8. Costa Rica
I decided to mix things up after the last three trips to the Caribbean and ended up back in Central America. The Costa Rica solo trip came within two weeks of the Aruba trip in mid October 2021. I went there to experience pura vida (motto of Costa Rica’s eco-friendly vibe). I am finding it difficult to put the natural beauty and lush green landscapes of Costa Rica into words. I will keep this section brief and jump right into the details.
Why Costa Rica?
Costa Rica had hassle-free entry and exit rules during the pandemic. Most of my trips were not pre-planned. Since rules and regulations around covid travel were changing so frequently, I booked all my trips only a few days before traveling. This would be hard to repeat with the world back to normal but it is important context on how I managed to make the most of uncertainty. Additionally, on my way back from Panama in December 2019, I had a layover in San Jose and had a good memory of my experience at the airport drinking an Imperial beer. I was keen to visit someday and and got that chance in October 2021.
Where did I stay?
Hostels. In San Jose, I stayed for a night at a hostel called Stray Cat Hostel. It had one of the best hostel names I have seen on Hostelworld and decided to stay based on the name alone since it captures the spirit of a solo traveler so well. I was fortunate and enjoyed my stay at that particular hostel. It was also very close to the intercity bus terminal.
In Monteverde, I stayed at a barebones backpackers hostel with a leaky shed that didn’t hold up too well in the evening rains. You get what you pay for. 🙂
What did I do there?
San Jose is a transit city for most travelers visiting Costa Rica. I spent majority of my time on the trip in Monteverde (Green mountain in English), which is a 2-3 hour bus ride from San Jose.
I have included a list of things I did in Monteverde below.
- Hanging bridges – These were a collection of suspended bridges inside the cloud forest. Very safe and secure, unlike a Tibetan bridge that sways with the wind.
- Birdwatching – I am not a nature enthusiast but birdwatching was a must-do activity recommended in Monteverde. I luckily saw a rare long-tailed resplendent quetzal (Guatemala’s national bird and currency but spotted flying around in Costa Rica. Go figure.).
- Cloud Forest Night Walk – Self-explanatory. Saw all kinds of local animals, reptiles and insects on this guide-led walk. I remember I got a strange insect bite on my finger but , alas, no associated superpowers.
- Day-time nature walks – The natural beauty is abundant and easily accessible in Monteverde. Your lungs will thank you for the high air quality.
- Ate a traditional Costa Rican dish called “Casado” (Translation: married)
- Got dental cleaning done for $30. Costa Rica is a popular destination for medical tourism for Americans. While walking around near the hostel, I stumbled upon a dentist clinic. The same dental cleaning without insurance would have cost me $150 in the US back in 2021.
Tips for other solo travelers?
Costa Rica does not have an army. That is an indication of the general safety in the country. For the most part, the people are friendly towards tourists.
You have to avoid enterprising taxi drivers, especially in San Jose. A taxi driver tried to give me bad information in order for me to take his taxi instead of the bus. I did not fall for it. Trust your gut.
I walked alone at night in Monteverde and did not feel unsafe. However, I did not get that same feeling of safety walking in San Jose. Keep your time to a minimum there and take in the nature in other parts of Costa Rica.
Get out of your comfort zone, within reason. I am an introvert by nature. On my final day heading back to the San Jose Airport, I stopped at a nearby mall. There was a buy-one-get-one special on frozen yogurt but I only wanted one. So I went around asking people in the mall if anyone wanted to split the price to get the 50% off deal. I met a fellow American who humored my request and we had froyo together. Such an interaction and solicitation might have given me social anxiety in the past. #SmallFearConquered
Would I go back to Costa Rica?
Definitely! There is much more to do besides Monteverde in Costa Rica. There is Arenal volcano, hot springs, black sand beaches, etc. I only scratched the surface in my first visit so I would love to go back. My neighbor, Bill, owns property in Liberia (another city with an airport in Costa Rica) so if I make it big someday, I might buy property down there too like him.
Interesting factoid: The expression pura vida came to Costa Rica from a Mexican movie of the same name released in 1956. It is a phrase meant to capture an easy going attitude in the face of adversity.
See you in the next post. Thank you for reading if you made it to the end!