Right, so I plan to post plenty of pictures along with a narrative after our trip to Costa Rica, but with the workload I’m looking at this semester, it might not be for awhile unless I get really ambitious this week. (My classes look awesome but with heavy workloads. More on that tomorrow.)

In short, I would say that we really liked, although didn’t fall in love with, Costa Rica. Our biggest complaint is that Costa Rica has really mastered the art of turning a country into a tourist attraction. Almost everything is packaged and ready for tourist consumption; everything, that is, except Costa Rican culture. I kept feeling like we were getting a performance of Costa Rican culture rather than the real deal. Nearly everyone spoke at least some English, and most Ticos preferred to practice their English than indulge my Spanish, which was a bit of a disappointment for me but I can’t say that I blame them. Mastering English helps them with their jobs.

The country was predictably gorgeous and we had great weather. We’ve got pictures of waterfalls, volcanoes, rain forests, beaches, whitewater rapids, and lots more. We didn’t do as many activities as we’d planned—no horseback riding, kayaking, hikes with guides, etc. The main reason is because they were all overpriced, or least priced more than we wanted to pay. $85 for a morning horseback ride was too much, as was paying $60 for a guided two-hour walk in the forest. Those things all add up over the course of the trip and didn’t feel like a good enough return on the money. Kind of like the $2 cans of Coke in the hotel lobby.

And also on the downside was being pulled over by a cop and having to pay a cash ticket/bribe when we’re not at all convinced Amy was speeding, or speeding by much, or driving anywhere as recklessly as most Costa Ricans. And then there was being swindled into paying a phony parking attendant. And then there was getting our tire slashed at the beach (story here). Those things also add up, even though we found the locals to be overwhelmingly friendly and accommodating.

Overall, the big question is whether you’d go back. I think we would, but it’s not high on our list even though we had an amazing time. One of our rafting guides told us that Costa Ricans are considered “gringos” by many other Central American countries because they bend over for the US tourist trade, and much of what we experienced felt geared towards pleasing the American tourist. That’s just not our bag. We fell in love with places like Guatemala and Spain because very little is set up to help the tourist, and when that’s the case you can’t help but get a flavor for “real” life the locals lead.

But for people who want an easy trip to a foreign country, Costa Rica is an inviting place. No worries about seeing any of the stark poverty like I’ve seen in Mexico and Guatemala. Even in the country, the Ticos seemed to be doing pretty well for themselves. I’m not for a second suggesting this is a bad thing and I’m not promoting cheap holidays in other people’s misery,* but much of what we experienced felt like an Epcot version of a Central American country and I’m not sure how you get around that.

Pictures forthcoming, and I’m sure they’ll make the above whinging seem silly.

* – name that song