October 16, 2015

Pura Vida We have witlessly been referring to Costa Rica (Rich Coast) as Costa Cara (Expensive Coast) ever since we crossed over into the country. Apart from the prices, so much changed from when we were in Nicaragua and above. The public buses are nicer (and double the price, about $4 for a two hour ride), the vegetation is taller and greener on either side of the highways, people are taller and generally bigger, and even the tourists are different. At our first stop in Costa Rica, in La Fortuna, we saw fellow travelers in jeans, walking around with the latest GoPro accessories, wearing matching, name-brand hiking clothing. When I saw a girl in our dorm drying her shoes with a hair-dryer I was struck with what a luxury it must be to travel with a hair-dryer. What we have gathered from our fellow backpackers is that Costa Rica is a place to lay low and not spend too much money before scooting on to one’s next destination.