My Travel Optimizer

I thought I would mention a band I believe is making some good music. The name of this group is Ladytron. I saw them in Tampa and they put on a great show. If you love synthesized bass check these guys out. It was like a deep tissue massage for my ears. The band members are mostly from Britain. The girl on keyboard is Bulgarian. Great live show.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Tags: Ladytron

Costa Rica can be expensive if you want it to. There are plenty of high-end hotels and restaurants that are as expensive as anything in the United States.

Here are some tips:

1. Avoid any American franchises or American themed restaurants. They are even more expensive than their North American counterparts. If you eat at Denny’s you will pay Outback prices.
2. Avoid any place where you see an older American/European crowd. These folks usually have large bankrolls and the restaurants charge accordingly.
3. Look for hotels and restaurants away from the bus stops and centers of town. I recommend renting a car. Its an extra expense but you can make it up in cheaper lodgings and food.
4. Shop for meals in the local grocery stores. Costa Rican food, especially canned, is quite good and easy on the stomach. Costa Rican food is typically not spicy.
5. Look for small eateries where you see locals chowing down. You can still find a good meal for three or four dollars American if you stay out of the tourist spots.
6. Buy a fan and stay in hotels without AC. Nights are fairly cool on the Pacific side. I have found that a fan or an open window with a breeze allows me to sleep comfortably. Hotels do not always have fans so its a small investment that pays for itself since rooms with AC are much more expensive.
7. If possible buy all your toiletries and clothes at home. Lodging and food can be cheap in Costa Rica but the Wal-Mart is cheaper for most everything else. Costa Rica has high tariffs so buy your sandals and insect repellent back home.
8. Do not be afraid to haggle. People from the United States are not used to this and may feel embarrassed but you won’t be offending anyone if you try to negotiate a lower price.
9. Food at the San Jose airport is crazy expensive. Eat or buy something beforehand otherwise you’ll pay over ten bucks for a Burger King combo meal.
10. Buy fruit from roadside stands or the downtown markets. You’ll get great produce at a great price. I do this a lot when I am down there. Its so good for you and it reduces your eating costs.
11. When eating in a local restaurant ask for “un casado”. This is a cheap but filling dish that consists of rice, beans, some type of meat and veggies of some sort.
12. If you don’t mind sleeping in a tent you can find campgrounds that will provide a matress, tent and bedding for less than ten dollars a day. You might not want to spend an entire week like this but its a good way to save money for a day or two. Campgrounds might not be as comfy as a hotel room, though you’d be surprised, but they are a great way to meet people.

Sunset Playa Flamingo Costa Rica

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Tags: cheap eating, cheap hotels, Saving money in Costa Rica

I have driven in Costa Rica from one end of the country to the other. Conditions have definitely improved over the years. Some highways are narrow and filled with potholes. Others are as roomy and well maintained as any we have in the States. Overall the driving experience is pleasant. Costa Rica is building many new and modern roads, particularly in areas frequented by tourists or that have become retirement havens for expatriates.

Their driving rules are basically the same as ours (that doesn’t mean they obey them all the time). The lights are the same and the stop signs are easy to spot. You can turn right on red and left on a green and all that jazz. You’ll find traffic to be a little “wilder” than you will in the United States. Its nothing to worry about as long as you are a careful and alert driver. There are GPS maps available for Costa Rica. Learn about it here.

I urge caution when driving on windy roads, particularly in the mountains. Mudslides and rockslides are not infrequent so its best to use caution. This is especially true when its raining.

Costa Rican police are not allowed to take cash for a speeding fine. Bribes are not unknown here but I leave that to your discretion. I personally do not bribe cops.

There are speed traps in Costa Rica like on the highway to Liberia from San Jose. You’re better off just keeping up with the general speed of the traffic around you than trying to win the Gran Prix on the way to the beach. Its a lovely country. Slow down. Relax.

Avoid driving at night. Potholes are harder to see and if you break down its better to do so during the day.

Many Costa Rican streets are not marked so make sure you have a good map or GPS. Its best to have both but at least travel with a map.

I recommend reading my post on renting a car in Costa Rica.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Tags: bribing cops, Costa Rica, driving

I just wanted to tell people about Mad Men. Its a television show set in an ad agency in 1960’s New York. I’ve been watching it since episode one. The producer is a Sopranos Alumnus. I enjoyed the Sopranos but by the series end but I grew tired of watching the lives of individuals who were, for the most part, fundamentally bad people. I like Mad Men because it shows that passion and drama exist outside the sphere of murderers and mafiosi. I find the characters even more interesting than the ones on the Sopranos. I think people who are good or at least, trying to be good are much more complex and interesting that people who have resigned themselves to a life of evil.

I believe that by setting the series in the ’60s they are able to make very valid commentaries about the present-day society we live in. The genius of South Park is that by using children the creators are able to speak their minds since people are intrinsically inclined to forgive a child’s lack of tact or discipline. I think they have done something similar in Mad Men. You can’t get too mad at the characters because they are people of a bygone era when political correctness was non-existent.

Don’t misunderstand me. This show is not South Park. Its not a comedy and its not about shock. This is an intelligent and meticulously produced dramatic work. This show, in my opinion, is quality.

The show has won several Emmy’s and Golden Globes. Despite this the ratings are somewhat low. I’m just doing my part to expose the show to as many people as possible.

Check out a clip below. The series main character, Don Draper, is pitching an ad campaign to some Kodak executives.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Tags: Mad Men

Mountain bike trail in Croom recreation area, Florida

Since we live in Florida we sometimes forget that we live in a vacation destination. For some Florida is as exotic and fun as any other Caribbean getaway.

We enjoy much of what Florida has to offer. One of these offerings is year-round mountain biking. We may not have striking mountain scenery (or indeed any mountains) but there are few days during the year that you cannot get out and enjoy a trail.

One of our favorites is called Croom. Its located about forty minutes north of Tampa. This trail goes deep into the woods and that’s why its one of our favorites. We love being in the unspoiled wilderness and being far from cars, noise and pollution. Croom is only one of many excellent trails maintained in the great state of Florida.

A map of the trails in Croom. 50+ miles of trail.

I’m posting a map of the trails and some pictures of the trails.

Mountain bike trail in Croom recreation area, Florida

Another shot of a trail in the Croom Recreation area, Florida

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Tags: Florida, Mountain biking