when traveling in Costa Rica! This is my second visit to this beautiful country, so I feel that I am a TOTAL expert. LOL
There are NO facecloths in most hotels, B& Bs, etc. Bring one from home.
Toilet paper is paper thin. Double up if you don't want to be surprised.
Get used to birds flying into open living areas, like lobbies, and making themselves at home in every way. THEY don't need toilet paper.
Cleanliness is NOT cleanliness by North American standards, so DON't freak out IF your bed isn't made every day, nor your floor swept, nor your wine glasses replaced...LET IT GO!
Roads are narrow and people are crazy drivers, especially taxi drivers. Be prepared for many near misses, and lots of gasps from fellow passengers.
Make an effort to say a few words in Spanish. A few words go a long way, toward building a bond with these wonderful Ticos. (Costa Ricans are called Ticos.)
Say "PURA VIDA" to locals. It means "Pure Life", but it is their COUNTRY' S slogan, their branding of their country. It doubles for "Enjoy your day; have a great day; Hello; Goodbye; Thank you; You are welcome." They will smile and answer back "Pura Vida." The letter v is pronounced like the letter "b."
Nicaragua is a very poor neighbouring country. Many Nicaraguans come to Costa Rica to work in the service industry. So don't be afraid to tip a dollar or a 500 colones (roughly one $US). You get a beautiful smile EVERY TIME!!
Try to figure out how the money works as quickly as possible. Use $US as much as possible, and your credit cards. Bring lots of one dollar bills. 550 colones is one US$ so if you aren't too good with mental math, you may have trouble dealing with the fact that 10,000 colones is $24.50 Canadian. 200,000 colones can cost you $480 Canadian dollars at the ATM. Hard to wrap your head around some of this math.
Get OUT of your comfort zone .... explore..... do things you have never done before.... go for the gusto...
On a final note, for all of you who have seen videos, read postings, and my blog, I want to get ONE THING STRAIGHT! I AM not TERRORIZING my sister!!!! 😉☺😀
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