I could have kept on going. Just across the border to the North was Nicaragua and to the South was Panama. If I had guts enough, I would have crossed either borders and kept on moving. Panama maybe, and then deep into South America. The problem is mi Espanol es muy malo, y mi dinero es muy muy malo. Therefore I stayed on my very safe path in Costa Rica, with safe drivers and even safer hotels.
I had no preconceived notions about this place, with maybe the exception of my high expectations for great Costa Rican cuisine. Comidas tipicas de Costa Rica por ejemplo Casados.
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I was pleasantly surprised, and a little disappointed all at the same time. Firstly, Costa Rica is a beautiful country with lush tropical forestry and an amazing array of wildlife. Interesting wildlife even! Three Toed Sloths hang from trees on the side of the road. The people are friendly and the Costa Rican life is a simple but good one. As the Costa Ricans say, “Pura Vida”. The road conditions are amazing, public rest areas are clean, as is the rest of the country. Every where you go within the county from Arenal to Manuel Antonio and beyond, they are reducing the carbon footprint and sustaining, as well as; protecting the environment.
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Touring the country could take weeks and a lot of Colones which is the local currency. Even though the exchange rate is $435 Colones to $1 Dollar, things are still equally priced in comparison to the US.
I enjoyed sea bass and rice and peas with roasted plantains at a restaurant called: “Cafe Milagro”, most other eateries were, so-so. I didn’t come upon much street food either. I did however, get to drink a lot of coconut water and eat the jelly.
Mmmm, muy delicioso!
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