Pura Vida - Page 3 - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**kingcrazylegs** · 05-20-2005, 01:19 PM

I was getting a little nervous when I started reading your first line....but it sounds like you had a great time!

**agriadam** · 05-20-2005, 01:45 PM

incredable. glad that you had a fun and interesting journey.

**omisan** · 05-20-2005, 01:49 PM

Seriously, it was one of the best trips EVER. I wish I had more time so I didn't have to pack everything in like a madman, but I'm still glad I did it. I'm working on photos over the next few days, but just as a teaser here are a few more:

San Jose at night

Me and 3 people who came in on the same flight

The back yard at Hostel Pangea

Zipping 400 feet above the forest floor in Monteverde

The spectacular Pacuare River gorge

**agriadam** · 05-20-2005, 01:58 PM

when you said zipline....I HAD KNOW IDEA!!!

**space virgin** · 05-20-2005, 02:12 PM

Wow!! I didn't get that about the "zipline" either! Now I wanna go even more!

**omisan** · 05-20-2005, 03:09 PM

Yeah, it really helped me conquer my fear of huge heights.. now I'm rip-roarin'-ready to do it again!

**omisan** · 05-23-2005, 12:40 PM

Still working on photos.. thought I'd share this sex-ay one with everyone

**space virgin** · 05-23-2005, 01:48 PM

Nice! Wait a minute.

Yeah, that's me still being jealous. lol

DreamsinRed · 05-24-2005, 07:52 AM

Seriously, what was with all the Yanks being from Colorado and the Canucks being from B.C.? I met a ton of Canadians but I was the only one from Ontario. I agree with you about Rockin J's. I definitely was not one of the people that came for two days and ended up staying for two weeks. Good luck with the sunburn. When that sun finally came out it was intense! <img src='http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/28/28_1_8.gif' alt='Burnt To A Crisp' border=0>

**omisan** · 05-24-2005, 11:03 AM

Hahah.. I met a couple of cool girls from Ottawa my 2nd night, so Ontario was definitely representing

**Diorama** · 05-25-2005, 03:57 PM

^haha Yeah I agree. There are plenty of BC'ers travelling (including myself!)..Most canadians I met were from somewhere in BC. Though of course the Brits and ozzies are the everywhere!! I met a lot of americans from Southern California and from the Boston area.

Omisan glad u had fun in CR! I did a similar trip in 2002. Spent three wonderful weeks there. My favourite place was Montezuma (especially my hammock) and tortugero. It's hard getting back into the western lifestyle after serious tico time.

**omisan** · 05-25-2005, 04:08 PM

Sadly, I didn't get to either Montezuma or Tortuguero, but I'm saving those for the next trip!

**voyd** · 05-29-2005, 01:16 PM

I'll be down there in about 2 weeks!

I must know - how bad are the mosquitos and raininess right now???

I will be going to Tamarindo on the coast, btw.

And, any other tips?

**omisan** · 05-31-2005, 10:37 AM

Cool, Voyd!

Well, I went at the beginning of the rainy season, and I only got rained on a couple of times out of 9 days there, so it wasn't so bad - but when it did rain, it rained HARD, and it was a sustained torrent for at least an hour at a time (not like those 20 minute flurries you get in the Caribbean islands). Other than that, the weather was absolutely beautiful, but as with any tropical area, it can be totally be unpredictable, so be prepared. Just know that even when it pisses, it can be pretty warm, so don't worry too much about bundling up. The temperature's fairly constant year-round, only a bit cooler up in the mountainous regions - something you shouldn't have to worry about going coastal and all.

I came out with only a few mosquito bites as I slathered myself in Repel (30% DEET) wipes every day. They are definitely more of a worry at lower elevations, particularly on the coast, but make sure you're wearing enough repellent and you should be ok. It was in the beach towns that everyone complained about getting eaten alive, what with all the water and humidity around. If you're spending any time in San José on the way in or out, you'll find it to be largely mosquito-free, as I believe they spray the whole city with something to keep them away.

Other tips:

* Eat at the sodas - they're dirt cheap and goooood.

* All beaches in Costa Rica are public domain. That means you can hit any beach you want at any hour and do whatever you want. That also means that there could be hoodlums waiting around to rob you after dark, especially in tourist favorites like Tamarindo, Montezuma, Quepos, etc. But along with it being the rainy season, the incidences of tourist-preying pickpockets/thieves seem to go down. The usual street-smart tactics apply as anywhere else.

* If you're taking the bus from SJ to Tamarindo, pack yourself a lunch and a bunch of water/drinks/etc. The bus rides are long, there's no air conditioning, and if there is a rest stop, it may be too short to get anything more than a snack.

* Drinking the water/ice in beach towns is supposedly a bad idea. I had no problem with this, but caveat emptor.

* Take loads of $1 bills. Dollars are accepted EVERYWHERE there, but sometimes they'll charge you more if they have to make change for a $20. Don't be surprised if you get your change in colones. Also, no matter what the exchange rate is, just about every business will use $1=470¢, so it's often better to use colones if you've got pinching pennies down to an exact science.

* Speaking of money, your ATM card will most likely NOT work at Banco Nacionál, even though they sport the STAR system symbol, so any opportunity you get to use a Banco de Costa Rica or Banco Popular ATM, use it, as they're far and few in between. Also, many of these ATMs will dispense money in colones or dollars, the latter of which means you don't get nailed with an exchange fee by your bank back at home.

**voyd** · 06-01-2005, 09:01 AM

GREAT tips, thanks Omi!!

How hot is it down there right now, btw? Is it too hot to wear anything but T's and shorts? I kinda wanna wear pants to protect against mosquitos?

& dumb question: Do you think we can go barefoot in the beachtowns, or should we bring flip-flops, or other shoes?

**omisan** · 06-01-2005, 09:59 AM

It should be in the 70's-80's with fairly high humidity... I wore shorts much of the time, but I also took my zip-off pants, partially as a mosquito safeguard - nice and lightweight and breathable.

I would definitely recommend wearing flip-flops in the beachtowns - I don't know what the Pacific side is like, but the Caribbean coast, while sandy, had a LOT of rocks in the shallows of the water at the beach... and despite how clean everything appears, there were pockets of broken glass here and there in town and near the beaches. Also, the sand and pavement were freakin' HOT... I ended up buying a pair of those strappy Teva-type sandals over there - the thong in my flip flops was starting to chafe after a week, and I needed them for rafting anyway.

**voyd** · 06-13-2005, 12:47 PM

^ Gracias, Omi! Was good tips..

Ok, just got back from 4 days in CR livin' la "pura vida."

Here's my field trip report, SV

:

1) I was deathly paranoid of mosquito swarms - but got not a SINGLE bite! They only came out at dark, and there weren't even that many. I even used a non-DEET natural repellant called Natrapel - which worked just fine.

2) It is the rainy season down there right now, being south of the equator. It usually rained fairly hard for about an hour each day. Tamarindo is an overnight tourist town whose non-paved roads were VERY muddy.

3) Temperature was nice. Very hot & humid when sunny and clear. Cooler & humid when cloudy. Wore shorts during the day and pants at night (mosquito protection). Most surfers "downtown" just walked around in their swimsuits & flip-flops. And lots of open-air buildings because it apparently stays about the same all year!

4) Tamarindo is a surfing HEAVEN. Perfectly temperate waters and great breaks all along the shore. Smaller waves are maybe 3'-4', larger waves elsewhere are maybe 5'-6'. I took a 2 hr lesson and was able to get up and easily surf all the way into shore by the end.

5) Gallo pinto is their local dish - seasoned black beans and rice. DELICIOUS!

And of course, they serve a lot of seafood and tropical juices too. A tacky Burger King just moved in but everyone is boycotting that corporate BS (thank gawd).

6) Exchange rate is 475 Colones/greenback. Expect to pay US prices or higher for most everything in Tamarindo though as it is becoming an ex-pat surfer spot with a lot of reech Americanos.

7) There are iguanas (black & green) everywhere, crabs, chirping geckos, howling monkeys that...howl like Bigfoot, anteaters, Jesus lizards, crocodiles, colorful birds & flowers, etc. Lots of green intersected by brown muddy roads. A lot of construction and soaring real estate prices.

In short, it's good times. Well, I didn't really have any time to go off on my own, but I think it'd be real hard not to have a good time down there! I'll try to post up a few pics later - but it'll be a while as I'm pretty backlogged...

**omisan** · 06-13-2005, 01:40 PM

Welcome back, Voyd! Glad you had a good time...

Pura vida indeed!