Travelogue: Costa Rica

The decision to rent a car is a tough one. Public transportation reaches everywhere, if you do not want to worry about the safety of your rental car, driving directions, or driving hazards. The roads there are pretty rugged (i.e., unpaved), and signage ranges from "okay" to "non-existent." Plus, they do not even make local area maps, and the larger country maps leave much detail to be desired. Luckily, I speak a bit of Spanish, so getting lost was never the end of the world, and locals were always very helpful with directions. When driving internationally, you have to expect you will get lost. Costa Rica is no better or worse than other countries I have been to, but it is still maddening. In larger towns, the roads spontaneously become one-way, but with no signage to indicate which way. They do not name their streets. The major highway (the Central American Highway) is only two lanes in some parts, unlit at night, and winds through steep rainforest passes. It is exotic, until you get stuck behind a big rig going 20 mph for four hours. Then, it just becomes incredibly tedious and incredibly thrilling, when your companion decides to pass them on a blind turn! (Everyone does it.) All in all, I have no regrets about renting a car and driving--if you are safe and cautious about it, it can give you a lot more flexibility. And even though I went during the rainy season, I only had to do one river crossing.

Costa Rica is a very popular destination as an alternative to Hawaii because it has tropical rainforests, beautiful warm beaches, and an equal duration plane ride that is competitively priced. Best of all, everything is cheaper than Hawaii once you are there. Plus, you can use U.S. currency almost everywhere. I would highly recommend it to everyone. The amount of wildlife to be seen is unsurpassed. You don't even have to visit the national parks to see it. There were monkeys living in the mango groves above my bungalow in Montezuma, and I had to watch out for the fruit and other debris they'd drop on the ground. In addition, Arenal Volcano is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, and you can view the lava flowing down it from your hotel room at night. Where else in the world can you go and enjoy rainforests, lava, hot springs, monkeys, toucans, and lakes all in the same place? It is phenomenal.

I have so many great memories from the trip, but if I had to name my favorite destination, it would be Monteverde. The tiny community in the elevated mountains has been shaped by a group of Quakers who emigrated there in 1951 in protest to U.S. military policy. It is a group of three little towns, which are touristy, but in an outdoorsy way. It is a trek to actually reach Monteverde--all roads going in are unpaved and practically unsigned to help keep tourism down. Most hotels there are eco-lodges, and everyone lives in ecologically sustainable ways. There is so much to do, from the area's three national parks, to extreme (and not-so-extreme) sports activities, butterfly gardens, orchid gardens, frog ranariums, etc. Hiking in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve was a misty wonderland, and I'd never seen anything like it. You can check out my journey's pictures at this link (http://www.flickr.com/photos/9649588@N04/sets/72157600697586070), and see for yourself. Enjoy!