Sharon and I had a great trip to Costa Rica. The following are short (thank goodness) snippets of our journey along with the best 5% of the pictures. We hope you enjoy! :)
The first thing I noticed upon arrival in Costa Rica was the prevalence of bars around everything. Windows, doors, yards - they were all protected by bars of some sort or another. In one neighborhood close to our first hotel, Herradura, the expensive homes even had guards posted in the front yard. In the photo above, a lower-middle class home with a dirt driveway, an iron fence surrounds the entire yard.
We later learned that there is no penalty for theft if the stolen goods aren't worth at least $150. Apparently, the real penalty is for being stupid enough to leave your possessions unprotected.
The other type of fence we found everywhere is really very clever. Surrounding fields of coffee and cattle were these natural fences held up by a line of trees (the species escapes me - sorry). The farmers prune the trees back to stunt their growth, for reasons I'm not sure about. Maybe to keep them from swallowing the barbed wire stapled to their bark.
Speaking of coffee, in the hills outside of San Jose, coffee plantations are everywhere. In fact, you'd be hard pressed to find an uncultivated plot of land, with every spare meter used for growing coffee. We heard that Costa Rican coffee is some of the best in the world. I think this is true. Even the brand stocked in our hotel room at the Herradura was very tasty, and our favorite morning spot was the Cafe Melagro in Quepos where refills are free!
Looking at this picture, one might gather that Costa Rica is a bit behind the developed world in transportation. Actually, this old geezer hooks up his team every morning and parades up and down a stretch of road awaiting passing tourists. The tour buses stop, people give him a dollar and he stands for a picture. Very Enterprising!
Overall, I'd say Costa Rica is a very modern society with nearly all the amenities we enjoy here in the US. There are a few exceptions, one being the pot holes in the roads. Drivers have to keep a wary eye out for any that might swallow a wheel - not good. Another problem is water quality and sewage disposal. We drank the water in the hotels because we were assured it was filtered and safely potable. That isn't always the case, but bottled water is avaliable everywhere.
Americans wil feel right at home in Costa Rica. Many of the same foods, drinks, and cars can be found in both places. And unlike the Aussies and New Zealanders, Costa Ricans drive on the right side of the road.
The sign indicates a "Soda", a Costa Rican term for diner. You can find them everywhere, most have ready-to-eat food, and you can't beat the prices.
Copyrighted©2001 Jim Mattson