Costa Rica??

D

denverco

Joined
Feb 26, 2008
Messages
250
Anybody been? I've been wanting to go for a long time so I'm gonna start gathering information to take a trip. Not a tourist sit on the beach trip but a good jungle trek. Any advice on what time of year to go or trails and destinations would be appreciated.
 
I had a buddy that lived there , being a tourist off the beaten trail or not with a group will more than likely get you into trouble, you do not have to be looking for trouble to find you ..Be careful...be alert...best bet go with a group and stay with the group.
 
Thats good advice. Other counties do not think very highly of americans right now, best bet would be to go w/ a group, and stay on your toes. I have never been down there, but I have been other places, some friendly, others not so, some just down right hostile.
Not tryin to breed fear, as I am sure you will have an experiance of a lifetime. Just do your homework, and plan accordingly.
 
Americans are not particularly at risk in Costa Rica. Generally, the risk is typical tourist related stuff, pickpockets, ATM robberies, that sort of thing. Jungle trekking on your own (or with your travel buddies) may be unwise, simply because there may be trespassing laws and/or customs that are difficult for tourists to figure out. However, there may be tours run by locals. I think they'd be the best bet.
 
My wife of 16 yrs is from there so I've been there a bit. I dont think it's bad at all. But you've got to be on your toes, a bit always, but more in some areas. I've gone all over there and never had a problem. I've seen problems (muggings) though. I'm bigger than most and look in shape. Costa Ricans are small. The bad ones are looking for easier marks. I bring my family, wife and two kids there now. There's lots of interesting things to try there. Probably what I'd do is just stay at some inexpensive hotels or cabins in mountainous areas, then go on day hikes from there. Most of their national parks are the size of city parks, they're good for a few hours. On the other hand, their roads are like hiking trails, so just walking around country roads is like hiking, and a lot of wildlife are just out anywhere. I'd go alone, because I think tourist groups suck and ruin the experience, and most tours are a rip-off (meaning you really don't need to pay some overly talkative guy to go on vacation with you, and it isn't that dangerous that you need that. The times I went there alone I always meet plenty of Americans or Europeans traveling that I could have joined had I wanted to. There's a lot of tourist in Costa Rica, it's not like Iran or something, and they like Americans. Heck, there's hundreds (or thousands) of US grad students living there all the time, studying butterflies and things.

Protect your stuff and let people around you know that you are watching out for yourself. There's a lot of petty theft in populated areas, so watch your junk. Don't carry all your cash in one basket. We always get a credit card advance (of cash) one or twice each trip to avoid losing too much cash, and keep our credits card in a safe place. I'ts not really that bad there. Here's some pics of our last trip there 3 yrs ago. These are of my in-laws place near the Arenal volcano:

This shows my mini-griptillian with some mamonchinos (rambutan, fruit) and some other typical food.
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Here's a pic of a Costa Rican (Corneta) brand machete that I sharpened up with a LAnskey extra course diamond hone. I later joined some neighbors clean brush from a road with it, as well as opened many "cocos", coconuts for drinking. I recommend buying a machete and matching handmade leather sheath (like the one in the pic, first thing, that way you'll have something to protect yourself with as well as something to open coconuts with. Coconuts are everywhere, and have a lot of good liquid in them but are real hard to open without a machete. You can bring it back too. Mine here cost not more than $25 with sheath. They don't come sharpened though. You can probably pay for that there though, cheap enough, or bring your own file or sharpening gear. I like to carry my machete on all hikes.
Corneta.jpg


Here's a pic of my in-laws dog sleeping on a sack of coconuts that they collected for me to play with. Along side is a bucket of collected plantains, more coconuts, and a red sweetpepper bush behind.

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I recommend going there. I drink tap water there and eat whatever I want, without a problem ever. I don't buy bottled water. The food and water are sanitary there.
 
A year or two ago, a robber boarded some type of tourist bus and tried to rob a bunch of old Norte Americanos. An old WW2 Vet put the wupass on one of them and killed him barehanded. Authorities declined to prosecute. :D
 
I'll second the information posted by Eager. I used to go there a lot in the 80's and through most of the 90's. Have driven all through the country. On my first trip there, I actually rode a crowded bus from San Jose to the Pacific coast (Tamarindo). Last time I was there was 2 years ago for work, but I still have friends who live there (in Tamarindo), and I'm going back for a visit this fall. I've found the people to be very friendly, and have never had any "bad experiences" there. Closest I came was one time, long ago, when we got our car (Volkswagen "Thing") broken into on the Caribbean side of the country while we were snorkeling/spearfishing. I'd go so far as to say that if I was still single, I'd probably go live there - really nice country, and very beautiful/lots to do. Go to Costa Rica and enjoy yourself, dude!
 
Yeah Costa Rica is great... I was there on more of a lay-on-the-beach trip with my girlfriend at the time. CR has some great jungle though, and some amazing parks with lots to see.

Pura Vida!!
 
I don't like the rainy season down there and wouldn't recommend jungle exploration during that time...unless you enjoy soak and wet. My wife, too, is from South America (we know Costa Rica well). BTW, theft is extremely popular in that neck of the woods (seems to be getting worse according to our contacts who live there), so don't walk off and leave anything unattended even for a moment (a good practice anywhere these days). Other than that, Costa Rica is reasonably safe...other than the drivers. :)
 
Costa Rica is a great place to visit. It's true that in many countries, Americans are generally treated poorly - I think a big exception to this is in Latin America. I'm speaking from personal experience, so of course the experience of others may differ. In broad terms, I find Latin Americans to be the most helpful, friendly, welcoming people on the planet. I haven't been everywhere, but I've been a lot of places.

As to Costa Rica being an adventure, that depends on what you do and where you've been. Is it an "adventure" compared to Miami, Disney World, and Cancun? Yep. Is it an adventure compared to backpacking through Peru? Probably not.

I would definitely recommend going to Monteverde - spend a few days in the cloud forest, it's a great drive, very exciting (scary at times), the canopy/bridge/zipline tours are out of this world.

In terms of how much bang you get for your buck...the dollar is pretty weak abroad right now, but it's still much better mileage than the Euro.

In terms of it being a dangerous place, I couldn't disagree more. It's much less dangerous than many American cities, and many rural areas too. Granted, if you're stupid (get wasted in public and make it known to the world that you're not a local or a smart tourist)...well, that's your fault.

Sorry for the longer post, but once again - I can't recommend Latin America enough to anyone who has never been - the people, the food, the views...out of this world.
 
I should also note that I've lived in Latin America for parts of my life, and therefore speak Spanish and Portuguese. It may be a little more difficult for people who only speak English and get uncomfortable in situations where you feel out of place.
 
macgregor22 said:
I think those are the blokes that recomend coldsteels over busses.:confused:
Click to expand...

How can you really trust a guy whose name is Myke Hawke?:p He does some of the jungle training for Man vs. Wild. They would be insane to recommend coldsteel over busse.
 
I lived in Central And South America for a few years myself. I spent a year living in David Panama, and another 2 living in Punteraneas Costa Rica. I travelled CR for the 2 years pretty extensively, and one thing I always had with me was a local friend or 2. Even being able to speak Spanish does'nt always erase your 'gringo-ness' to those looking to take advantage of you. Not that local Ticos would generally do this; but the past 20 years has seen quite an influx of Nicaraguans, and Panamanians, who think nothing of jacking tourists if they get the chance. While living on the Nicoya Penisula I helped out quite a few 'robbery victims' who were neither drunk or in the wrong place at the wrong time. Plainly they were just disoriented walking around unfamiliar areas, and the good and poor areas tend to blend rather quickly to folks accustomed to North of the Border suburbs IME.

I also had a freind who 'went off backpacking alone' thinking it was no big deal; and was found dead from snakebite 3 weeks later near his camp. It's not a State Forest down there, and if you are'nt well versed in the wildlife you should travel accompained by a local guide. Support the local enconomy and ask at your hotel for a reputable local guy, farmer to take you for a hike. You'll meet nice folks and get a decent rate charged. And don't be cheap, buy your guy lunch and drinks as you have them. It will be repaid ten fold when you run into trouble and your 'guide' ends up befriending you.

I used to ride the jungle train back and forth between the coasts until the big landslide took it out. Then I brought my 185 up from Panama on my sailboat and used that to cruise back and forth. The buses are an adventurer in themselves; sit in the way back to get the genuine flavor of the ride! it's where the folks with critters tucked in their bags will be!
 
Thanks for all the information everybody. Very helpful. You can read all the information on tour websites and what not but first hand reports are always the best. I've always wanted to go to Costa Rica just because the rainforest is supposed to be second to none. I was pretty certain it was a pretty friendly place which is another reason I wanted to visit. I speak spanish so I've got that going for me. Thanks for the pictures Eager. I just got two Trams in the mail today. Anybody interested in putting together a group trip? I also looked into the RAT peru trip looks cool I just want to see costa rica.
 
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