Monday, June 22, 2009

Costa Rica Travel

But The Rainy Season is Not So Caliente

A visit to Costa Rica is a memorable experience steeped in the wonderment and vibrancy of nature, and charged with the energy of a stimulating culture.

But there are some things you should know.

Any trip to an exotic land requires a healthy amount of planning and preparation. For instance, a visit to Costa Rica for an American includes a lengthy search for the necessary inoculations. Because the country is divided into eclectic areas...there are cities, rain forests, extensive waterfront beaches, and long stretches of primitive space...health concerns range from minimal to "maybe I better stay outta there." Malaria, typhoid fever, hepatitis A and B, and a host of other illnesses and diseases are waiting for you depending on where you visit in Costa Rica and how long you plan to stay. Some inoculations are recommended to be taken six months in advance.

And, of course, traveling abroad is replete with the necessary but annoyingly complex system of security that includes the standard quasi-strip searches, as well as Customs and Immigration procedures sometimes led by people you wouldn't let carry your groceries to the car.

But beyond these issues, there are key areas of interest you will need to consider before booking your tickets.

Areas to Stay - Costa Rica is a country of five million people, we were told by a helpful guide en route to one of many rain forests. A full 40% of those Costa Riica people are retired Americans and Europeans. That's two of the five million! Based on a several-day stay near the capital of the country, San Jose Costa Rica, it's safe to declare that a lion's share of the two million Americans and Europeans have found their way to the coast, where the beaches are glorious. They are most certainly not in and around San Jose, where squalor would serve as a compliment. The city of San Jose does have its landmarks. The National Theater is an outstanding historical space conjuring visions of Ford Theater at the time of Lincoln's Assassination. Gran Hotel Costa Rica is also a fixture of opulence in midtown San Jose. But as a rule, head west to Jaco and surrounding beach communities for exquisite resorts.

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