December 2004 I went to Costa Rica on a whim. It was my first real visit to Central America and I immediately thought that I should have come sooner. About a five hour flight I was in a country that, like the Thai-Malay Peninsula, has a Pacific West coast and an Eastern Caribean coast. Not a 3rd World Country, Costa Rica had a few select values like a friendly and educated populous and peace (no Army since 1948). As in Asia, new fruits (but some of the same fruits with new names).
Still the budget traveler, I first stayed at a Backpackers hostel in San Jose. There are many and they are all over the internet. Similar to my travels in Asia I found many other travelers from all over and was able to hear opinions and consider where to go. Many of them were jumping south to Panama or north to Nicaragua.
With a limit of 12 days for this trip, I would stay in Costa Rica, the most modern country of Central America. After traveling around by bus and stopping in Quepos and Dominical on the Pacific Coast, I returned to the capital.
I liked everything so much that the next month, January 2005 I returned for another two weeks. This time I continued where I left off, going further down the Pacific coast to Golfito and eventually into Western Panama. (actually it becomes the south as Panama runs eastward). I stayed at the PurpleHouse Hostel in David (Daa-Veed) and later stayed in a tent on the beach in the hot Panamanian sun.
In July 2007 I returned again. This time the trip was for dental work but I got to Jaco, another closer Pacific beach town. I went back again to this fine country in October. This time I went East to the Caribean coast, and south to Puerto Viejo, a wonderful place quite near the eastern Panama border. I stayed at Kayas's Place. August 2008 I came again, visiting La Fortuna with the Vulcan Arenal (volcano) and Lake Arenal. In La Fortuna there is a free shuttle to RanchoMargot, a highly suggested diversion. RanchoMargot.org
In February 2009 I went again for a 6th time and again in October. While on a return visit to Puerto Viejo, I only had a few days before I had to be back in San Jose and the all the bus tickets had sold out. I walked through town unsure if I wanted to experience the slow, local bus again when a man greeted me from his Tourist kiosk.
"The two bus companies are sold out for the next two days, but I have a solution", and he explained that they take a van from varous places in the country and bring folks to their Exploration Center in Siquirres where you are fed breakfast and taken White Water Rafting on the Pacuare River. At the half way point you stop for lunch. The 18 mile one day run includes a total of 52 rapids. What he added was if I wished, I could get on the van going back to Babylon if I wanted! Exploradores Outdoors, worth double the Grayline Bus...
Three of the trips were paid for from the savings on dental work at Dentavac (see www.dentavac.com). Prices are 30% of US and this is from dentists that are not only English speaking but are often trained in the USA. On this visit I got two dental implants and (time flies when you're updating the webpage) six months later (April 10) I went back for the implant's uncovering (dentalspeak) and new crowns.
It is difficult for me to learn any new language but I pick up a few words each trip. I've been saying it was Me Ocho Visita. Actually it is Mi Octava Visita (or is it Octiva?). Anyway, it's 8 as in octave!
So this time I went back to Puerto Viejo, that quiet Caribean coastal town with NO Port! I took a shuttle that drove me to the Panama border and after walking over a long bridge, another bus took us to a ferry which motored us to Bocas del Toro.
It's a joke that needing dental work is a good excuse for a vacation. October 2010 (as I planned another winter trip to Asia) I developed a toothache that required root canal, and I returned for trip #9.
Someone had once commented about the rain-forest zipline tours (see below): "Sure, it's exciting but when you take turns zipping and rappelling from one tree to another, occasionally with your version of Ya Hoo, do you think the creatures that live in the top of the rain forest stick around?!!!" Next time...
This time I took the tram. Actually a 3 in 1 tour that was great, except for the rain.
