Costa Rica Trip Report

 Including the USA, this was my 8th country but my first solo trip to a country that does not share a border with the USA.  I had to stay overnight in Atlanta because my fight left at 6:30 AM the next day.  

1/1- My flight was a 4 hour trip to San Jose, which went off on time and I met a nice lady from Pasadena, California.  The trip did not get off to a smooth start.  I took a cab to the bus station and I thought it would be an easy $5-10 cab ride.  Nope.  The bus station is not close to the airport and cost me $30.  Especially if you are in a group, I would advise you to bite the bullet and pay $100-120 for a private cab to Jaco.  Word on the street is that the bus ride is VERY uncomfortable and crowded with no air conditioning.  

When I entered the bus station, I was told that because it was a holiday, there would be no busses for another 4 hours but a taxi could take me to my hotel right now.  I got a funny feeling about this guy but decided to trust him because he was wearing an employee badge.  Surely, he was a legitimate driver.  Bad call.  After we agreed on the standard fare, he demanded more money when when we arrived.  I protested and he eventually settled for half of his demands.  Pendejo!  Congratulations on ripping off a gringo.  Especially when traveling solo, trust your instincts.  If you get a strange vibe about a person or situation, walk away.  It could have been worse.  I did make it safely to my hotel.  It just cost me more money than it should have.  I don't mind spending money but I do NOT like being ripped off.  Assholes exist everywhere and I knew that this is not the norm in Costa Rica.  This would be the last of the drama and the rest of the trip went well.  

1/1-1/4-

Most of my time was spent on the beach in the surf with the exception of my lunch break.  I did go on a hike to see an overlook one morning and of course, went out for dinner and drinks in the evening.  Excursions were offered such as waterfall tours that I considered.  I decided against that and stuck to the beach.  You can even take a bus to Nicaragua.  I've considered San Juan Del Sur before but decided on Costa Rica because of the political stability.   Surf conditions were in the nice range with 3-4 foot waves.  Plenty big enough to be exciting but not dangerous.  The biggest waves broke too deep and I did not go after those but got plenty of good long rides to the shore.  Water temp was about 82-83 degrees so it wasn't quite as warm as the Florida Gulf in the summer but comparable to South Carolina in July.  This was in early January so you can't beat that.

Weather:

Dry for the most part with the exception of a brief shower in the evening of 1/2.  I expected a sunny climate with pop up storms in the summer.  In fact, there is usually a fair amount of cloud cover especially in the rainy season.  That's actually a good thing.  It is EXTREMELY oppressive when the sun is out.  After all, this is by far the closest I've been to the Equator with a latitude of 9 degrees North.  When it is overcast, it's actually pleasant.  It's totally immune to cold fronts.  The Arctic blast over Christmas brought the high temperature down to 59 in Miami.  Even Cancun, which is below the Tropic of Cancer, barely hit 70 degrees.  On the coast in Jaco, you won't see any days with a high temperature below 80.     

Beach:

If you are looking for snow white sand and crystal clear turquoise water, go elsewhere.  Here, you will find dark brown sand and darker blue water that is not especially clear.  To me, that's got a special charm of its own.  It is a bit stony near the shore so aqua socks are a good idea but there are no big rocks to worry about and the bottom is all sand once you get out in the surf.  Perhaps the best part is a large forest of coconut palm trees near the edge of the sand and some mountain views to the side.  I could never get tired of seeing that.  

People:

Yes, you will get smiles from random locals on the street, which I like very much.  I would have liked to have had more interactions with Costa Ricans in restaurants besides my servers.  Most of the customers are Americans so Spanish is not necessary but appreciated.  I was asked where I was from and what do I think of Costa Rica.  They were truly sincere and wanted me to have a good time.  I did not share the bad experience with the cab driver.  A woman from my hotel was amused by my imitation of the judge from My Cousin Vinny and referred to me as "Your Honor."  I also met two interesting guys at restaurants who share my passion for travel.  One is from Cleveland, Ohio and the other is from Lafayette, Loosiana.  I did get to sit near a local girl at a bar one night.  She was flat out beautiful, and I was able to have a brief conversation with her in Spanish. 

Trip home:

The day before my flight, I arranged for a private shuttle and paid the fare in advance.  There would be no scam this time.  Unfortunately, the fight was delayed by 2 hours and I did not get to Atlanta until 8:30 and did not get home until 11 PM.  OUCH!

Overall:

I don't regret this trip but as is the case with most others, I am unlikely to return any time soon.  I could have planned it better to save money by taking a later flight and not staying in Atlanta the night before. I am a variety seeker and there are too many other options.  My next winter getaway will probably be Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.  If I am to go back to Costa Rica, I will fly to Liberia instead of San Jose and it will be combined with Nicaragua.