1) Normal Cautions, 2) Extra Caution, 3) Reconsider Travel, 4) Do Not Travel.   I will not go anywhere higher than a 2.  Nicaragua is a 3 and Costa Rica is a 1.  I'm sticking to Costa Rica only.  Still, word on the street is that it is not advisable to walk long distances at night even on main roads in a safe tourist area. The fact that a country had major problems in the past does NOT disqualify it for a future visit.  For example, Vietnam and Bosnia have made great strides in recent years.  Nicaragua can turn the corner as well.