Living the pure life in Costa Rica: What to do, see and eat
I had never been in Costa Rica, and sincerely, it was not in my plans to travel there. Yet, I knew several fun facts about it such as it is a country that has no army. I also knew their economy is based on tourism, which tells you the impact of the pandemic this past year in the lives of the Ticos. Interestingly, Costa Rica has 10% of the world’s rainforest, a well sought attraction for nature lovers, and tourism is starting to pick up.
After a long red-eye flight, my husband and I landed in San Jose at almost noon. It was sunny and extremely hot. We drove to the stunning mountains in La Fortuna, three hours north of the capital city.
We stayed right around the corner of the small square of the town. From our room’s window, we could observe the volcano’s fog on top. Surrounding us there were new hotels and old small farm-style hostels. Outdoors, almost in every corner, there were stands exhibiting the exotic fruits of Central America. Multiple bars, restaurants, bakeries, and coffee shops served the regrowing tourist population. Almost every school is located next to a soccer field and a Catholic church for kids to have a “complete education,” one of our tour guides explained to us.
Our breakfast for seven mornings was casado, the typical dish of Costa Rica made with rice and black beans accompanied by sweet fried plantain and beef or chicken. Surprisingly, Gordo put in practice his State College Spanish teacher’s lessons to the point that he could say long sentences and order our food. I was very proud of him. All proud until I heard him saying “puta vida” to say farewell to people. I fixed my eyes on him and he, as usual, could not read me. People from Costa Rica say “pura vida” instead of saying goodbye, which is a tagline that means pure life. “Puta vida,” however, is a curse. For Gordo, both words’ phonetics were alike. He was so embarrassed that he went back to saying “bye.”
Things to do in Arenal, where La Fortuna is located:
Visit the Hanging Bridges Park, which offers more than a dozen suspension bridges to walk.
Spend at least a day in one of the hot springs. We went to Tabacon because the fee included lunch and dinner.
Go whitewater rafting. We booked a tour with Desafío Adventure and ended up upgrading our tour to rappel down a 70-foot mountain.
On our way to the beach
Packing our suitcases in the rented car to travel to the Pacific Ocean town where we would spend three further nights, Gordo found a gecko hiding in the hatchback. It was raining, hot and humid. It was an unfit gray day for a drive and we had a 6-hour drive ahead of us. But I refused to take off until the gecko was not a passenger. Gordo insisted we leave with the reptile in the back while I petitioned a hotel gardener to unscrew the hatchback to find the animal. Gordo was annoyed with my whining, and I was annoyed by the gecko. It only took us an hour before they found the stinky lizard.
The road trip to the ocean was mind blowing, and the 2-pound fried red snapper exquisite. Upon arrival in our lodge, I laid on the bed and by lifting my head on the pillow saw the immense blue ocean in front of me. I definitely come from la mer and will die near it — this last sentence is purely speculation.
From our morning walks I learned that many Americans had moved to Costa Rica, and that owning property is available for non-Costa Ricans. Most of them move close to Manuel Antonio, the beach we were visiting at that moment.
While the number of activities in Manuel Antonio are unlimited, we went to Aguirre on a catamaran and snorkeled for an hour. Because it had rained so much the night before, we only got to see a few tang fishes. But my understanding is that under dry conditions, it is possible to spot turtles and stingrays. We also went kayaking in a mangrove, where we found a rattlesnake that had recently eaten a big something and it was still digesting. Gross.
Useful tips for traveling to Costa Rica
Because of the pandemic, an insurance for COVID-19 is required. You will not be able to board without it.
You need to get a COVID-19 test before boarding back to America — regardless of you full vaccination status.
Today from Costa Rica. Next month from Puerto Rico.