Foreign Travel

[Ma3tt]

I leave for Costa Rica on Tuesday anyone been there? have any thoughts?
We are staying 4 nights in Arenal and 5 nights in Quepos, we have Zip lines, Monte Verde and Manuel Antonio Beach on our agenda, any other must do locations?

[sdtripper2]

Always wanted to go Matt..

It is beautiful and where many Americans retire.
EX-CIA types ... and more...

Surfing ... and more great jungles and train ... two sides of country different.

Other than medical issues... it seems like a nice place to be.

Hope you have a wonderful time Matt.

[Ira]

Who are you going with?

That would make a difference on where I would tell you to go there.

[lcurrie]

I was in Costa Rica in November. Arenal is amazing - you might be staying there too long though. My recommendation is rent a car and move around. There is so much to do and see!

Our favorite zip lines were in the mountains about 1.5 hours from Arenal. If you're interested, i'll get the name for you.

The food at the local 'sodas' is incredible. Skip the touristy spots for the small, open little cafes. You won't be disappointed.

If you plan on going near Tambor, let me know. I'll put you in touch with a local who's family does tours. You'll get to skip the crowds and see parts of the area that locals know about. We spent a couple of days with him and saw the normal stuff (jungles, monkeys, etc). He also took us diving for oysters and prepared them for us and went to a deserted beach near Malpais.

Some day i'll get some photos posted and give everyone a link!



Lynn

[Ma3tt]

Thanks, We are renting a land cruiser and I am an excellent off road driver so we can go anywhere, Lynn I will PM you for those details, and I am going with my family Ira so keep it clean!

[Ira]

and I am going with my family Ira so keep it clean!

Dang.

I was never there, but I had a casual friend who was moving there, and I think he did because he kind of just vanished.

The one thing I DO remember from him, and this wasn't that along ago, was that food and drink are ridiculously inexpensive.

[dmb90260]

I believe it was Costa Rica where friends of mine got ripped off. They are long time world travelers, going to some foreign place 3-4 times a year. They had never lost anything in the last 20 years. 1) she had her handbag under a table while eating out but did not hook it under a chair leg. Bye bye purse. 2) A more classic approach. They were driving around, at some point their tire was spiked by something giving it a slow leak. Once they were further away and stopped to fix it, "friendly locals" suddenly showed up to help. As they helped with the tire, one of them helped himself to the purse inside the car... again.
Not meant as a slam against CR, it could happen anywhere but as the Old Sarge used to say on Hill Street "be careful out there."

[lanego]

Someone sent me this when I said I'd like to visit Costa Rica to check it out for retirement living.

Click Here

Take plenty of insect repellent! Have fun![/url]

[Ma3tt]

Just an update from Costa Rica.
Sitting on our porch last night sipping tequila, cigars, watching the volcano spew glowing red rocks hundreds of feet down its side, my future soninlaw said Pura Vida (pure life) the main greeting down here. It IS Pura Vida here.
This is the most amazing place yesterday we went to Monte Verde, today is zip lines. There is a parrot sitting about 3 feet from me on the hotel bird feeder. Gotta go drink the best coffee I have ever had! (again). After 30 hours here I highly reccomend this as a vacation spot. pictures upon our return.

Pura Vida
I mean Be Good

[Ira]

Desfrute!!!

(Enjoy.)

[Ma3tt]

We got back from Costa Rica, Its taken a couple of days to calm down. What a great place, Everyone should go. The food was good nothing spectacular, the beer was crap the coffee was amazing, The views, the people, the critters were all beyond belief. words and pictures cannot do it justice.

Click here to see a few of over 2800 pictures we took
http://picasaweb.google.com/Humaliwo/PuraVida

[madjack]

Matt...really good to see that you were not detained by Banditos or others...glad your back and had a great trip...going to checkout some photos later...
madjack

p.s....ya weren't lickin' any of those psychedelic looking frogs were ya???????? ......MJ

[Bigwoods]

You didn't slide across that valley on that little wire did ya'? That would scare me to death.