Costa Rica Review - Best and Worst - Pura Vida!

Everyone deserves a great vacation. My good friend who is bravely serving our country in Iraq is going to Costa Rica so I am sharing my opinions of the best and worst of my 2 week trip last year.

BEST
When you're in Costa Rica, try to visit Montezuma (like Montezuma's Revenge). That was my favorite place. It's on the Southern tip. Most beautiful and clean beach to snorkel and swim. It has amazing hotels on top of the hill or by the beach 60-75 bucks a night, and a Rainforest nightclub open til who knows when. It's a nice walk-around town. Spend at least a day there if not two.

Arenal has amazing hot springs and a volcano. Awesome to watch if the volcano is active, and by all means spend a day at the hot springs. Spend at least two days there if you can - one for hot springs, one for hiking the waterfalls. You should bring your own liquor if you're drinking because the drinks come at 5 star prices and weak doses. Near Arenal, there are horseback rentals and amazing waterfalls to hike to not far from Arenal. Check with the hotel for the best trails. When you're at the hiking trails, there's usually a store. Buy a sarong if you see a good one, you won't find the same one at the next store, but you will find those turtle instruments most everywhere, find a good one. http://www.arenal.net/

Zip Line - Find one and do it. They are not very fast so it's great if you have a non-adventurer with you, but it's cool to be above everything in a rainforest. I went to Monte Verde where there is a neat little book store, hostels and a grocery store. Ask the locals for a good restaurant. I didn't and found a sub-par place one day and a great one the next. That area is neat with hostels where you meet people from around the world. http://www.monteverdeinfo.com/canopy/tour.htm

Food - you have to eat Arroz con Pollo (Rice and Chicken). Also, try their hot sauce that's on most tables in Costa Rica. You're welcome to send me a bottle. :o) It's like tabasco but better because it's different. Oh, and the coffee is good. You can buy bags at the airport if you need some when you get done with your trip or to give as gifts to your coffee drinkers at home.

WORST
And if you go to Tamarindo, don't stay there long unless the surf is good. It's touristy and unless you are at a five star resort, you will have to pay for air conditioning separate. The ocean water is extra salty which makes you extra boyant. But hey, if you get stuck there, eat the nachos at the place by the beach with "nachos as big as your a$$" and try and get a massage in a beach canopy while drinking a big fruity beverage with an umbrella.

San Jose, Costa Rica should not fit into the vacation portion of your trip except for entering and leaving the airport. It's just another city. Shopping malls with American Stores. If you miss America, go there. Otherwise skip it. Driving around, you will get totally lost.

ESSENTIALS:
DRIVING - If you rent a car, bring a credit card with over a thousand dollars available on it. They take a $1000 deposit just to rent an SUV. The SUV will have a snorkel, if it doesn't, get another car. You will most likely be driving through water up to four feet deep. Get an SUV. Bring walkie talkies if you have more than 1 car because you may lose each other on the curvy roads and you may be driving a lot so it's a good distraction. Try to take the main roads to get where you are going or a guy on a horse will probably end up escorting you through a river to find a road that's not blocked by a fallen tree. You will definitely cross rivers or you haven't really seen Costa Rica.

BRING BUG REPELLENT and SUNSCREEN. The bugs (mosquitoes) are most active at sunset, which sucks because you should watch every sunset because they are beautiful. So spray the bug repellent on and definitely wear sunscreen. My friend who had a great tan (former lifeguard), looked like a lobster after a couple hours in the water without sunscreen. Apply, re-apply and re-apply again. You won't regret not being sun-burned. You also might want to bring something to stop any itching from bug bites if you tend to swell up like I do.

BUY SOMETHING TOURISTY - a hat, a t-shirt that says Pura Vida. When you wear it, people in America (and probably where you are) will come up and talk to you if they have been there. It brings back nice memories of beautiful places. I bought my hat at the airport for a hefty price. Try to buy it at a tourist shop during your travels.

ONLINE ACCESS - Costa Rica also has internet cafes. Great for checking in with the rest of the world for a couple bucks an hour. You can upload your pictures to the web or burn them to CD. Give the CDs to your friends so you don't have to do it later or pack them in your suitcase so you have a backup copy in case anything happens to your camera or memory cards - water or otherwise.

And don't forget to go in the water. If you surf, you can rent boards (and beach umbrellas) there instead of paying the hefty airport fee to bring your board on the plane.

All right, that's it for now. There's more but I can't remember it all. Have a great trip! Pura Vida!