Finally, before we move on to Panama. Here are some observations from Andrew:
Andrew’s View of Costa Rica
I had no idea what to expect of Costa Rica before arriving here but leave impressed with the country, the people, the amazing wildlife and the warm climate
The People: What wonderful friendly people. They love to be of assistance, they have a good sense of humour, so helpful, love tourists and most speak English with a smile. I cannot think of a more friendly country we have visited. There are basically no beggars or hawkers and the street vendors are very polite and you never feel pushed to buy anything. Travelling here is very easy.
The Food: Its very simple food and mostly rice and bean based. Not overly flavoursome, so you add the sauces and pickles to acquire the taste. The traditional brown sauce is particularly nice. Fish and chicken are the most common meats available and fish is very cheap compared to NZ. A rice and red beans mix (Gallo Pinto) is a staple for breakfast as is fried plantains (a type of savoury banana). There is always plenty of tropical fruit available and the pineapple was incredibly sweet. They drink a lot of coffee and Louise says it’s great. They also have lots of the usual staples of pizzas and pasta on offer at every restaurant. In San Jose, I counted 10 MacDonald’s when walking through the city centre and about the same number of Subways.
Driving and Roads. Like anywhere, you will always find someone who needs to pass every car and there is no difference here. You have to force your way into traffic, they aren’t so courteous as the likes of Europe and outside of San Jose cars are a lot older. SUV’s and 4WD are very popular and you can see why when you get off the main roads. Most roads are just single lanes with very few dual carriageways. We headed inland to Monteverde, a major tourist spot in the mountains and spent 2 hours driving on dusty gravel roads. We thought these were bad but worse was to come. When we reached Monteverde we struck some of the most atrocious roads I have ever driven on. The potholes were huge and literally held together by bits of tar seal. Driving speeds here were around 5-10kph. The main roads are very busy with trucks, and I mean big trucks. We worked out the reason is, they have no rail network and you can’t transport by sea as you do not have a coastline going right around the country. They do have toll roads near San Jose. You pay in cash, but they are so cheap, at around $NZ1.
Accommodation: You have a variety to choose from. We stayed in nice resort-style accommodation which was much like you would get in Bali or Fiji. Backpackers and motels are plentiful. All hotels have WIFI for free and its strong and fast.
The Costs: It is not the cheapest country we have been too, but again it’s a lot cheaper than our home country NZ. A bottle of beer in a bar costs around NZ$4-5, in a supermarket around NZ$1.50, a reasonable bottle of wine around NZ$42 in a restaurant around NZ$25 in a supermarket (mostly South American wines). Petrol around NZ$1.30 a litre and rental car hire around $NZ70 per day. Eating out varies a lot. We had some nice meals that cost around NZ$50 for the two of us and lunches like Nachos or Paninis (and believe me they are big lunches) can cost as little as $10 each.
What to See: Whilst there are plenty of fun activities like zip-lining, para-sailing, white water rafting, tandem sky diving and surfing, it’s the nature that is the attraction for most. Where else can you see crocodiles lying on the river bank, boa constrictors enjoying the sun outside the door of your lodge, iguanas and lizards of all sizes scuttling around the hotel grounds, owls sitting in trees at nights, sloths lazing around the trees, monkeys at every corner you turn, and an amazing array of bird and insect life. National Parks are big here, but you do pay around $20 – $30 NZ to enter them.
Environment: They recycle everywhere. There is no rubbish lying around. You cannot smoke in public places, even beaches and parks – it’s a no-no! They are trying to eliminate plastic bags totally, all shapes and sizes. All traffic lights are run by solar power and we read that last year the entire country ran for 300 days straight on 100% renewable energy. They have a very strong environmental stance which is great to see.
Final Observation: Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed Costa Rica. Would I recommend it to others? DEFINITELY YES. Would I come back? Probably no. We enjoyed it immensely but there are plenty more countries to see.
A great review of an area I had never considered visiting until seeing your photos and your blog.
You’ve been away long enough, get back to your job!!