My Travel Optimizer

I notice that people in forums frequently ask about their safety in Costa Rica. I’ve been going to CR for over twenty years so let me give you the low down.  The first thing to do for your safety in Costa Rica is to get out of San Jose.  Its a large city, with a lot of immigrants and a security headache.  As soon as I’m out of San Jose I start to feel Costa Rica’s calming energy.

Costa Rica abolished its army in 1948. They have not had a war since that time. That means that for sixty years the Costa Ricans have not had to suffer from war or guerrilla insurgency. Costa Rica is not a major center in the drug trade. The drug trade exists but it is small and low key. Costa Rica has not had the drug related violence that has plagued places like Colombia and Mexico. Costa Rica is a place that has not known death squads, secret police, car bombs and kidnappings. Costa Ricans have know peace for sixty years and their culture reflects it.

I’ve traveled all over the world and the Costa Ricans are among my favorite people.  There is a lot of beauty here and a lot of peace.  I think there are few places on Earth where people are still this nice and unassuming.  I’m not saying everyone here is an angel but you really have to dig to find the douche bags.  As a tourist what you really have to worry about are thieves.  Costa Ricans are hard-working and law-abiding in general but the few bad apples they have will target tourists and their belongings.  Do not leave anything in your car.  Put valuables in your hotel room in a safe or a good hiding place.  I recommend taking some large plastic zip lock bags and a roll of duct tape. Put your passport, credit cards, etc in the bag and tape it to the bottom of a table or inside a closet wall. Be sure to use a generous amount of tape if you are somewhere with moist air.  This may be a bit much but I like to err on the side of caution.

Use common sense. Don’t go off with strangers.  Be extra-careful after dark. If you’re going to be exploring an area ask the locals or other tourists about what the security situation is like. I don’t care where you are in this world; if there are humans around you need to be a little wary. Just remember that millions of tourists visit Costa Rica every year and almost all of them have a great time and go home without incident. Its not like we don’t have muggings and robberies in the United States.

There are some spots in Costa Rica where you will really learn to let go of worry like Montezuma.  It took a few days to get rid of my North American paranoia but after a few days I really settled into the laid back atmosphere. Life in the states is so fast and hurried. Its good to slow down sometimes.

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Tags: Costa Rica, history, Montezuma, security

I created this site using Wordpress software which you can get here. The software is free and it is used by many bloggers on the internet. I can’t say enough about what a great program it is. I’m self-hosting with it which means I have space on a server that allows me to upload programs and files which can be seen on the internet. Wordpress can be customized in great detail. The general visual look is provided by templates called themes. There are thousands of free themes available on the internet. They can be modified easily with a little knowledge of XHTMl and CSS. You can also use a program called Themedreamer. Theme dreamer is an extension for Dreamweaver which will allow you to modify a theme in realtime. Very handy.

Wordpress also has many plug-ins available. Plug-ins allow Wordpress to do a wide range of things; search engine optimization, social bookmarking, adding favicons, enabling comments for your posts, etc. The list goes on and one. Best of all, these plug-ins are free! I was messing with a content management system (which what Wordpress is) called Joomla and it wasn’t nearly as easy or as fun to use as Wordpress.

Web hosting is very cheap these days; less than ten dollars a month in most cases. I know you blog for free at blogspot but there are definite advantages to hosting your own site.

1. You own your domain and your content. If you wanted to sell your blog later you would have no difficulties.
2. A self-hosted site is infinitely more customizable. This will allow you to stand out.
3. If you get into Search Engine Optimization (SEO) you will find Wordpress and its plug-ins to be very handy.
4. No one can censor your content (unless you violate the terms of agreement with your hosting provider).
5. If you’re technical minded, it is fun and interesting to set up your own site.  Not a bad skill to pick up.
6. Wouldn’t you rather have your blog at www.myname.com instead of www.blogspot.myname.com?

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Tags: blogging, wordpress

Mountain biking around the Arenal Volcano area

The last time my wife and I were in Costa Rica we went mountain biking. It’s something we love to do wherever and whenever we can.  We made a reservation with <a href=”http://www.bikearenal.com/”>Bike Arenal</a>. They picked us up at the hotel in a minivan with the bikes on top.  They drove us to a trail head and we went biking down some rural dirt roads. We had a blast! The scenery was spectacular and the riding was challenging but not too technical.  We took a break next to a mountain stream. The water was as clear as spring water and just as refreshing.  Just what we needed after a long ride.

My wife and one of our guides preparing a snack by a mountain stream.

We’ll be doing more riding when we go back in December.  If you have a large noggin’ like mine I suggest you bring your own helmet. None of the ones they had were able to fit my big gringo head.  I would also bring my own gloves and a water pack (camelbak or whatever) is indispensable.  We’re from Florida so the heat and humidity were not too daunting. If you’re from a colder climate you’ll want to make sure you drink plenty of water and that you pace yourself.

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Tags: Arenal, Costa Rica, Mountain biking

While Costa Rica does have some poisonous varieties of snakes and insects it is a rare occurrence for a person to be bit by them. I’ve been there many times and have never had a problem and I love the wilderness. I recommend wearing hiking boots/all terrain sneakers and socks when hiking around. There are some pretty big ants in Costa Rica. I’ve never been bit or stung but their mandibles are huge so be wary.

Costa Rica does NOT have

• snakes that drop out of the trees
• super poisonous marine life that will kill you before you get back to shore
• insects that lay eggs in you while you are alive
• large mammalian predators that will sneak up on you and eat you

Just use some common sense when you are in CR. Shake your shoes out before you put them on. Don’t stick your hand in a dark hole in the ground.  Don’t pick up snakes and play with them.

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Tags: Costa Rica, wildlife

I recommend renting a car in Costa Rica if you are able to do so. I use Avis. I’ve had very good experiences with them. You can make a reservation at their website and you don’t have to give them your credit card number until you arrive in Costa Rica.

I prefer using a car rental company with offices in my home country. In case there is a problem I won’t be stuck dealing with a company in another country.

You can rent a small vehicle in Costa Rica for about $300 a week. If you are planning on sticking to the main roads you can get by just fine with a small car. Last time we were in Costa Rica, my wife and I rented a small Kia and had no problems. You only need a 4 wheel drive if you are planning on going to remote areas.

I have an article on driving in Costa Rica here.

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Tags: Costa Rica, renting a car