I have been fortunate all my life in that I have been able to take advantage of opportunities to visit many foreign countries, and I have seen such an abundance of amazing things that I can’t begin to recount them all. Perhaps I will write of them in the future, but for now my focus is on the most memorable country I have visited to date.

Costa Rica lies just south of Nicaragua, and just north of Panama. The temperature depends primarily on the elevation, with a mean of around 72 degrees F in the Central Valley, 82 on the Atlantic side, and 89 on the Pacific coast. Much of the country is comprised of incredibly beautiful rain forest, and the national Why Travel average rainfall is 100 inches.

Costa Rica has no armed forces. They were abolished after a brief civil war in 1948, and reportedly, the funds were redirected to the areas of education and healthcare. As a result, they enjoy a literacy rate of 96%, and the country faces no serious issues with disease or availability of medical care.

The real beauty of Costa Rica lies in the people. They are warm and friendly, helpful and courteous – even to each other. I am convinced of this because even though I look like a typical white Anglo-Saxon, I happen to speak the language fluently. As such, I was able to observe that they treat one another just as well as they do the tourists. The locals manage to be industrious and punctual while maintaining an air of relaxation and calm purpose. I saw very few signs of anxiety or impatience during my stay, and I tend to think they were not natives.

Hotel rates are very reasonable; there are many good and inexpensive places to stay if you are on a budget and are willing to go a little ways off the beaten path. Food is downright cheap – you can get a “casado” for about half what you would pay for a Happy Meal. A “casado” is typical Costa Rican fare that consists of rice, beans, a choice of meat, and a salad or other green vegetable. According to the dialect that I speak, “casado” can mean either “married’ or “hunted”…coincidence? Perhaps not.

You can choose to spend your entire time there lying on the beach sipping umbrella drinks, but for the more adventurous, there are a wide range of activities available for not much money. White-water rafting is a seasonal favorite, horseback riding, and the ever-popular canopy tour. The last choice is not for the faint-of-heart or those afraid of heights. Guides will strap a harness on you and hook you to thick cables that are strung between the tops of trees in the rain forest – called a zip line for the noise they make as you go from treetop to treetop. This is absolutely the best adrenaline rush I have ever had! The longest run was about a half a kilometer, and I estimate that I was about 400 feet above the forest floor. It provided an incredible close-up view of the treetops and despite how it sounds, is very safe.

There are also tamer activities to enjoy. Tours are available that will take you to a coffee plantation (recommended for all coffee drinkers!), an active volcano, and a region where there are so many hummingbirds that they will be flying around your head like multi-colored halo.

Overall, my trip to Costa Rica has proved to be the most enjoyable vacation I have ever had. I will definitely be returning.

Pura vida!

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