Thoughts on Costa Rica

I'm writing my thoughts from a ferry crossing Lake Nicaragua. It's hard to believe we've already crossed two borders only four days into our journey. If you do the math, it's not much time in the Republic of Costa Rica. We decided to keep our time there brief.

For one, it's expensive, really expensive. Expect to pay prices comparable to the US. But this is just a symptom of Costa Rica's successes in tourism. There are a ton of people that speak English. There are brochures and websites on most of the places you would ever go. It feels safe. They have the infrastructure in place and they have it pretty well dialed in for Central America. This is something that Costa Ricans should be proud of and celebrate. That being said, it may be my biggest complaint about Costa Rica.

I'm the kind of guy that wants the grit, the authenticity, the dysfunction that really defines Latin America. Being in Costa Rica feels a bit like Disneyland. Laminated placards in English guide your experience. There were countless conversations with travelers that praised the ease of traveling, that loved Costa Rica for being essentially the kiddie pool of Latin America.

This may be unfair. Costa Rica is truly beautiful. It has rainforests and volcanoes and surfing and really anything you want to have a fantastically fulfilling time. Both the environmental stewardship and the tourism infrastructure is commendable. But for me, and I think the rest of the Peace Corps volunteers I'm with, we were happy to receive the Nicaraguan immigration stamp in our passports.